No surprise: House passes charter school amendment
With the House leadership in overdrive to convert dissenters, the charter school amendment passed on a reconsideration vote today.
The battle — which is defined either as a victory for parental choice or an attack on local control, depending on your position – now moves to the Senate.
The Senate will easily pass the bill to allow a constitutional amendment that would enable the state to get in the charter school approval business. The Senate vote pushes the fight to the public arena as the amendment has to win voter support in November.
We will be talking about this amendment and what it does or doesn’t do for the next nine months.
Georgia’s House of Representatives passed charter schools legislation that would, if later approved by the Senate, send to voters a proposed constitutional amendment on whether states should have more authority to create charter schools.
Wednesday’s vote, 123-48, surpassed the two-thirds majority needed on legislation that would put a referendum before voters, and it came two weeks after charter schools backers in the House fell 10 votes short of the needed two-thirds majority.
“I think we have a good bill, a good resolution,” said Speaker Pro-Tempore Jan Jones, the Milton Republican who wrote the charter schools legislation. “It took us a while to get here.”
Charter schools supporters turned to the General Assembly after the state Supreme Court ruled last May that the state-established Charter Schools Commission did not have the authority to create or fund charter schools over the objections of local school boards.
–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
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
125 comments Add your comment
Atlanta Mom
February 22nd, 2012
5:47 pm
Maybe the state can take the $50 million dollars it gives to private school and allocate it to charter schools instead.
Atlanta Mom
February 22nd, 2012
5:51 pm
Apparently, the rural legislators enjoy cutting off their noses, despite their faces. Last year it was the migrant worker act and this year the charter school bill. They need to be sure the last one out turns off the light.
Ed Johnson
February 22nd, 2012
6:23 pm
@honested, the link to the ABE article, please?
Confused
February 22nd, 2012
6:23 pm
So let me see if I understand this,
The State of Georgia does NOT have the money to fund it’s public schools (like they are SUPPOSED to) but they DO have money to fund local schools AND charter schools?
O–kay
Sounds like some lawmakers need to be relieved of their positions…
Ed Johnson
February 22nd, 2012
6:25 pm
@honested, the link to the WABE article, please?
eh
February 22nd, 2012
6:40 pm
A win for Jan and Chip today. A win for ALEC and the Walton Family Foundation, Pfizer, Mosaica and who knows what other corporate interests. A fight in the first inning – check out saveourschoolsnj, the fight in Douglas Cty CO, Parents Across America, and many more grassroots parent organizations who are telling their state legislators to stay out of their public schools. Check out the ALEC exposed websites – does the legislation look familiar? This is a virus folks. Chip doesn’t care. His kids most likley go to a private Christian School paid for with his tax credit program for private tuition. Jans kids have graduated. She has her sights on a higher pulpit. The public schools in my area are excellent yet we have four charter schools that most taxpayers have no idea they are paying for. This amendment is not education policy, its a scam.
Real Athens
February 22nd, 2012
7:00 pm
Look who is sponsoring the legislation. Wonder who is really writing it.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=ALEC_Politicians#Georgia_Legislators_with_ALEC_Ties
http://alecexposed.org/w/images/9/9a/2D1-Charter_Schools_Act_Exposed.pdf
http://alecexposed.org/w/images/5/57/2D4-Next_Generation_Charter_Schools_Act_Exposed.pdf
http://alecexposed.org/wiki/Privatizing_Public_Education,_Higher_Ed_Policy,_and_Teachers
carlosgvv
February 22nd, 2012
7:14 pm
“Parental choice” for the Republicans who passed this bill is a code phrase for the establishment of strong Christian Academys who mostly teach out of the New Testament and regard all secular learning, especially science, as of this world and not worth much.
Real Athens
February 22nd, 2012
7:27 pm
Click the links, decide for yourself.
Rep. Jan Jones (R-46); Education Task Force
Sen. Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-21),[16][19] ALEC State Chairman,[66] and recipient of ALEC’s 2011 State Chair of the Year Award[1]
Rep. Calvin Hill, Jr. (R-21), ALEC State Chairman,[16][65] Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force and International Relations Task Force member[27] and recipient of ALEC’s 2011 State Chair of the Year Award[1]
Real Athens
February 22nd, 2012
7:40 pm
Sorry.
Sen. Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-21),[16][19] ALEC State Chairman,[66] and recipient of ALEC’s 2011 State Chair of the Year Award[1]
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=ALEC_State_Chairmen
Rep. Calvin Hill, Jr. (R-21), ALEC State Chairman,[16][65] Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force and International Relations Task Force member[27] and recipient of ALEC’s 2011 State Chair of the Year Award[1]
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=ALEC_State_Chairmen
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Telecommunications_and_Information_Technology_Task_Force
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=International_Relations_Task_Force
Rep. Jan Jones (R-46); Education Task Force
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Education_Task_Force
http://alecexposed.org/wiki/Privatizing_Public_Education,_Higher_Ed_Policy,_and_Teachers
Brandy
February 22nd, 2012
7:43 pm
@Maureen, thanks! Still confused, but that helps some. I can’t figure out if HB 760 would allow for more money to be reallocated from one district to another for building projects. Guess I need to do more research.
WAR
February 22nd, 2012
7:44 pm
i cant wait until the new thing is the traditional school because the charter school didnt work. that wont be until another 15 or 20 years from now. but boy i cant wait!
To future former teacher from GM
February 22nd, 2012
7:50 pm
You write “I have spent thousands of dollars of my own money getting degrees in education and I have jumped through all of the hoops that have been asked of me. Now, it appears, I will be looking for a new career.”
Why will you be looking for a new career? If traditional public schools all close down (no chance) you can still get a job as a teacher in a charter school.
As far as you saying “I have spent thousands of dollars of my own money getting degrees in education and I have jumped through all of the hoops that have been asked of me….”
Almost all of with a college degree spend thousands of dollars of our money getting a college education and jump through the hoops…why would you think teachers shouldn’t have to pay for their educations as the rest of us do?
For good teachers everywhere…there is a future for you at charter schools, whch are public schools. The pay and benefits are the same as what is at a traditional public school.
I would think that with all the heartache and turmoil the APS and other corrupt BOEs have put you through, you would jump at the chance to get out from under the BOEs that you have complained about for many years.
Good Mother
To carlosgvv from GM
February 22nd, 2012
7:55 pm
Carlos you said you are afraid of the far right Christians who in your words ” for the establishment of strong Christian Academys who mostly teach out of the New Testament and regard all secular learning, especially science, as of this world and not worth much.”
Charter schools still have to follow the law and teach an approved curriculum and if you don’t want to send your child to a charter school, you don’t have to. I really don’t understand what you are afraid of. Right-wing Christians as well as other zealous religious parents are all around us now. They haven’t overthrown the government and we can all still practice religion as we please. The scare-tactic mentality of anti-charter schools because the religious nuts will take over all of us attitude is not working. I’m a middle of the road, calm Christian. Regardless of how much TV and and advertising the zealots use I still won’t change my opinions nor how I live. I’m sure thousands feel the same as I do.
Also, go inside a charter school. Try Drew Charter School for starters. See if it is run by a bunch of zealous religious nuts.
Charter schools won’t produce more far right zealots.
Good Mother
Charles D. Edwards
February 22nd, 2012
8:04 pm
Republicans currently have the upper hand in the Georgia legislature.
The charter school amendment is shortsighted and bad for The State of Georgia. It will set us back in the long run and will be a dis-service to our young citizens.
Charter schools will further separate us and will be a severe drain on our limited educational funds.
This movement toward charter schools, new city start-ups, new counties (ex. Milton County), and other separation ideas are pushing people further apart.
These movements are designed to exclude rather than include people.
Thousand of soldiers of all races have paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom yet we are limiting their children and other youths with these short-sighted and racially motivated ideas.
We should back our locally elected school officials and school boards and demand they provide the best education for ALL of our children.
We need good centralized control over our school system rather than non-elected fragmented and splintered groups controlling education
The good citizens of Georgia should put a stop to this proposed bill and amendment ASAP.
It will be much, much easier to stop these efforts now rather than trying to repeal them in the future.
THANKS !!!
Truth in Moderation
February 22nd, 2012
8:08 pm
Georgia government schools NEED TO RECALIBRATE. All good intentions go towards corruption and the money wasted through public school corruption is breaking the bank. The education promoted is designed to overthrow the Constitution and organized religion, especially Christianity. The good once intended is now undermining rather than educating the citizens. State sponsored charter schools are no bandaid. They thwart the elected school board and open the door for runaway spending “for the children”. The state now controls the curriculum, students, and teachers via the CRCT’s. It will eventually control ALL schools if this amendment is passed. More power concentrated in the hands of the few is NEVER good. The ONLY solution is a CITIZENS’ EDUCATION UNION. Parents and teachers have the power to go on strike. ALL families should home school next year. OUR EDUCATION DEFICIT WOULD DISAPPEAR OVERNIGHT! All teachers could easily home school and make money tutoring other home schoolers. Those who line their pockets with public school funds, yet do nothing to directly educate children WILL BE CUT OFF! CORRUPTION WILL BE CUT OFF! All students will be better educated for A FRACTION OF THE COST! Power hungry anti-Constitutionalists will be CUT OFF! What are you willing to do for freedom and a true education for your children? Home schoolers have already led the way. Will you follow? OR JUST COMPLAIN!
sadteacher
February 22nd, 2012
8:22 pm
@WAR, I love your last post! I can’t wait either! We should all be very aware that education in Georgia is just one giant experiment after another. The state of Georgia is always jumping on a new bandwagon just as some other states have decided that particular idea was not working. This is just the new bandwagon.
Donia
February 22nd, 2012
8:24 pm
We should have freedom of school choice as a tax payer. Government Schools, Private Schools, or Charter Schools are just a name. Let the parents choice what’s best for their children. We should be thinking how to build the better future for our children, not to worry who gets the funding. Create more capable youths for our country. Thank you!
teacher&mom
February 22nd, 2012
8:33 pm
@Real Athens…. Please pass those links to every major news network in the state.
Ned
February 22nd, 2012
8:34 pm
Look at this thread and the one immediately preceding (about the DeKalb School Board) and you’ll see a common thread: parents wanting more control.
To me, this idea of the state chartering schools is no solution, but the core problem, which exists mostly in the large districts, is clear in the other thread: in large school districts parents exercise too limited influence over large entrenched school bureaucracies. The grass roots charter movement is in many ways a reaction to that. But investing authority in an even more ‘distant’ and more entrenhced bureaucracy is not the answer. School boards’ ability, and tendency, to arbitrarily deny parent-initiated charter schools–and to skimp on resourcing those they do approve–is not addressed by this attempt to make it easier for corporate charters to get their hands on public monies.
Jimmy
February 22nd, 2012
9:20 pm
I agree. Teachers and adminstrators are all to willing to take our money and support but have zero interest in real involvement in the education of our children. We are told to shut up, sit down and remember that …the professionals know best.
To Confused -- let me clear it up for you GM
February 22nd, 2012
9:22 pm
Confused you claim you don’t understand. YOu say “So let me see if I understand this,
The State of Georgia does NOT have the money to fund it’s public schools (like they are SUPPOSED to) but they DO have money to fund local schools AND charter schools?”
It’s a simple concept.
You take the money out of the traditional public school. Yes. AND the student too. So, when you don’t have as many students to educate, you won’t need the money for the teachers, buildings, janitors, lunch ladies, secretaries, principals and mostly the bloated costly bureaucrats.
All good employees can and will find new employment at charter schools who will need to hire GOOD teachers, lunch ladies, janitors, secretaries and principals….but won’t they won’t need is bloated, expensive bureaucrats.
Good Mother
3schoolkids
February 22nd, 2012
9:42 pm
There is too much money involved for it not to have passed. Do you really think this got passed because our legislators care whether or not parents have any oversight of the schools? Don’t think so, or there would be a law that parents of children at Charters have to make up a voting majority of the board. This bill was passed because if the amendment does not pass our state will miss out on way too much grant money only available to Charters. Petitioning our state legislators is not enough when Charter expansion is a goal of the US DOE. Can’t wait until years from now when the headlines and top stories are all about grant money being misused. How much of that grant money will end up being awarded to “well connected” schools?
teacher
February 22nd, 2012
9:42 pm
I will vote YES to this amendment. The proposed change does NOT take ANY money from local school boards. Money to fund the schools will come from the state and federal portion of per-puil expenditure which would naturally follow any child that moves around or into the state. The provision will simply allow for competition in education which will encourage systems like APS and Dekalb to stop bickering over school board meetings and education (funny notion I know). Read the bill, never rely on AJC for accuracy!
Public HS Teacher
February 22nd, 2012
10:01 pm
For those that want to dismantal public schools…. what about the tremendously successful public schools in GA? There really are many of them. Just toss them out also?
Why not. No rational seems to matter. Go forth with the identical plan that has lead the State of Florida into the educational hole that it is now in.
Georgia – the State that choses the path already traveled to doom.
Charles
February 22nd, 2012
10:19 pm
From being involved in the school system for many years, I find it hard to believe that many of our government officials are so simple minded to turn their backs on the public school system. If we were to look at many of their school records, I bet we would find 75% if not more of them attended the public school system. It is all about money with them, not about education. It is a “I scratch your back and you scratch mine” scenario.
Many problems cannot be blamed on the public school system. What needs to happen is these government officials, need to require parents to take classes on how to be involved in their childs education. Its time for parents to be held accountable and realize that the school is there to educate their kid not raise them.
I understand that there are some schools that have problems but the state should get involved and force these schools to get up to a level that is suitable for educating students. The actions of some schools should not be a reflection of all schools. There are schools and educators that bust their butts in order to provide a great learning environment, this is showing disrespect toward them.
On another note, gas is soaring towards $5.00 a gallon our economy can barely stay afloat and our elected officials are worried about charter schools.
All educators need to stand together and see what officials voted for the Charter School bill and be sure that they are not re-elected for another term.
Real Athens
February 22nd, 2012
10:51 pm
Teacher&Mom:
I’m afraid the corporate “news” is in on the fix.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=ALEC_Corporations
http://www.salon.com/2011/09/12/reformmoney/
http://www.salon.com/2012/01/13/americas_dangerously_removed_elite/
CharterStarter, Too
February 22nd, 2012
10:52 pm
@ Charles and others – I hear all of the time that the failure of some (yes some, certainly not all) of our Georgia public schools is because of parents and funding woes. I have 3 things for you to contemplate:
1. How do the 90-90-90 schools succeed?
2. Do you think we are the only state with poverty and uninvolved parents?
3. When we had full state funding back in 2002, why was the achievement not significantly higher?
Look, we have to stop making excuses. ALL schools – traditional and charter – owe it to the children and the economic health of our state to ensure that every child reaves their potential. We have to get out of the rut – reprioritize, empower teachers to teach, free them from the nonsense, make principals real leaders of their schools, empower and value parents, develop strong school cultures, expect appropriate behavior and hold firm, lose staff that don’t do their jobs, and that’s just a start. We have to let go of the sacred cows and make some tough choices.
We (charters) are not taking over the world and certainly don’t want to damage schools, but we ARE going to push the traditional school systems hard. And i expect you to push the charters to live up to the innovation an strong outcomes we espouse. We HAVE to raise the bar in Georgia.
Mary Elizabeth
February 22nd, 2012
11:13 pm
@Charles, 10:19 pm
“All educators need to stand together and see what officials voted for the Charter School bill and be sure that they are not re-elected for another term.”
===========================================================
Readers can refer to the following link to find which Representatives in the House voted for HR 1162 (the charter school resolution) today, February 22, 2012, and which Representatives voted against it. The link below presently only includes votes taken on bills presented through yesterday, February 21, 2012.
Try the link again, in the next day or two, to see the names of those Representatives who voted pro and con HR 1162 today, February 22, 2012. “Hit” the blue number on the far left-hand side of the chart. You will want a blue number after the number 512, which ended the showing of votes taken on bills presented by the end of the day on February 21, 2012.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/VoteList.aspx?Chamber=2
Anonmom
February 22nd, 2012
11:21 pm
Sandy Springs Parent…There are no audits for Title 1..people just fill out forms, generally (in DCSS ata least) “encouraged” by the principals and others, the result is if the school “qualifies” for Title 1 funding, the school sees much more money and the system sees much more money. If you really think that there is a “mismatch” — consider reporting it to the FBI/US Attorney’s office (same for anyone in DCSS/APS schools) …. there are some cases elsewhere in GA of Title 1 fraud being prosecuted and 1 in NJ…. It is really an area that is primed for fraud…..
…………………..
I think that the comments about having “control” over tax money by only having public schools at the county/system level, from my perspective as a taxpayer in Dekalb County with DCSS schools, is laughable. DCSS has spent about $20 million just on legal fees on Heery Mitchell litigation and the former superintendent and COO are still awaiting criminal trials which may never occur. “Education” by nearly all standards, at all but a few handful of schools, one of which my son was miserable at, is awful. Is this the control that your so excited about? At least state charters are an option for those really bad situations. DCSS has a nasty habit of any approving “friends and family” run charters and not any of the other ones so this would be another option for those looking for something else. The system is so broken that it can’t be much worse if it fails.
William Casey
February 22nd, 2012
11:50 pm
@CharterStarter: the demographics will NOT remain the same if this amendment is ratified. I’m old enough to remember the “Seg Academies” of the late ’60’s.
TNSTAAFL
February 23rd, 2012
1:17 am
Remember Econ 101 – There’s no such thing as a free lunch. (TNSTAAFL)
Ask why your benevolent leaders would want to give you something for free. What is in it for them? If the money is coming from the government, there are strings attached and consequences. When is the last time government fixed anything? They create problems and then their “solutions” make it worse. Wake up people. Research and find out what this charter movement is about. Connect dots as to what else is going on with regionalism. Then go read some Soviet Union history.
Good day.
CharterStarter, Too
February 23rd, 2012
6:10 am
@ William Casey – the demographics are the same nationally…even in states with alternative authorizes. Do a little research. I understand your concern, but the real data doesn’t support it.
patrick crabtree
February 23rd, 2012
6:42 am
Those LYING, FORKED-TOUNGED, Republicans and certain Democrats should be booted. How many of them filed suit to stop Obamacare saying they did not like the Federal government forcing something down the states throat, claiming local autonomy, YET they passed this bill which in essence does the some thing. The state forcing on the local districts. Oh I forgot, they will benefit. Classism, racism, and eliteism at its best. If private was so good, then why are they trying to get public dollars? That is what this is all about, control! The private schools are in finacial straits because peole enjoy their constitutional rights of self-determination and are returning to public schools. Choice has always been there, pay for it! My parents did and we found public better than private. We need to fix, not create more problems.
rascal
February 23rd, 2012
6:47 am
Funny, but in spite of all the crying about hurting public schools and local control, blah, blah blah, none of the naysayers are proposing any real education reform that will actually deliver the state mandated education quality at a reasonable cost. Not a single person is telling those supporting the status quo how the public/government run system is going to be fixed with changes a, b and c. Nope, just everyone whining about protecting a system filled with local bureaucrats and boards feathering each others beds and running shoddy schools in an environment designed for failure. The current education process has not advanced any over the past 50 years while every other industry has made dramatic improvements and improved productivity. If there were solutions in a government run process, it would have worked by now. Time to give up on the government at any level running schools and let parents have the freedom of choosing a school that suits their own personal and family needs. What is wrong with government funding education but not running the day to day operations?
Mountain Man
February 23rd, 2012
7:41 am
There would not be a demand for charter schools if the public schools addressed the issues within them. Discipline, social promotion, cheating – clean up your own house before you start crying about your captive students wanting to go somewhere else. Local boards also created this mess by not wanting to approve charter schools that would compete with their local schools.
world we live in, in cobb
February 23rd, 2012
8:15 am
Once again – people who know nothing about how schools work, ever been in a school for more than a few hours, have any education background – other than dropping their kids off at private school, making decisions about education. I wonder if the petroleum industry would like an educator coming in and passing an amendment telling them how to drill for oil….
Arabia Mountain Dad, Former Ivy Prep Dad
February 23rd, 2012
8:35 am
“The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers.” Thomas Sowell
Jimmy
February 23rd, 2012
8:39 am
If this bill passes the senate it will restore the way things were before a broad and sweeping court decision last year. You folks act like this is the coming of the apocalypse. The concern sounds a lot more political, a lot more emotional than real.
teacher&mom
February 23rd, 2012
8:41 am
@CharterStarterToo: Here’s a link that addresses you 90-90-90 question:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/on_performance/2011/05/909090_schools_revisited.html
lisa
February 23rd, 2012
8:45 am
a tweet this morning from sheila43:
“those making decisions about schools need to send their own children the same schools they want for other people’s children”
Ned
February 23rd, 2012
8:52 am
@Anonmom: We’re in agreement about “local control” being a joke in DeKalb, with the entrenched board and bureaucracy we have, but please don’t describe ALL the charters here as being ‘friends and family’ connected. There are a few charters in DeKalb with no “connections” that have bucked the trend to get approved (grudgingly for sure) that don’t deserve that characterization.
old school doc
February 23rd, 2012
8:52 am
Great. Can the state now create charter schools for the lemon dropped kids (charter rejects) so that our local neighborhood schools/students will have a chance at success?
All schools cannot do all things for all kids. Yet out regular public schools are supposed to do this. CHarters can do a few things well for a few children. CHarters have a way out of many requirements, thereby ensuring their, at least short-term, success.
C Jae of EAV
February 23rd, 2012
8:52 am
I believe passage of this bill to allow the voters of this state to weigh in on it is the right thing to do.
Now comes the real hard part, which is accuratly informing the public about the issue so that voters can make an informed choice at the ballot box.
I would suggest/recommend that stakeholder groups representing each side of this issue stage public debates/roundtable/panel discussions across the state to give people an opportunity to hear out both sides and make their own choice. The biggest problem I see with this the ground covered thusfar is that there is alot of half-truths and mis-information circulating around that’s been taken as the gospel.
HS Public Teacher
February 23rd, 2012
9:06 am
The voters need to not only weigh in on this issue, but they also need to weigh in on those politicans that voted for this at all.
Georgians need to stop electing total idiots into power.
carlosgvv
February 23rd, 2012
9:09 am
Good Mother – 7:55 PM
More and more Georgia Republican voters are of the Tea Party Mentality. This means more and more parents see public schools as Godless and run by Atheists. Unless you’ve been living in a cave these past ten years, you’ve seen countless parents brow beating school boards to stop teachers from teaching evolution and teach creationism. Georgia Republican politicians go where the votes are. They have the power to make these charter schools anything they want and, you may be sure, they will mold as many as possible to suit fundamentalist Christian parents who will, in turn, vote for them. Take off your blinders and see things as they really are, not as you might wish them to be.
HS Public Teacher
February 23rd, 2012
9:19 am
carlosgvv – Come on now. Do you really think there is a chance to rationalize with Good Mother? Haven’t you ever read their posts before?
flipper
February 23rd, 2012
9:29 am
To all the folks commenting that it’s not the public schools’ fault that they have to teach kids who don’t belong in an educational setting… I get that. Sometimes life just isn’t fair. I still support this bill b/c it gives an opportunity to separate the wheat from the chaff.
One of two things will happen. “Regular” public schools under tremendous competitive pressure will finally get it together and exert the political power necessary to change laws that require them to educate everyone in the exact same way, regardless of ability or desire.
Or…. regular public schools will be relegated to “educating” the “unteachable” the skills they need to help them stay out of prison, while charter schools educate kids who are interested in learning something, attend college, etc. Either way, kids who want to learn and the parents that want to support learning win.
I know it sounds harsh, but I really am sick and tired of kids who don’t deserve it getting every break in the world so that they can sit in class and prevent hardworking kids from learning. Gentle pressure has not worked. It’s time for tough love.
flipper
February 23rd, 2012
9:32 am
Dang… ton of typos. Must get coffee.
Patrick Crabtree
February 23rd, 2012
9:35 am
@td
You said to Heika, “It is not really about local control because I think a Charter school could be formed under the control of the ‘PARENTS WHOSE CHILDREN ATTEND’.” Let me tell YOU something. I don’t have a child in public school, but I pay taxes for those who do. Where is my voice? I do not elect the Charter School Board, so I am taxed without representation. I can have input, elect and unelect the PUBLIC school board but no say at all in the charters. Let’s talk about constitutional rights here. I am not willing to let a corporation define education, ie. Teach for America and Kipp Charters. Public dollars cannot and should not be run like a private company. There are DIFFERENT laws. We need to maintain our oversight!