Charter school amendment falls short by 10 votes, but could revive
The House failed to pass the charter school amendment today, falling 10 votes short. But it could return. You can see votes here.
Among those issuing comments was the Georgia Family Council:
“By failing to pass this amendment to protect public charter schools, Georgia’s Representatives have failed our students who are stuck in low-performing schools due to their zip code or bank account,” said Jerri Nims Rooker, director of the Center for an Educated Georgia at Georgia Family Council. “Today, many representatives chose to put the entrenched political interests of adults over the interests of children, blocking the state’s development of high quality charter schools that are inappropriately denied by their local school boards. Because of today’s vote, students will have less access to quality educational options, and the state will not be able to help them
The amendment, which sparked one of the most emotional debates of this legislative session, received 110 votes, 10 short of the 120 required for passage. One of the bill’s sponsors, House Majority Whip Ed Lindsey, R-Atlanta, immediately announced plans to try for a second vote.
Supporters argued that the amendment was needed to override last year’s state Supreme Court ruling, declaring unconstitutional the Georgia Charter School Commission and its authority to approve and order funded charter schools over local school boards’ objections.
Opponents, mostly local public school leaders, had fought the amendment, saying state-approved charter schools should not be allowed to drain tax money from locally approved traditional schools.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2012 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
145 comments Add your comment
Heika
February 8th, 2012
3:44 pm
What more is Rep. Lindsey going to do to get the vote he wants after everyone’s had their say? Hold his breath for a really long time?
Shar
February 8th, 2012
3:52 pm
Thanks to all of those legislators who voted this down.
GeeMac
February 8th, 2012
3:59 pm
I guess we can expect more robo calls. And someone needs to explain to Mr. Rooker that voting down this amendment doesn’t prevent the formation of charter schools in the state of Georgia.
Chris
February 8th, 2012
4:03 pm
Charter schmarter BFD! They’re still government schools.
Okay, good luck and best wishes to all advocates for alternatives to those zoos we call public schools in Georgia. Any escape is an improvement BUT…
What our ostensible leaders really need to do is step up forcefully and consistently for VOUCHERS!
Give our children the chance to get out of that hell hole of a public education system altogether.
Mary Elizabeth
February 8th, 2012
4:12 pm
Many who opposed to HR 1162, like myself, saw into the politics behind it. The education of children should be as free as possible of political agendas.
Winnie
February 8th, 2012
4:16 pm
Free of poitical agenda…in public school Hahahahahahhahahahahahaha.
Now that’s a good one.
Lynn43
February 8th, 2012
4:26 pm
Many, many thanks to the legislators who votes NO.
Lynn43
February 8th, 2012
4:27 pm
Correction-voted
Mary Elizabeth
February 8th, 2012
4:27 pm
Also, I wish to thank all of those legislators who voted their individual consciences on HR 1162, after having wieghed carefully its full ramifications to all of Georgia’s children.
Mary Elizabeth
February 8th, 2012
4:28 pm
CORRECTION “weighed,” not “wieghed”
Ned
February 8th, 2012
4:40 pm
I am a supporter of charters, but there were too many fleas in the bed in this bill. To elucidate:
We need to clearly differentiate on the one side between start-up charters and conversion charters–real, grass roots non-profit charters–and on the other hand schools run for profit and political agendae. It gets more than tiresome to see charters run by folks sincerely trying to do something good for kids lumped in with these charlatans.
There is a real issue of local control behind grass roots charters–which is why smaller rural counties felt like they were being dragged into a fight not their own. Smaller school districts are by definition “closer” to the public in terms of who controls them. In large districts like DeKalb or Atlanta, the whole impetus for a start-up or conversion charter is a local school board with limited interest in children or education and zero interest in what any individual community may want. Thiugh I strongly disagree with the Museum School’s restrictive admission procedure (even though it may be loosening) the fact is that DCSS was the cause of that school being started, through their refusal to work with parents who wanted to improve the mainstream elementary schools in that area.
So what is the solution? It’s not trusting the state legislature to spend metro counties’ money wisely. If that were possible “rich” DeKalb and Fulton would not be sending QBE dollars to “poor, rural” Gwinnett. I’ve argued this before, and I openly admit I don’t know how to do it, but there needs to be some limit on the size of school districts, such that local control is truly “local” in a way that small groups and individuals can be heard. Large school districts need to be split up into semi-autonomous smaller districts of no more than, say, a few thousand students, with each district responsible to the voters, and parents, in that district.
The heart of the real charter movement (the real one, not the Rhee one) it seems to me is enabling parental and community involvement to improve our children’s education. Investing control in the state legislature no more accomplishes this than does investing control in the Beverley Halls and Gene Walkers of our metro area.
Larry Major
February 8th, 2012
4:42 pm
Thank you to the 62 Representatives who support public education.
elizabeth
February 8th, 2012
4:47 pm
Adding my thanks to all those legislators who voted “no” on HR1162. More state control of our tax dollars for education is not a good idea. Please stand firm for local control. The majority of the taxpayers and parents are firmly behind you!
Mary Elizabeth
February 8th, 2012
4:57 pm
(1) Increasing on-the-job teacher training programs, especially for individualizing instruction,
(2) welcoming more parental involvement and offering parents workshops in instructional skills,
(3) and significantly lowering pupil/teacher ratio within traditional public schools,
will improve public education.
HS Public Teacher
February 8th, 2012
4:57 pm
Wow – I am shocked…. and happy about this outcome.
Winnie
February 8th, 2012
5:04 pm
It’s all about protecting the local, public school teacher, not the kids.
Former Middle School Teacher
February 8th, 2012
5:09 pm
Ah Lindsey, another politician who decides the fate of public schools but sends his children to private ones. Just like Chip Rogers and the rest of the anti-public school cabal.
Charter Parent
February 8th, 2012
5:10 pm
I’m sure the teacher union members can finally get some sleep.
GeeMac
February 8th, 2012
5:18 pm
Georgia does not have a teacher’s union. Georgia is a “right to work” state and there are no public or state employee unions. Why this has to be repeated on every single thread is beyond me!
Ron F.
February 8th, 2012
5:23 pm
Charter Parent: Read carefully- WE HAVE NO TEACHER UNIONS IN GEORGIA! PAGE and GAE are professional organizations that have lobbyists at the capitol. They are in no way, shape, or form unions and do NOT have the right collectively bargain. Check the definition of union, please.
As a teacher in a Title I rural district, I’m thankful that enough representatives saw this amendment for the ruse it is. After years of austerity cuts (even in ‘06 when Perdue bragged about a budget surplus), I am glad to know that the state will have to find another way to justify cutting our budget.
GeeMac
February 8th, 2012
5:24 pm
Ned makes some salient points about the need to approach this effort to circumvent local BOEs and taxpayers with caution. However, Ned, your suggestion about reducing the size of large school districts is not financially feasible, I’m afraid. Gwinnett County has 160,000+ students. Even if you limited the sub-school system divisions to 10,000, you’re looking at 16 sub-systems, which would create enormous operating costs.
Former Middle School Teacher
February 8th, 2012
5:24 pm
It doesn’t matter how many times we inform people like Charter Parent about unions they just don’t believe us. Faux News tells them it is true so true it must be.
echo
February 8th, 2012
5:32 pm
Charter parent…you have just lost all credibility. Please educate yourself. Many have already said it, but there are no teacher unions in GA.
GeeMac
February 8th, 2012
5:43 pm
What gets me about charter starters and the anti-union crowd is that they are the same people who complain about Georgia being at the bottom of educational rankings, yet the states that far outperform us are most frequently unionized. I have always argued that unions would never have been necessary if employers had insured safe and supportive working environments along with adequate pay and benefits and fair dismissal policies.
Connie Jackson
February 8th, 2012
5:53 pm
I am so glad this didn’t make it through. I worry when anyone attacks public education and takes local control away from local school boards. And yes, if you want to call me union (I wish), we are going to rest a little easier tonight.
APS Parent
February 8th, 2012
6:04 pm
Great news, but this fight is not over by a long shot. Much political heat is about to be brought to bear on the non-Metro Atlanta Republicans who voted against the amendment. The Republican education “leaders” in the General Assembly (almost all of whom reside in Metro Atlanta) are likely to use both carrots and sticks to force their rural colleagues back in line. Before they jump back on board, I hope they all read Republican Rep. Spencer’s letter that Maureen posted earlier today. He clearly gets why state-imposed charter schools will negatively impact funding for education in the entire state, especially those poor and small counties where there are likely to be no charter schools.
Byte Me
February 8th, 2012
6:04 pm
To the legislators who voted NO today:
THANK YOU.
If the state wants to create charter schools to compete with local schools, let the state pay for them with additional state tax money and not money that’s already budgeted for local public schools. But it’s better for the state to NOT get into the business of creating schools to compete with local public schools and instead work with the local school board to improve their offerings.
Atlanta mom
February 8th, 2012
6:20 pm
Where can we find out how our representative voted?
For Profit Charter supporter
February 8th, 2012
6:34 pm
Rats, I wanted to start charter schools as a for profit enterprise and make a fortune at the taxpayers expense. It is such a great Ponzi scheme. I get to charge the non-profit schools if set up outrageous amounts for rent, food, uniforms, cleaning services, maintenance. Plus, if they fail the local school district gets to pay the remainder of the contracts. No local budget oversight, a non-sophisticated board of local parents, State Board of Education with no clue, local politicians pandering for votes, school parents thinking their getting a private education for free, and local newspapers with no investigative skills. That vote ruined my day.
GeeMac
February 8th, 2012
6:34 pm
I’d like to know too, Atlanta mom, so I can urge those legisltors who voted “No” to stand by their votes. The pressure to change their position will be intense.
Reader
February 8th, 2012
6:36 pm
A recent article in the NY Times illustrates the problems inherent in pitting public schools against charter schools in a battle for funding.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/education/pennsylvania-schools-funding-fight-pits-district-against-charter.html
GeeMac
February 8th, 2012
6:37 pm
Drat! “legislators”
Kathy in Woodstock
February 8th, 2012
6:44 pm
Thank you so much to the legislators that voted no. Our schools are still shell shocked over last years surprise budget cuts to accommodate the charter schools and we are feeling the effects of overcrowding. We have invited the legislators to spend a day with our children but funny no one has accepted. Thank you so much for sticking behind our schools! Please post who voted yes and no so they can get the recognition they deserve. Thank you for this rational, logical decision!
Th
February 8th, 2012
6:49 pm
Kathy in Woodstock – If the local legislators have not accepted your invitation, perhaps your school should follow the pattern of area charter schools. Offer loads of free PR on your school website and in the local papers, perhaps make up an award, etc.
GeeMac
February 8th, 2012
6:50 pm
@Reader – Wow…just wow! Thank you for sharing this article. Every member of our state legislature needs to read this as a true cautionary tale for the slippery slope they would have our schools slide down. This totally reinforces Mary Elizabeth’s concerns for “non-profit” charters being run by “for-profit” companies.
d
February 8th, 2012
6:54 pm
This was not a defeat for charters. We have charters in Georgia. We will undoubtedly have more in the future. This was a defeat for those who want to take away power from people of Georgia and give it to a handful of bureaucrats. I hope that if Rep. Lindsey gets a second go at this this session, he loses by 20 votes.
On the other hand, this is a victory for children in our public schools, and in turn, yes for those who serve those children. My students will not have to worry about whether or not they will have a desk when they come to my classroom because I have 40+ students on a roster and, hey, some day I might actually be able to pay my bills…. I’m sorry if my low 5-figure salary is insulting to Jan Jones.
ScienceTeacher671
February 8th, 2012
6:55 pm
I’m surprised but happy that this was voted down, for now.
Robert
February 8th, 2012
7:03 pm
The teacher’s union wins again, please don’t try to tell me the ‘association’ is any different from a union. As usual, the demonrats bow down to their masters. Last thing the left can stand is for future voters getting out of their control, just think, those kids might pick up what their parents believe. Just can’t have that. Education money should follow the child to whatever school their parents believe is best. You know, choice! But as we all know, the left only believes in choice for one single issue, for the rest, the government solution/belief is the only acceptable option. Can anybody who was happy about this vote tell why with education funding doubling in the last 20 years, after being adjusted for inflation, but performance down is reason to charge forward doing exactly the same thing? I’ll be working to vote out every single local board member who voted our charter school funding down.
d
February 8th, 2012
7:10 pm
@Robert – should a local district be forced to fund a child who is not enrolled there? Sure, state money can follow the child, but why should Gwinnett County, for example, be forced to use its funds to send a child to a non-district school? This is really a win for local representation and for children…. not for any union, teacher, or democrat.
By the way – who says you don’t have a choice where to educate your children? If you want a different option, give up a few luxuries around the house, tighten the belt, and choose a different option.
Education funding doubled in the last 20 years? How many BILLIONS were withheld from districts in the last 10 years? Doubled? HA! Oh, by the way, Gwinnett does have a start-up charter that was just renewed, DeKalb has a few of its own…. and approximately 120 around the state…. Who needs this amendment? Power hungry politicians looking for jobs for their friends. That is who lost today.
Proud Teacher
February 8th, 2012
7:12 pm
So the conservatives will keep on bringing up this bill until they get what they want: weaken the public school so they will evaporate. Nice.
Robert
February 8th, 2012
7:34 pm
D – You asked should local districts be forced to fund a child at a school outside the district. That’s the wrong question and assumes the money belongs to government in the first place. The district is being funded by that child’s parents tax money so YES the money should follow the child. In my area, the charter my kids attend will not be funded after next year without changes either at the state or local level due to the teacher’s union (association) control of the local board. So, unless I want to pay for the local indoctrination centers and a private school, which I can’t afford, then I will have no choice but to return to the teach to the lowest common denominator school, just as the left wants it. The bottom line is the left opposing this has nothing to do with kids, it is about jobs for the local teachers/administrators and pure power/indoctrination at the state/national level.
d
February 8th, 2012
7:42 pm
@Robert – so should my tax dollars (since I don’t have children) follow your children? I don’t think so. Local dollars are the responsibility of local boards of education. No union or professional association in Georgia controls any board of education. Boards of education are voted on by the citizens. If they don’t like what is going on, it is the responsibility of the people to vote for change. If they don’t, they must like what is going on. Like I’ve said before, I was outvoted when Dr. McClure came up for reelection in 2010, and he stayed on the board…. Gwinnettians must like the fact that Ivy Prep was denied a charter or they would have voted to replace board members. My personal opposition, and yes I am a teacher, is the fact that I don’t desire to see cuts to the point that 40 children are sitting in a classroom designed to hold 30. I have a computer in my room that is on its last breath, and it is not likely it will be replaced until we have a full technology refresh who knows when. Your charter will be funded by the state…. maybe not by my local dollars, and frankly, if my ELECTED board of education denied the charter, then so be it. If it is a charter that I support, then I will work to have those members voted out. Like I said, I like what Ivy Prep has done (I don’t know what school you are referring to), and I think change needs to come to Gwinnett, but again, if I am outvoted, people in Gwinnett must be happy. Enough said.
South GA Teacher
February 8th, 2012
7:44 pm
Thank you South GA Republicans and Thank you Rep. Spencer for your letter to Empower Ed GA. You get it!! This is an Atlanta issue and not a Southern GA issue. Wake up Atlanta, you are not the only part of the state that gets slammed by No Child Left Behind measures….now to the next BIG FIGHT, implementing COMMON CRAP STANDARDS…and they wonder why there is an education gap in GA…we keep changing the curriculum to “hide” kids who under perform.
Pharon
February 8th, 2012
7:50 pm
If the state of Georgia came anywhere close to funding public education, maybe the issue of local control wouldn’t be so touchy. 94% of Georgia’s students attend public schools. They’re the best we have. If parents in the metro area want their kids to attend private or charter schools, let them – but not at the expense of kids who don’t have choice in rural southwest Georgia. Georgia’s main mission should be to provide ALL students a free appropriate public education – and the governor should be ashamed he isn’t pushing for that for ALL students regardless of what section of the state they live in. Vote NO on HR1162 every time it comes up for a vote.
Robert
February 8th, 2012
7:53 pm
Echo – The teachers in GA are in an association instead of a union and that association operates the same as any other union. And you might not want to tell people to educate themselves when you most likely have a education degree. The degree that studies show the lowest performing students seem to end up in. Maybe if Math teachers had Math degrees and history teachers had history degrees the public schools would be a bit better performing. How a 4 year degree in being a good liberal enables a person to teach above a 5th grade level remains a mystery. I guess we know the reason the teacher’s union/association fight any effort to hold them accountable for performance.
Ned
February 8th, 2012
7:54 pm
@GeeMac: Well, I did say I wan’t sure how to make breaking up the big districts work, just that it needs to be done. You’re right (though I think Gwinnett is over 100K but well short of 160K kids), it would be cost-prohibitive.
As for the argument many make, that a state charter commission takes a county’s money out of the county’s control–that’s true, and I hope all of you who think that way will contact your reps to ask them to discontinue “Equalization” funding that redistributes money from some urban counties throughout the state, including to counties that have less need of it that the counties from which it is taken.
Ned
February 8th, 2012
7:57 pm
Robert–
A union represents a class of employees in collective bargaining. An association does not. One of these things is not like the other. In Georgia teachers have an association.
If they had a union, they would have gone on strike by now.
3schoolkids
February 8th, 2012
7:57 pm
@Robert
Didn’t you CHOOSE to purchase your home? Didn’t you know when you purchased your home that the government says the tax money belongs to them and not you? Do you really think the money you pay annually includes enough property taxes to pay one one year of schooling? You have an option you didn’t list, it is the ultimate in parental control and it is called homeschooling. Why isn’t there a movement of homeschooling parents demanding a property tax refund for not sending their kids to be “indoctrinated”? Frankly, I am surprised you are sending your child to a Charter school, isn’t it just a public school anyway? Isn’t that what all the Charter parents keep saying? Oh, sorry I forgot that the Charters aren’t required to hire “certified” i.e. “indoctrinated” teachers.
d
February 8th, 2012
7:59 pm
@Robert – FYI, I teach Economics, my undergrad is a B.S. in Economics and my Masters is in Social Studies Education….. You have to have the appropriate coursework to be “Highly qualified” to teach in Georgia. My students are doing just fine. I have had several come back and tell me the exciting things they are doing with their lives. Georgia public schools may have quite a few problems, but they are not in the toilet either – yet…. unfortunately, the getting blood from a turnip metaphor comes to mind in what we are asking our schools to do, and if the state decides to take money from local districts to fund state-approved charters, what do you think will happen?
Robert
February 8th, 2012
8:07 pm
d – The kids will get a better education and the democrats will lose lots of funding. Sounds like a win-win to me.