Parent trigger laws: Parents can fire school staffs
As expected, Georgia lawmakers are pushing for a version of California’s controversial parent trigger bill to overhaul failing schools even as that state grapples with how to put its law into action.
Introduced this week in the General Assembly, Senate Bill 68 mimics the California law, which allows the majority of parents in low-performing schools to petition for major changes, including replacing staff and programs or bringing in a charter management operator.
However, the parent trigger law is running into problems in California where state education officials now say they are uncertain how to implement it and want a study group to look at the law. (The bureaucratic version of sending someone to Siberia.)
I am not sure of the wisdom of adopting a California law that hasn’t even been put into effect yet. Consider what happened yesterday.
According to a story in today’s LA Times:
The state Board of Education, in its first full meeting with a majority of members appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown, moved Wednesday to put the brakes on a landmark law that gives parents the right to force major reforms at low-performing schools.
The board took no action on proposed regulations to implement the law but instead will set up a working group to help determine the procedures. The panel will include those who had complained that the previous board was rushing the process without sufficiently considering their input. The board will reconsider the issue in March.
“We believe all parties involved in public schools should have a say before critical decisions are made,” said Richard Zeiger, chief deputy superintendent of public instruction.
But critics charge that the delay is politically motivated and aimed at derailing the law, known as the parent trigger, which allows the majority of parents at low-performing schools to petition for such sweeping reforms as major staffing and program changes or turning over campus management to a charter operator. Charters are independently run and publicly financed.
In what one critic called a “bombshell” statement, state education officials said Wednesday that it would be difficult to write clear regulations based on the law because it was too vague. As a result, officials said they are working on “cleanup” legislation with state Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica), who heads the Assembly Education Committee and last year voted against the bill containing the parent-trigger provisions.
It should be interesting to watch the Georgia debate on this law since the California model has not advanced enough to offer any lessons to other states.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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79 comments Add your comment
RJ
February 11th, 2011
1:33 pm
“It wont work in APS, Dekalb or Clayton as any teacher who is singled out for a well deserved firing etc will being screaming they are victim of racism.”
@Dr NO, how is that possible in APS since it is run by African Americans. Now, I have heard some white teachers tell me that they felt discriminated against because they are white.
On My Way Out
February 11th, 2011
5:05 pm
This is a total farce. Every lawmaker in Georgia needs to work as a teacher in a low performing school for 5 days to see what teachers deal with day in and day out. That would give them a totally new prospective on public education. Most don’t have a clue what is required to teach or run a public school or system.
On My Way Out
February 11th, 2011
5:12 pm
SB perspective…sorry
JW
February 11th, 2011
6:49 pm
These recently proposed “education” laws would crack me up if they weren’t so pathetic! Just another lame attempt by politicians to blame all of society’s ills on public schools and those who work in them.
Here’s the question that must be asked: who is going to replace all of these “fired” school employees?
On the other hand, I am actually beginning to agree with those who want to convert all public schools into private school. Then, let each school set the admissions requirements, academic/behavioral expectations, class sizes/enrollment, etc. This way parents can compete with each other to get their children spots in schools before they reach capacity. And, when the kids miss too many days, cause one too many classroom disruptions, fail to complete one too many homework assignments, the school gets to dismiss those students. Now it’s all on the parents to find another school willing to accept their kids!
Competition can work both ways!
Bryan in South GA
February 11th, 2011
7:08 pm
A psychological evaluation for teachers? Please don’t give me one today, Friday. At lunch another teacher and I broke up a fight in the lunch line. That was after we reported two students sitting at a lunch table with knives in their boots. Then we sat down for maybe ten minutes and ate a quick lunch. And we work in a high-performing school.
JC
February 11th, 2011
7:17 pm
Until, the teacher’s union changes…..Some bad teachers will continue working and those that are dangerous will continue being in our children’s presence. Any employee in our local school systems are not held accountable until its too late. We still have ones that continue to abuse their authority and our children. After they are employed, they no longer are given background checks. Here in Barrow County, they still employ a teacher that has shopplifted, a teacher that had a DUI on school grounds, and teacher that has molested a student. These individuals still have a job and work with our children. The good teachers are still there, but don’t get the support they need or tools from their local school system. Teachers have become afraid they will lose their jobs if they speak out about what they see and hear. Parents like myself will support them and speak on their behalf as well as our children. School should not go after parents that stand up to them. They even go as far as filing false reports with DFACS and not educating their children as required by law. I’m all for cleaning house in our good ol’state of GEORGIA.
ScienceTeacher671
February 11th, 2011
7:55 pm
*sigh* Do they really think that parents who don’t provide the school with a working phone number are going to take over the operation of the school?
Toto: Exposing naked body scanners...
February 11th, 2011
9:24 pm
Hey, teachers!
If parents “pull the trigger” on you, Big Sis and the TSA might be hiring. You can always get even.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6EeHzf4fQc/TVXhku2hLeI/AAAAAAAAGsg/Lk-4_laisHU/s1600/tsa-search.jpg
JC
February 11th, 2011
9:55 pm
Dear Science Teacher,
Hopefully the ones(parents) that truly are in the know of their child’s education and care about their child’s future will reveil themselves and attend school board meetings. Those that do pay county taxes should have some say.
ScienceTeacher671
February 11th, 2011
10:31 pm
JC, I agree, but I suspect that where “the majority of parents” are concerned and involved, the schools are not “low-performing”.
The politics might be different in the large metro counties, but for most of the counties in “the other Georgia”, if the majority of parents wanted something, the school board would listen, or there would be a different board no later than the next election.
JW
February 11th, 2011
10:40 pm
Is there really some massive education crisis in the U.S.?
Interesting reading below from “Got Dough? Public School Reform in the Age of Venture Philanthropy”…makes you wonder about the real intents of some of these “reformers” and “foundations.”
“Two of the three major international tests—the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study and the Trends in International Math and Science Study—break down student scores according to the poverty rate in each school. The tests are given every five years. The most recent results (2006) showed the following: students in U.S. schools where the poverty rate was less than 10 percent ranked first in reading, first in science, and third in math. When the poverty rate was 10 percent to 25 percent, U.S. students still ranked first in reading and science. But as the poverty rate rose still higher, students ranked lower and lower. Twenty percent of all U.S. schools have poverty rates over 75 percent. The average ranking of American students reflects this. The problem is not public schools; it is poverty.”
MrLiberty
February 11th, 2011
11:27 pm
In a free market, where parents assume full responsibility for the education of their children, you don’t need to have laws to give power BACK to parents. Instead, parents exercise their rights and their responsibility by simply withdrawing their financial support for the school. They pull their kids out and take their money. A simple system that is too simple for virtually everyone to understand.
You are never going to get accountability in a government run and controlled socialist system. The parents HAVE NO CONTROL. Just look at the situation in DeKalb with the school closings and redistricting. Its a scary prospect, but there is no way that a free market, with all the choices it would offer, the lower cost alternatives, and the sound accountability it would finally deliver could EVER be worse that the current government monopoly on education.
It is all just a pipe dream hoping to achieve what ONLY a free and competitive market in educational services can deliver. But keep hoping. Its only your child’s education and future we are talking about.
FBT
February 11th, 2011
11:30 pm
ScienceTeacher671-Some parents provide working phone numbers. It only takes a spark to start a fire. A few highly motivated and empowered parents can accomplish a lot.
Teaching kid to wait | Parenting in Utah
February 11th, 2011
11:52 pm
[...] Parent trigger laws: Parents can fire school staffs | Get Schooled [...]
JC
February 12th, 2011
12:00 am
Government has gone too far for far too long. If parents did start homeschooling their children, I think there would be a downfall in some areas, but may help in some other ways as well. It would be interesting to see what would happen if there was no government involvement in our schools. Only time will tell if Georgia is truly equipped for change and those that are brave enough are willing to voice it and stand up and enter into the Lion’s Den.
ScienceTeacher671
February 12th, 2011
6:22 am
FBT, yes, some do. In fact, most do. I’m sure that YOU do.
For the millionth time
February 12th, 2011
10:25 am
JC, there are NO teacher UNIONS in Georgia.
Dr. Craig Spinks/ Augusta
February 12th, 2011
10:59 am
FBT,
Highly motivated, self-empowered, persistent parents can improve their children’s schools.
It’s not easy but most things worth doing aren’t.
ScienceTeacher671
February 12th, 2011
3:31 pm
Three questions to ask, I think.
(1) If you could, would you fire the entire staff of YOUR CHILD’S school?
(2) If so, could you get a MAJORITY of the other parents to go along with you, and would they be willing to take control of the school with you?
(3) Under your control, and considering state and federal mandates, what would the school do differently?
ScienceTeacher671
February 12th, 2011
3:33 pm
You might also consider how you would find teachers and staff to replace those you fired…and it might be easier in the metro area than in our counties without traffic lights….
j4a
February 12th, 2011
4:23 pm
@JC- I also know of these teachers in Barrow county that you mentioned. The following have ben held to be offenses which are not crimes involving moral turpitude:
Public drunkenness (remember face book teacher in Barrow, just last year?), DUI,Carrying a concealed weapon, Unlawful sale of liquor, Fighting, Simple Battery, Simple Assault, Misdemeanor criminal tresspass, CHILD ABANDONMENT, Misdemeanor offense of escape, Misd. offense of obstructing a law enforcement officer and possession of less than one ounce of marijuana.
Will list the links to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for you:
http://www.gapsc.com/Certification/index.asp
http://www.gapsc.com/Certification/ProfessionalEducatorConduct.asp
http://www.gapsc.com/Certification/ReasonsforDisciplinaryAction.asp
http://www.gapsc.com/Ethics/MoralTurpitude.asp
I would like to know why this special ed. teacher is still teaching children w/ a shoplifting charge? Maybe she got out of it and it didn’t go on record? Hmmmm!
Sam
February 12th, 2011
6:52 pm
At my school, all it takes is a phone call from a parent to turn that F into a passing grade. Seriously. If you don’t fall all over yourself trying to please parents, you get written up. More teachers at my school have been written up this year than kids.
Top School
February 12th, 2011
7:09 pm
@RJ
Those are not real “black folks” running APS…Those are black folks that have sold out to the white folks making all the decisions. Those is propped up black folk…and the white folk is liars, too. Disgraceful …I tell you…disgraceful what they is doin to their own people…and the white folk behind the scenes runnin the place is hidin like they don’t know what’s a goin on…in the Chamber of Commerce with a smile on their faces and a pocket full of Buckhead Bucks.
http://www.TopPublicSchoolCorruptionAtlanta.com
Top School
February 12th, 2011
7:14 pm
@J4a
Professional Standards are only for certain folk…
connected folk…
and those Warren Fortson represents…while he and John Grant expunge and fill their pockets with the taxpayer’s money…
Who? helped who?…in this political cesspool of inequity. Before helping, did anyone research the information provided??? or Did those in power fall for the manipulation in Reich’s Rhetoric? Did she deceive everyone?…or Was this another neighborhood political favor?
PSC / Warren Fortson / Reich / Cesspool of Inequity
http://www.youtube.com/user/TopSchoolAtlanta#p/u/9/b1vFdKXudjM
www.honeyfern.org
February 14th, 2011
10:45 am
There are so many issues going on in the comments that indicate why this bill is a bad idea. There is no reason to really pick apart the bill.
CoolMom
February 14th, 2011
5:52 pm
http://parents4magnolia.org/ - Website designed and maintained by a group of parents.
Educator
February 15th, 2011
7:58 pm
Psychological evaluations are a good idea to weed out mentally ill characters such as Tamara Cotman. She was crazy the day Kathy Augustine brought her to APS to torture the employees and refused to monitor how aggressive she was getting. Now Beverly Hall has the ultimate experience of some of her own medicine from her crazy executive. Now maybe both of them will suffer felony charges for interfering with the GBI investigations.
Top School
February 16th, 2011
2:54 pm
Actually…I think Tamara Cotman took lessons from Principal Reich at APS-Jackson Elementary. I am sure Reich told her she had connections in HIGH PLACES that could bail her out of any trouble she fell into. Reich often used her Northside connections to influence those Administrators at the APS office…even stooping to the level of Jackson parental favors for the APS cars purchased at NALLEY LEXUS. The APS Administration put most of their faith in unethical practices admiring REICH’S rhetoric. Now, the time has come to watch them start throwing each other under the bus. It will be entertaining to watch them slaughter each other as the dominoes fall. Divine justice has prevailed.
http://www.TopPublicSchoolCorruptionAtlanta.com
Parent power: California parents may make history with first trigger law school takeover | Get Schooled
July 26th, 2012
12:09 pm
[...] other states, including Georgia, have seen unsuccessful efforts to pass parent trigger laws. We will be hearing a lot more about [...]