Under new law, will state send more funds per child to state charter schools than local systems?
A rural school chief sent me this note late Friday:
I am forwarding to you an email from Herb Garrett at the Georgia School Superintendent’s Association that was sent out today to all Georgia superintendents. Herb explains the financial impact of laws already passed regarding charter schools and the differences in funding between those students and the ones attending traditional public schools. Herb clearly quotes GADOE as the source for the financial projections.
Can you find out if this information is accurate? I have the utmost trust and faith in Herb Garrett but I am astonished that our Governor and legislators would clearly gut public education in Georgia to this extent. As a small rural system, we are doing everything we can to stay afloat despite the continuing cuts. But, if the GADOE’s calculations are correct, the Legislature is obviously funding charter schools more favorably than traditional public schools. How can this happen?
Friday evening, I asked DOE spokesman Matt Cardoza to read Garrett’s letter and tell me whether he was correct that state charter schools — of which there will be a lot more if voters endorse a constitutional amendment on the November ballot — will earn more state funding under a law passed this year.
Cardoza promised to get with DOE experts over the weekend and get back to me. I received this response Saturday at noon: “I’ve confirmed that those numbers are correct. Our financial review team ran the numbers based on what the legislation says.”
I also asked DeKalb Sen. Fran Millar, R-Dunwoody, for comment yesterday but he wanted to see what DOE had to say about Garrett’s calculations. He did say, “It was my understanding that the charter schools ended up with about 75 percent of what the traditional public schools received. I am opposed to the new charter systems receiving $100 per child. We can’t afford it and it is time to discontinue the practice.”
(Systems that convert to charter school status get extra funding for reasons still unclear to me.)
As to the rural school chief’s other question — How can this happen at a time when the state is cutting school funding to the bone? — I will let you all offer responses to that.
Given this funding disparity, though, it would make far more sense now for aspiring charter schools to seek state approval rather than local. However, the underlying problem remains that school funding in Georgia is a mess, rife with inconsistencies that the school finance task force, of which Millar is co-chair, must address.
Here is Herb Garrett’s email:
Ladies and gentlemen:
I will devote the entirety of this Friday’s notes (Sorry, it’s a lengthy one!) to an explanation of the funding mechanism that was put into place by the 2012 Georgia General Assembly to fund state special charter schools. The Department of Education has now made the calculations as to just what this will cost, and you should know the results.
First, you should know that, regardless of the outcome of the November vote, this funding mechanism enacted as a result of the passage of HB797 will still be used to determine how much extra state money will be needed to support state special charter schools, and it is already in effect. The original HB797 contemplated the use of this procedure for commission charter schools formed in the future if the proposed constitutional amendment on November’s ballot is approved by voters (HB797 was passed, by the way, with only one, single, “after-thought” opportunity for public comment.). A Senate amendment to the bill sponsored by Senator Ronnie Chance, R-Tyrone, was added (again, with no debate or discussion) which makes this funding procedure effective for the current state special charter schools (and, will require a significant outlay of additional state dollars in the upcoming mid-term budget). After Senate passage, the House agreed to the amended version.
I think the best way to make the point is to compare just how much state money our General Assembly plans to send to state special charter schools as compared to the amount they will send to local school systems to support the education of students in traditional K-12 schools. I’ll compare the amount for regular education fifth grade students. Here’s the scoop (based on DOE-calculated numbers):
For a fifth grader in a state special charter school, the initial amount granted is the full QBE earning for that child ($3,318.14) with no deduction for local five mill share. For a fifth grader in a traditional K-12 school, that amount, on average statewide (varies from system to system based on the value of the local five mill share within that system) is $2,695.71 (already a $600 difference).
That difference is further exacerbated by the austerity cuts that are applied to the earnings of local schools systems ($690.27 per student) but not applied to the earnings of state special charter schools. This latest reduction is mitigated somewhat for systems that receive equalization grants, but those grants do not come close to offsetting the austerity cuts in place for FY13 (or, in the eleven previous years).
Both the state special charter school students and the students in traditional K-12 schools earn state funds for transportation and for school nutrition (Both must offer these services to get the funds.), so let’s assume that both get the $95.85 total per student that comes with these two programs.
Now, at this point the fifth grader in a state special charter school begins to get even more state money than what is sent by the state for the fifth grader in a traditional K-12 school. The charter school student, as a result of the calculation mandated in HB797, gets additional state money equal to the average per pupil amount of the local funds available in the five poorest systems in the state (including the five mill share money already included once before in the first calculation, a clear “double dip”). That adds another $2,560.94 per student for the state special charter school student.
Then, and again as a result of the calculation mandated in HB797, still more state dollars are sent to support that fifth grader in a state special charter school based on capital outlay dollars. Amazingly, additional state funds are allotted based on the per pupil amount of state capital outlay funds PLUS a per pupil amount based on statewide ESPLOST revenues per FTE. This amount comes to $1,017.35 per student, and it is not at all clear that these funds have to be spent on capital projects, as would be the case in local systems.
So, if my calculations are correct (and, they are based on DOE numbers that were provided to me), the state will send approximately $2,101.29 in STATE DOLLARS to local school systems to support the education of a fifth grader in a traditional K-12 school. At the same time, beginning this Fall, they will send $6,992.28 in STATE DOLLARS per child to support the education of a fifth grader in a state special charter school. (NOTE: State special charter schools of the virtual variety receive 2/3 of the total of all components except the capital outlay and nutrition/transportation pieces, so the STATE DOLLARS going to support a fifth grader in that venue amount to $3,921.25.)
The figures are clear: The state will send to state special charter schools 2.5 times more STATE DOLLARS per child than they are sending to local systems (those that do not receive equalization grants); for students in state special virtual charter schools, it is 1.9 times more. By DOE’s calculations and according to the tenets of HB797, this will require that $26,839,637 in NEW STATE DOLLARS be included in the state budget (over and above the QBE earnings for charter school students AND over and above the $8.65 million already added to the budget to pay for state special charter schools) to fund the state special charter schools we already have. The figures are clear, but the message is even clearer: our General Assembly will gladly find and spend more money per child to educate students in state special charter schools than they will spend to educate the students in our traditional K-12 schools.
And, this message comes on a day when the headlines in the AJC announce that state agencies are being directed to find another $553 MILLION to cut between now and 2014!
One of the arguments all along has been that HB797 calls for no “local money” to be used to support state special charter schools, as was the case with the provisions of the former HB881 which created a shell game to capture the equivalent of local funds. Some have even gone so far as to describe the funding mechanism in HB797 as both “protection” and a “windfall” for local school systems. It is true that the old HB881 shell game is gone; but, the calculations described in the paragraphs above also prove quite clearly that, while local systems have suffered billions of dollars lost due to the now-infamous “austerity cuts,” there seems to be no hesitation on the part of our General Assembly to establish a separate school system which they will gladly fund through a state budget that, for more than ten years, has been unable to support its regular K-12 schools. Larger class sizes, teacher furloughs, and heavily- amended school calendars have been the result of those greatly reduced state dollars in recent years, and that trend appears likely to continue as a result of these kinds of funding decisions. I encourage you to know and be familiar with the fiscal impact of HB797.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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244 comments Add your comment
Dr. Craig Spinks/ Georgians for Educational Excellence
August 5th, 2012
5:01 pm
Two examples of problems with GAPubEd:
(1) a local SOS unwilling to put his/her name out for publication; and
(2) a lobbyist in whom a member of the organization he represents doesn’t have confidence.
Mary Elizabeth
August 5th, 2012
5:09 pm
bootney farnsworth, 3:23 pm
“I do think, however, when you start broad-brushing as much as you seem to, the ‘people’ quickly tune you out.
================================================
bootney, I do not think that I “broad-brush,” at all. I think that I give much detail to support my thoughts. I do not write to gather popularity, nor to counterbalance a particular rightwing viewpoint; I write simply to expose truth, as I see it, having studied the political scene in our nation, and in Georgia, for years. (During the 1950s, I spoke up as a teen to my high school friends in support of integration of schools even as I existed within an accepted segregated society, so I well know how it feels to present an opinion that is a minority one within one’s particular social framework. If most of the people with whom you associate, for instance, present only a conservative point-of-view to you, in person, then you well might see my views as those of a “left of center wingnut,” but that does not mean that my views are not correct. Name calling will not effect me in altering my writings (although I would hope that you would refrain from it, especially as a former teacher.)
I have always spoken truth as I have seen it, and I am certainly too advanced in years, now, not to keep telling the truth as I see it, today. I hope as many people as possible will read my views and my posts, but, again, I do not write to gather large numbers of readers in popularity; I write to communicate truth as I understand it in order to benefit our nation, Georgia, and specifically to benefit education, having been a dedicated teacher for 35 years (whom no one thought of as a “wingnut”
)
Please study the link I am providing for you, below, and especially read that window which names those who fund ALEC, and that window which states the legislators who have withdrawn from ALEC and who give their reasons for doing so. (One legislator who shares reasons for withdrawing from ALEC is from Georgia.)
http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed
No to State Charter Commission
August 5th, 2012
5:23 pm
http://www.votesmartgeorgia.com/facts
Solutions
August 5th, 2012
5:55 pm
As long as the kids get a good education, what difference does it make, public or charter or private?
Brandy
August 5th, 2012
6:03 pm
@Charter, I think you misunderstood my statement as refering to charters in GA. Not all states require charters to use lotteries. Therefore, my statement was in fact correct.
NWGA Teacher
August 5th, 2012
6:05 pm
@ Mary Elizabeth: Many of us would love to have a look at your chart. Too many students fall through the cracks of RTI.
Brandy
August 5th, 2012
6:17 pm
That should have read “referring only”. Sorry, I was distracted by Olympics.
Mary Elizabeth
August 5th, 2012
6:31 pm
NWGA Teacher, 6:05 pm
I am delighted in your interest, as well as that of “catlady” in my Academic Developmental History Chart for certain students which I used in my 1 – 8 continuous progress school of 30 years ago. I am presently painting an entrance bench to my home, and dinner calls soon, but I promise to share details of that chart later this evening. There is much to say regarding its use, and I want to be rested enough to be sharp when I describe it, and its use.
Thank you for your interest in it in behalf of all of those students who “fall through the cracks.” Most teachers do not want any of their students to fall through the cracks. If we are able to work “smarter” than simply “harder” (and if those in power will listen to our suggestions), we may not have to work that much “harder,” in order to insure the success of every student. I hope suggestions, such as my Academic Developmental History Chart, will help to that end.
Holly Jones
August 5th, 2012
6:32 pm
@CS2, my mother did explain how it works- the state money does not come back to the county if a child comes back to the county school from a charter. Seems pretty clear to me.
Brandy
August 5th, 2012
6:38 pm
@I Love, I was about to share the same article. There are wonderful charters and many behind the movement have their hearts in the right place, but there are also a slew of bad apples–as many, if not more, than in the pool of traditional public schools. Imagine Mableton is just one, local example.
@CatLady, Your idea is brilliant! Once upon a time we had “lab schools”, why not go back to that concept?
@CharterStarter, I hear you and, yes, I disagree with you that charters are the solution; however, I very rarely see the school boards or out of control school admins as the true root of the problem (if there is one), Dekalb and APS excluded, of course. Rather, it is the onerous rules, regulations, red tape, and “expectations” handed down by legislators at the state and Federal level who are extremely out of touch with what goes in schools and what is in fact needed. And yet, the school choice movement is suddenly hitting on overthrowing local control for (gasp!) more state government control? What?!? Look at the state’s test scores last year. The state-run and administered schools performed shockingly low. If the state is in charge, I am very, VERY skeptical.
Brandy
August 5th, 2012
6:56 pm
@CharterStarter, Support for my statements that many charters do not use lotteries and that charters (even some with lotteries) are able to cherry pick students:
http://www.care2.com/causes/charter-lotteries-leave-lots-behind.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/education/15charters.html?_r=1
http://nymag.com/news/features/65614/
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/07/14/charter-school-lottery-gambles-with-kids-futures-and-often-l/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/20/education/in-charter-schools-fewer-with-disabilities.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dc-charter-schools-exclude-the-disabled-advocates-say/2011/05/12/AFVgcV1G_story.html
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-05-26/features/os-feds-investigate-seminole-charter-20120526_1_handicapped-student-disabilities-learning-charter-school
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/04/13/28catalyst_charters.h31.html
http://philanthropy.com/blogs/philanthropytoday/charter-schools-face-discrimination-complaints/40127
A simple Google search provides hundreds more.
mountain man
August 5th, 2012
7:06 pm
“If a local system loses say 500 kids to a charter, then if they’re budgeting say $5000 per child, 40% of that would be $2000 per child. Yes, they’d still have the rest generated locally, but the loss of a million dollars in one year would be a pretty big hit in most systems.”
Yes, but they are educating 500 less children. That should save them a LOT MORE than the $2000 per student ($1 million). If they were budgeting $5000 per student and they get $3000 per student WITHOUT having to educate them, then that leaves the school system with an extra $1.5 million to spend on the OTHER students.
mountain man
August 5th, 2012
7:12 pm
“if you know of a charter violating the law by not conducting a lottery or cherry picking, I encourage you to report it to the DOE’s Charter School Division immediately. Charters are committed to serving children….period. Without qualification. ”
So what about the charters who say ” we just don’t have the resources to deal with SPED students?”
Ron F.
August 5th, 2012
7:28 pm
@ CharterStarter: I realize you get questioned, sometimes not very nicely, on this blog. My questions to you were just me attempting to honestly understand this issue from your point of view. I am trying to see this issue from the varying perspectives, and you might be surprised how my opinion of charters has shifted in the last year. I apologize if I offended, but I seriously don’t recall ever addressing you disrespectfully at any point in time. Please let me know if I have addressed a comment to you that was offensive.
Two things: 1-I NEVER have posted “zillions” so I respectfully ask that you not overexaggerate my posts. 2- I asked my questions because as I see it, the way the legislation is worded the state will fund the charter schools they approve separately from public schools, thus potentially creating a parallel system. I think it would be prudent to pay attention to that possibility and question our legislators as to how they’ll handle that situation. With the current god-awful messes in Atlanta and Dekalb, I honestly think the state should unapologetically set up charter schools as fast as possible in those systems. I’d love to see the parents in those districts have something better. I’m not sure that the net effect in the rest of the state will be as positive, especially in systems like mine where charter schools would likely be used as a means to segregate our population even more along socio-economic lines, even though our current performance has been going up steadily since the inception of NCLB. Having public funds to secure that is a concern in rural Georgia, where the differences between the haves and have-nots is stark and racial issues are far from solved.
Honest question here, with no intent to rile or inflame you. Do you honestly think a state-appointed charter commission, that has virtually no accountability to the citizens and voters is the best way for the state to go about this? Should the authority vested in that commission be granted by the legislature without voter approval? That worries me, to be honest.
Ron F.
August 5th, 2012
7:39 pm
mountain man: My concern comes from seeing how the austerity cuts have affected my system, so I have to admit it makes me cringe to think about how we’d handle the shift, even if the local funds stay in place when the kid leaves. Do you think the state will leave the local money out of it for long? I honestly think they’ll find a way legislatively to make local systems put money into charters in their district. I could be wrong, but I don’t feel very positive about anything controlled by the Georgia legislature….imagine that!
I think either way we’re about to find out. The next decade will likely be a tough one for schools, whether traditional public, charter/public, or private. I’ll be following the progress of Lousiana’s voucher program myself, as we’ll likely be headed there one day too.
bootney farnsworth
August 5th, 2012
8:38 pm
@ Ron
-while I see where you’re trying to go with the Haliburton bit, but I still think you and ME lose traction with the comparison. it totally lacks traction with most people. again, it becomes preaching to the choir.
do as you wish, but if you wish to be heard by a larger audience, find a different tact.
bootney farnsworth
August 5th, 2012
8:43 pm
@ Ron
there is nothing I’ve seen out of the legislature which makes me believe they are capable of handling this concept. even if its a good idea, I don’t trust them to manage it.
wonder if one of the miracle schools will be in Perry to teach kids how to fish?
Ron F.
August 5th, 2012
9:33 pm
“wonder if one of the miracle schools will be in Perry to teach kids how to fish?” LOL
I don’t know, but I’d be willing to bet there will be math lessons about how to use campaign funds for personal use and get away with it, and lessons on how to beat ethics charges in government class… I could go on, but I gotta get ready for the first day tomorrow.
I totally accept your point about the Halliburton reference. It’s sad that more people don’t understand how that company has manipulated and greedily taken billions from the defense budget with virtually no real scrutiny. Any time there is a discussion of potential privatization, I get jumpy. You’re right that it won’t reach a larger audience, but I’ll settle for even a few thinking about it. Have a wonderful week and keep at it!
Mary Elizabeth
August 5th, 2012
11:33 pm
To catlady and NWGA Teacher,
I have spent some time this evening going through some old files to try to locate a copy of my Academic Developmental History Chart for students, but I had no luck. However, I did find a write-up that I had done on that school in 1979, so that after I present my chart (from memory), I will type part of that write-up about our model, continuous progress school, in which I had utilized the developmental history chart for some students.
From a local newspaper dated May 28, 1980, regarding the school:
“. . .students are assigned to (open) units that are equivalent in size to five regular classrooms, plus hall space. Four units. . .house the entire body of students. Each unit has a range of three grade levels, with the oldest level in each unit functioning as model students and leaders, if they show the ability.
“In a unique educational design, students are taught by teams (of teachers), with each team responsible for all the students in the unit. No teacher is assigned a specific number of students for the day. A given student may be taught by several teachers daily. . . the open space (is used) as a vehicle through which continuing progress is achieved efficiently.
“Each teacher has an advisory role in planning the unit’s program. The advisory group mechanism personalizes the teaching program so that every child has a teacher who is totally concerned about his or her growth and development. At times teachers may teach jointly or one for the other, based upon discovering a mutual objective.
The school’s principal is quoted with the following comments: “You can say we are relaxed without being laissez faire, but with high professional expectation. . .We are the best of both worlds. We’re not open education, but we’re a place where children want to come, somewhere without the pitfalls of basic education.”
The principal added that “the team teaching system adds peer pressure that keeps the instructors on their toes, and develops their own self growth.”
================================================
In that school’s instructional context, 24 sequential levels were offered in reading and mathematics in grades 1 – 7. (At that time, there were no middle schools, only elementary schools, grades 1 – 7, and high schools, grades 8 – 12. The typical advancement through levels for most students on the elementary level were:
First grade: Levels 1 – 4 in reading and math
Second grade: Levels 5 – 8
Third grade: Levels 9 – 12
Fourth grade: Levels 13 – 15
Fifth grade: Levels 16 – 18
Sixth grade: Levels 19 – 21
Seventh grade: Levels 22 – 24
Beyond seventh grade – for enrichment of accelerated 7th grade students, Levels 25 – 28
From memory, here is the chart. I am going to use a fictitious sixth grade student, as an example:
===========================================================================
Academic Developmental History for _____(John Doe)____________
Date of Birth:____(August 20, 1969)____ Grade:__(6th)____ Date: __(10/26/ 80)________
Significant PreSchool History: ___(Premature birth, 7 months gestation); (Pneumonia in kindergarten, missed one quarter)_______________________________________
Reading Levels Math Levels Comments
1st Grade 1 – 2 1 – 4 Language development slowed because
of prematurity & pneumonia kindergarten
——————————————————————————————————
2nd Grade 3 – 5 5 – 8 Math ok; Read. behind 3 levels
——————————————————————————————————
3rd Grade 6 – 9 9 – 12 Math ok; Read. behind 3 levels
——————————————————————————————————
4th Grade 10 – 13 13 – 15 Math ok; Read. behind 2 levels
——————————————————————————————————
5th Grade 14 – 17 16 – 18 Math ok; Read. behind 1 level
——————————————————————————————————
6th Grade 18 – 21 19 – 22 Math up 1 level; Read. on target
—————————————————————————————————-
7th Grade: N/A N/A
===========================================================
Previewing John Doe’s developmental history, one can analyze quickly that, although he was behind initially in his reading skills because of prematurity and pneumonia which had caused him to miss 3 months of kindergarten, he is slowly catching up each year in his reading skills. One can see quickly that he is advancing according to the expected level advancement in mathematics, thus the words, “Math ok.” Under “Comments,” I Q score could have been listed to indicate his potential for rate of advancement (this chart is confidential); also special testing such as psychological testing could have been indicated, as well as information such as “needs glasses,” or “chronic absences.”
Teachers had other charts posted in their rooms which listed the sequential skills and concepts that were to be taught on each level of reading and mathematics, so that all knew what specific skills a student had mastered if he were functioning in a given level. Each student advanced through levels at a pace in which he/she could achieve 90% mastery of content. More on this will be posted within my following post from which I will copy part of my 1979 write-up on this continuous progress school.
Mary Elizabeth
August 5th, 2012
11:43 pm
I regret that my previous post was not able to show the spatial design of about a dozen spaces between these words:
“Reading Levels Math Levels Comments”
These words and comments afterward, should have looked like this:
Reading Levels. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .Math Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . Comments
1 – 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 – 4. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . .. . . Lang. development, etc.
I hope readers will be able to visualize the information, for first grade for John Doe, with the spatial layout above, that was not posted in the way that I had typed it. (These computers!)
Mary Elizabeth
August 5th, 2012
11:46 pm
Post still did not present the way I had typed it.
“1st Grade: Reading Levels Math Levels Comments” should be on one horizontal line.
Brandy
August 5th, 2012
11:58 pm
Thank you for sharing, Mary Elizabeth. I’ve used something similar in a private, preschool, setting and found it very helpful. Would love to see this type of development and intervention tracker become standard for all students–not just those identified with special needs or going through RTI. Thanks!
Mary Elizabeth
August 5th, 2012
11:59 pm
It is late; more on the instructional design from this model school from my 1979 write-up tomorrow on this thread, by evening, for any who are interested in how to address the exact instructional levels of students through instructional design.
Mary Elizabeth
August 6th, 2012
12:06 am
Brandy, thanks for your comments. I totally agree with your comment and I, too, “would love to see this type of development and intervention tracker become standard for all students – not just those identified with special needs. . .”
With computer access now available across the state, this could realistically be done on a single page, and travel via computers with students to their new surrounding, if they transfer between schools. The info does not have to be complex, just succinct, in order that teachers might comprehend where each student is functioning, quickly.
Have a good night.
Goodforkids
August 6th, 2012
12:34 am
I appreciate the comments of catlady and Mary Elizabeth, as usual. Mary Eizabeth is consistent in her efforts to point out the big picture on this blog. We have very powerful legislators who “work for” ALEC and when you read national blogs and commentary, it all makes sense. GA is ripe for such a takeover, for privatizing. We are non-union, republican state with many who would be happy to have vouchers and dismantle public education for all.
The funny thing is, charter starter too talks about what a small percentage of the state budget has gone towards these state commission charter schools. The problem lies in the increase we will see in that percentage when we open the floodgates for lots of charter starters. What business wouldn’t want to come in and suck some profit out of our taxpayer funds? Welcome to Georgia, oh heralded charter school operators, come take over a school for us, pay yourselves handsomely, and don’t worry if the kids don’t end up achieveing…we are so foolish here that there will be little to no oversight, and you can always write a bonus into your escape clause should you have to shutter your doors one fine day. Not to worry if the whole process wasn’t good for kids, don’t folks always tout the resilience of children? They will survive, and in the meantime, you will make a buck.
Watch the number grow…but don’t expect superman.
Bernie
August 6th, 2012
1:46 am
The spacecraft Curiosity has just landed! The saddest part of watching the entire event was out of a crew of a 100+ Men and women, old and young, Whites,Asians and Indian decent. There was only 1 African American male to be seen and he was not part of the operation team. How could this be in the year of 2012 with all of the education and technology available to our kids that least one African American could not be part of this historic achievement. The event is amazing and telling of its failures in so many ways.
This move by Georgia’s politics will certainly insure this absence will continue for another 20-30years or so. NASA surely has changed over the years but its faces have not.
CharterStarter, Too
August 6th, 2012
2:32 am
@ Those crossing state lines and searching the internet for “examples..” – Please contain your research to Georgia, as every state has different laws, rules, and quality in authorizing. As for open enrollment – that is part of the federal definition of charter schools, so I’m not sure how you’d get around it. Nonetheless, it is mandated in Georgia. And finally, just to clarify – the state will not “run” the charter schools, nor will they “start them.” The state’s role will be to authorize quality schools and to oversee them for legal and regulatory compliance and achievement of academic and fiscal goals and responsibilities.
@ Ron F. – I’m sorry, Ron, if my tone seemed annoyed with you. I wasn’t at all – just trying to get folks to THINK and REASON and to stop generalizing and speculating, and for Lord’s sake, to stop making this a party issue…it’s not…almost equal numbers of GOP and Democrats support the amendment.
I do appreciate you listening, and I am sincere in wanting to have an open dialogue with anyone interested in discussing the matter. I feel strongly that whatever we say should be able to be substantiated, which is why I try to reference my source data and send folks to look for themselves. There is so much garbage floating around from the districts, the school board and superintendent’s associations, and charter haters. I don’t’ mind philosophical disagreements, but lies and misinformation drive me bananas. The taxpayers and voters deserve better than that. I really hope people will discern truth by verifying what is being told to them on BOTH sides. I hope I’ve shown that as a representative in the charter sector, I am not afraid to answer tough questions.
Your question…
“Honest question here, with no intent to rile or inflame you. Do you honestly think a state-appointed charter commission, that has virtually no accountability to the citizens and voters is the best way for the state to go about this? Should the authority vested in that commission be granted by the legislature without voter approval? That worries me, to be honest.”
I watched the last Commission, filled with knowledgeable and highly reputable individuals carefully review petitions and put some charter applicants through the wringer in interviews. They were highly selective, which is why only 16 got through. All eyes are on them, and their personal reputations and their appointment on the Commission are at stake, so I do think there is some accountability for the Commission.
Compare the process of the Commission to the district boards, who, while are elected, do not go through that close of an inspection of the applications themselves or participate in interviews, etc. – they rely on the district staff to make recommendations.
The fact of the matter is, though, that if a district OR the Commission makes a bad decision, the charter can be revoked or non renewed at any time – so regardless of who authorize them, the CHARTER is accountable to their stakeholders. I am not sure having directly elected officials or officials appointed by directly elected officials matters one iota. Theoretically, perhaps it may, but in practice, no.
Districts approving charter schools is an inherent conflict of interest – a Gwinnett County School Board member said that many months ago, and I believe he is right. Other states have ONLY the state authorizing schools, some have both. For fairness to both sides, an objective appeals body like the Commission who has absolutely no dog in the fight can only help to ensure that only the best charters open in the state and serve a viable purpose in a community AND they have a reasonable shot at a fair review.
Another comment
August 6th, 2012
2:54 am
The teachers in this state kip on voting against them some selfs since they’re switched to republican control with purdue , followed by deal and the current house and seneate in Georgia. You are only hurting your selves and students, by voting of ALEC written and paid for legilation. I did not move to a red state, but a blue state in 1983. As soon as possible my youngest and
I will at move to blue state or at leaste a purple state.
Tired
August 6th, 2012
5:26 am
The bill passed on March 29; the last day of the legislative session. You’d be amazed at what gets through on the last day because no one has time to read the most recent version. It’s both a shame and a legislative tactic.
Tired
August 6th, 2012
5:30 am
And honestly, this whole charter-funding comes from the same motivation as the proposed vouchers – rich people trying to get the public to pay for private school, or a close-enough facsimile.
Long Time Teacher
August 6th, 2012
6:36 am
The State of Georgia and DeKalb County are breaking the backs of their teachers.
Long Time Teacher
August 6th, 2012
6:50 am
Dear Tired,
The United States of America has this great process called “voting”. All of us need to get out and vote for every election. If we don’t like the governor or legislators, we need to vote them out of office. It is okay to not vote Republican. It is not a sin as some would have you believe. Vote to get the results that you are looking for. The power is in the vote.
Tired
August 6th, 2012
7:21 am
I vote, and I vote blue.
Falcons Fan
August 6th, 2012
8:10 am
Meanwhile in Paulding County, my son’s 4th grade class currently has 32 students. Let’s continue reducing the number of teachers and siphoning off funding to other interests. That’s a great idea.
MiltonMan
August 6th, 2012
8:42 am
Oh how the Georgia educators complain all the time. Now they are upset that there is viable competition for their monopoly on the education system??? How about you educators start producing a decent product before you whine and complain about not having enough money?
Also, you clowns backed none other than Roy Rat Barnes for governor – the same guy who turned on educators in this state. Your man lost! You and the NEA need to learn this lesson about backing a political candidate. If your organization has millions to throw at an unelectable politican, then you have millions to “re-invest” back into the schools.
John
August 6th, 2012
8:46 am
The funding of schools should be done by the parents and it should be in proportion to the number of kids you have in the system. Why should people without kids be forced to pay for your kids education? That smacks of being a socialist parasite to me. PAY FOR YOUR OWN DAMN KIDS !!!
MiltonMan
August 6th, 2012
9:00 am
“I did not move to a red state, but a blue state in 1983. As soon as possible my youngest and
I will at move to blue state or at leaste a purple state.”
Please remind us how great education in this state was when the democrats were in charge.
Pride and Joy
August 6th, 2012
9:19 am
Tired, I a a propoent of charter schools and vouchers because they make sense in a school district that is failing to teach kids.
I am by no stretch of the imagination, rich.
I have a solid middle class income and it’s a struggle.
saying that charters and vouchers are for the rich is propaganda spread by the school administration.
Rich people don’t need vouchers and would turn down a charter. Rich people send their kids to Lovet, Woodward and so on.
Charter schools and vouchers are an appropriate response to failing public schools. Failure doesn’t have to mean low test scores It can be failing to provide safety. A lot of bullied kids get out of the public school and go to charters. Failure can also mean failure to provide an adequately challenging environment for the super-smart kids. My nephew does not attend a traditional public school all day. He’s just 13 years old but is taking college physics. The traditional school does not provide a challenging enough environment so his mom picks him up and takes him to college for that class and then drops him back off at school, at her expense, of course.
Charter and vouchers are for the middle class.
Private schools are for the rich and for those who need a religious instruction.
Don’t be a mindless drone and spread baseless propaganda. It’s a transparent attempt to keep bloated administrators and BOEs in power.
catlady
August 6th, 2012
9:35 am
Thank you, Mary Elizabeth. You have inspired me to work on something that fits with what we ared doing! Best wishes! I will let you know how it goes with the “powers that be.” (The head of RTI for my system has never taught a child behind. When he was in the classroom he was an excellent teacher of the most advanced kids in the county!)
Katie Knapp
August 6th, 2012
9:41 am
Charter School’s also had to endure Austerity Cuts. Please check all of your facts.
Pride and Joy
August 6th, 2012
9:43 am
To Long Time Teacher you said charter school proponents are racists. They want to”be a cover for parents to “shield” their child from people who are a different color, religion, or economic standing. The schools promote prejudice especially among the rich, white, and religious.”
Drew Charter is a successful Atlanta charter school and its students are 99 percent black.
So, using your own argument, all those black people are just racists trying to sheild their children from white people…..
Do you think that is the case? Really?
Or do you know the real truth?
The real truth is the traditional public schools in the area are horrible. Cheating staff and horrible test scores. In desperation, they got a charter school that thrives and teaches children well.
Dunwoody Mom
August 6th, 2012
9:43 am
Many charters are also notorious for accepting “less than ideal” students and then dismissing them or “encouraging” them to leave said charter school. It’s a game – the only problem is they are playing with children’s education.
Dunwoody Mom
August 6th, 2012
9:47 am
http://www.researchonreforms.org/html/documents/DumpingKidsOut.pdf
http://www.legalservicesnyc.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=660
http://www.aftacts.org/charter-news/89-charter-schools-pawn-off-flunking-students-says-public-school-principal
Dunwoody Mom
August 6th, 2012
9:49 am
To those who think Bobby Jindel’s turnaround success in LA is real….that state is among the worst at “dumping” Charter Students.
John Konop
August 6th, 2012
10:06 am
A few points to keep in mind with our education system:
1) Our top 20% perform as well or better than the rest of the world
2) Our country provides a lot more special education than other place in the world which is very expensive. Currently today approximately 11% of kids receive special education.
3) Top level education countries educate students based on aptitude not one size fit all NCLB. They are not pounding square begs into round holes all day like we do.
4) Most countries have way less administrative cost via not having to teach to the test one size fit all system!
Reforming education is a key issue. I would suggest the following.
1) Create a home school/ public school option that allows students to take classes in high school similar to college enrolment over block schedules. Also allow the students to eligible for extracurricular activities. This would create flexibility for students who can intern/co-op, as well as uniting the community.
2) Eliminate many of the end of the year testing. The top countries in the world test way less than us. This would cut back on a lot of administrative overhead.
3) Promote a co-op/intern/joint enrollment style education system based on aptitude. Use the current infrastructure in partnership with colleges, Vo-tech schools……. This would create job ready graduates after high school or better prepared college students. Also it would lower the drop-out rate.
4) Require administrators to teach one class. This would keep them in touch with the system and decisions they make.
5) Let students replace gym credits with a sport in high school. This would create more time for studying, intern/co-op and core classes.
We need to all work together to solve this problem. This us verse them approach will destroy our economy. The truth is we need real reform in our public school system. That does not mean everything they do is terrible. On the other hand, dismantling the public school system will hurt us all in the long run. We should have options like home school and charter school, but it cannot be about tearing down the public school system.
John Konop
August 6th, 2012
10:11 am
… The funding of schools should be done by the parents and it should be in proportion to the number of kids you have in the system. Why should people without kids be forced to pay for your kids education? That smacks of being a socialist parasite to me. PAY FOR YOUR OWN DAMN KIDS !!!….
The father of the free market system Adam Smith was clear that public education is a cornerstone to maintaining capitalism. A well educated and or trained society helps keep the economy growing.
BC
August 6th, 2012
12:09 pm
The hostile and vitriolic response from teachers or district employees on this blog smacks of entitlement and aloof reasoning based on the assumption that the current state of affairs is inherently good and any attempt to remove certain protections or funds is “unfair.” Thanks for persuading a previously undecided voter to not only cast his vote for the charter school amendment in November, but to actively lobby other undecided voters to do the same.
BC
August 6th, 2012
12:14 pm
@CharterStarter
Thank you for your well reasoned and articulate explanation of the differences with factual support. Your logic and intentions are refreshing to an objective reader without any children yet.
glenn delk
August 6th, 2012
12:31 pm
Maureen,
It never ceases to amaze me how brazen education monopolists such as Mr. Garrett are in their insatiable grab for more taxpayers’ money without any accountability for the high costs and poor performance of the current governmental monopoly. According the the U. S. Census Bureau, Georgia is currently spending @$18.3 billion to “educate” @1.65 million students. According to a 2010 analysis by the Heartland Institute , to educate one student k-12, and graduate, taking into account annual per pupil spending and graduation rates, costs Georgia’s taxpayers @$220,000. However, according to the ACT and SAT, barely 20% of all Georgia students, and 5% of Black students, who graduate from Georgia’s public high schools, are college-ready without remediation.
Mr. Garrett should therfore explain to your readers why his monopoly costs Georgia’s taxpayers $1.1 million for all students, and $4.5 million for black students, to graduate one student qualified to attend UGA or Ga. Tech.
Glenn Delk
Mary Elizabeth
August 6th, 2012
2:59 pm
Below is the article which I wrote in in the late 1970s regarding accountability for the continuous progress in reading for each student in the model school where I had worked for almost a decade, first the Reading Specialist, and later as the Instructional Lead Teacher. I am posting this information for those who may be interested in the logistics of how our school had addressed mastery learning and the multilevels of functioning of students in reading (and mathematics) on each grade level,1 – 7. Our students were kept continously functioning on their precise instructional levels as they advanced through the curriculum from grades one through seven, at their optimum rates – with 90% mastery of the curriculum in each level. (After three years of having served as the Reading Specialist in the school, I was promoted to its Instructional Lead Teacher, and in that job function I also monitored the advancement in sequential levels of all of the students in mathematics, as well as in reading.)
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“Plan for Accountability of Individual Student’s Placement and Progress in Reading
The open space of our physical design easily facilitates team teaming. With five teachers teaming to teach approximately 150 students, there is a possibility of 20 reading groups per unit instead of only three or four, as in the traditional classroom. Therefore, each student is more likely to be placed in a group taught on his/her precise instructional level. For example, the two lowest students of each area of the five area unit, all functioning on second grade reading level although in the fifth and sixth grades, can now become a group of ten studetns actually taught on second grade level instead of trying to function in a below average group which is taught on fourth grade level. As a result, growth in reading, rather than failure, is more probable.
To add further possibilites to the instructional program, parents are used as teacher aids and certain students, with teacher guidance, act as peer instructors for younger students. The units are each composed of three grade levels. The highest grade level in each unit is composed of only the model students from that grade. The average students from that grade are in another unit. The model children are called that because they, literally, act as models, academically and behaviorally, for the younger students in their unit.
As the Reading Specialist, I place each new student into the most appropriate unit and reading group for him/her. I believe precise initial placement is very important and basically use the end-or-level tests for this purpose. I, also, consider the student’s previous grades and comments made by former teachers and/or parents. (If a student has entered the school from another school within the County School System, I generally place him/her according to placement from the former school.)
Of course, for accurate placement of a student, I must know what reading groups are operating within the school at any given point in time. To do this, I have a laminated board that is color-coded by units and that lists the names of the teachers within each unit. The units and teachers are indicated vertically on the board. Horizonally, the reading levels of readiness through Level 28 are written in sequence. Lines are drawn both vertically and horizonally, as in a graph, for clarity.
If teacher A has a group of students in Level 10 with a population of 6 third graders and 3 fourth graders, the board would read (6) 3rd beside theacher A and under Level 10. In this way, by reading
(3) 4th
horizonally, I can tell the particular groups a teacher is teaching and, by reading vertically, how many Level 10 groups are operating within the school.
When a group has been tested on a given level and is going to advance to the next level, the teacher turns in a summary scheet to me giving each student’s specific score. The student must indicate 90% mastery by scoring 45 or above, out of a possible 50, in order to go to the next level. If he/she needs to be retaught and retested, I will help the teacher find materials for reteaching. At times, I have taught specific groups specific reading skills, myself. If a student cannot master the skills with 90% mastery, after reteaching, I look for an equivalent level of instruction within school for the student. He does not advance to the next level until he can master the skills on a given level with 90% mastery because he would find the next level too difficult and real learning would be sacrificed for expediency.
On the summary sheet, I make notations of where I have placed students scoring less than 45 (90%) after reteaching. I also change my laminated board to indicate the changes made. If the whole group given above were to move into Level 11, I would erase the grease pencil markings under Level 10 and record the group under Level 11.
If the students are going to a new teacher for instruction in Level 11, the former teacher would indicate that on the summary sheet and I would record that on the board, accordingly.
If a group is reading in a program other than the given program, I write the name of the specific textbook under its equivalent level in the given program and record the population of the group, in the same manner as previously noted.
To find specific scores of individual students, I simplly refer to the summary sheets which I have filed by units and then by individual teachers. Next year, in refining our program, I will keep an alphabetical listing of the students in each unit. As the students complete a given level, I will record their scores on that level beside their names. In this way, I will be able to chart more precisely the progress of individual students without having to look up summary sheets.
The student moves from one objective or set of objectives to another at his own pace, mastering the first before attempting to master the more difficult objective or set of objectives. In this way, he shows a continuous progress which is nourished by teaching on his precise instructional level.
At our school, we feel our structure is built into the overall program through instruction based on mastery of behavioral objectives and precise accountability for each student’s placement and progress during a given year. Our structure, therefore, is not something apart from the students and teacher, but something internalized by them and manifested in the orderliness of their fulfilling specific purposes.”