Charter school question on Nov. ballot: Clarity or confusion?

The short term gain to be garnered for the States authorization and expansion of Charter Schools, will only put a further strain on the already strained and critical educational budgets that exists today. This passage will only set the stage for a already planned school voucher system that is in the works. That unproven plan will
further decimate the public education system and you can count on the fact it will be the State Of Georgia’s death blow to public education as we know it!

The needs of the many will be sacrificed for the selfishness of the Few!

15years or so from now, those left behind will be the future criminals of tomorrow!
Unfortunately, a sizable number of those successful few will be their chosen victims!
Lets hope and pray that your child will not be among their victims!

Go ahead…..Lets Roll the dice and see how it turns out!

Karma! has a very strange way of correcting the unjust!

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Strange that this is being pushed by a more conservative view since it increases state government control and trumps locally elected board of education members. You may like those in charge at the state level today but what does the future hold. Keep it local!

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Strange that this is being pushed by a more conservative view since it increases state government control and trumps locally elected board of education members. You may like those in charge at the state level today but what does the future hold. Keep it local!

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There was this joke that got a high-ranking member of Jerry Ford’s administration fired. The punch line was: “He no play’a da game; he no make’a da rules!” It applies here. When the state fully funds public education at anywhere near 90% of the cost, then they get to decide who and how much money any “extra” public school gets. Until then, with the local communities putting in way over 50% of the cost of education, the locals get to “make’a da rules!”

As far as I’m concerned, since the legislature has so screwed up the process of education to the point of destruction (which I’m not convinced they aren’t deliberately trying to do — It’s hard to believe that many individuals could be that stupid), they need to get out of the business and let the local boards decide where the money goes.

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Let’s see, people who have their own vested interests at stake (local school boards and the “friends and family” program) don’t want to lose their power to another group who have their own vested interests at stake (make sure we maximize every profit, err, every child’s education)

Gee would it be better if a massive earthquake struck Georgia, or a massive asteroid? Come two think of it, either one of those options, or better yet BOTH COMBINED would probably yield better educational outcomes in the long run than the first two.

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What the??? “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?” Talk about doubletalk. The fix is in like it was on TSplost language. Let’s hope Georgians see thru this bs, too.

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The Good ole Boys down at the Dome are making a way for Pastor BOB and his associates to get State financing without all of the rules. This is to insure that little Timmy and Suzy will not have to share the same class room with those on the other side of town. The following hurdle after the issuing of the school voucher is the return of prayer in school, further blurring lines of Church and State. Another end round of that dreadful U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court , they always claim to love and support so much.

This is an ill conceived and dastardly Republican and Tea Party inspired plan to take us all back to the 1950’s version of America. Separate and Unequal at ALL costs!

Many of us, have seen this Movie before, its just the actors have been changed and the packaging is a bit slicker in its presentation with the ultimate goal staying the same.

The South will rise again is not just a whacked out slogan. You are witnessing its next
attempt, happening right before your eyes! This time its your Kids, who will be used as the BAIT. To Educate or Not….. is the real question being asked in this vote, about ALL of OUR children?

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Nice try. You’re trying to spin the debate when the game is over. The democrats made a strategic blunder with their “unethical” decision to alter the wording of the APPROVED referendum by forcing a negative bias. And guess what? It backfired. The other referendums received overwhelming majorities – in the 70s and 80s. ONLY 56% voted no. That’s what I call bi-partisan support.

Move onto another policy battle because this one has already been decided. You need to know when you’re on the wrong side of the issue and admit defeat. This amendment is good for Georgia’s children. It’s not about the teachers or funding or anything else. More public options will improve the quality of education we provide to our children.

Move on, everyone. You’re wasting your bandwidth on this issue.

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As soon as I see “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended” on the ballot, I vote NO. The Legislature has played this misleading game for decades–one of the worst instances had to do with Tort reform back in the late 70s or early 80s.

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@ Alpharetta Mom – StudentsFirst was founded in 2012, per Guidestar, and therefore, would have no tax forms/990 forms available yet.

@ Physics Teacher – For districts like APS who pay 80% in local taxes, that makes sense…so does that mean in rural districts where the state funds close to that much, the state should make the rules there? Just want to be clear and ensure that your logic holds throughout. Why not look at the TOTAL contribution Georgians pay in taxes towards public education (local + state) so that the issue is equalized across districts, despite district wealth? Then I think we can make the argument about how much is REALLY going to public education. State charter schools will and are paid LESS of Georgia tax payer dollars than the district schools. So, if they are REQUIRED to show children are learning at or above current performance, and they are doing it for LESS, then the Georgia tax payer gets a better return on investment.

Tell you what, Maureen, why don’t you call the DOE and ask them this question: “Despite the fact that charters, with the supplement, earn more in state dollars, do charters earn LESS than district schools in state and local funding? And if so…by exactly what percentage?”

Let me predict their answer (but be sure to ask them to confirm). The answer is YES, and it’s more than 20% less.

You see, when tax payers only get part of the facts due to purposeful omission, they cannot make an informed decision. Tax payers deserve to know the whole truth.

And Maureen, while you are asking THAT question, please ask this one as well….if the state had not committed the .0004% of the NON K-12 state budget to state charters, is there any guarantee the budget would have added more to K-12 education?

@ Yuzeyurbrane – Double talk? What is unclear. Under current Constitutional interpretation, currently ONLY the locals have this authority. So the question clarifies that BOTH have the authority. It also clarifies that the state can’t just willy nilly set up schools, but that LOCAL communities must drive it. Explain to me how it is double talk…or do you think Georgia voters are stupid and can’t comprehend (or perhaps your REAL fear is that they are smart and WILL understand)?

@ Ed Advocate – Georgia voters WILL be supporting their local public schools – or should I say, they will be supporting ALL public school children (because of course, the goal is not trying to protect SYSTEMS but to ensure every child gets what they need). If charters drive greater accountability in public schools (which they do, because if they don’t they will be closed), then what we have in our current public schools, then how is that not being supportive?

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Why is it that “public education advocates” continue to insist that more money solves the problem? Clearly, we have more money than most of the countries that best us in the global picture of education yet we need to spend more – on, what? Teachers? Supplies? Books? Buildings?

Our public education system is failing and we here in Georgia want to stick our heads in the sand about the real issue. The AJC article, while lengthy, was certainly targeted towards those who read this blog and believe that “more funding” is the only solution.

We live in a world were people lose their jobs every day with little or no notice. Companies are going out of business because our economy is so weak we can’t sustain growth. Yet, our “public school advocates” (who are typically employed by the system in some manner) continue to say “If you want to fix the problem, show me the money” Let’s keep things just the way they are and more money will make it all better …

The time for that fairy tale has passed. We need a fresh perspective on how to fix our education system and it cannot come from “the inside.” It certainly won’t come from this blog or this newspaper.

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@Kara,
How many appeals from the state are denied?
What happens if/when a charter goes defunct? Who then educates these young people? Do they have to wait until the next school year to enroll in a public school?
Lots of logistical questions, for which I have ideas for solutions, but no one is interested at the state level in hearing what lil’ole me has to say,.

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@ Chris: My husband and I strongly support public education (and charter schools) and enjoy sending our child to our local public school. I will not concede that these schools are failing because I see the great achievements that students and teachers make daily.

To deny the funding crisis in public schools around the state is almost criminal. As a life-long Georgian who is not from metro ATL, I see the impact of the state budget cuts and I fear for the poorer areas in GA, particularly. Throwing more money at schools won’t solve all the problems, but it’d be a start.

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@what’sbestforkids,
That is funny that we have similar monikers and were addressing Kara almost simultaneously! Yes to your points as well. Kids are vulnerable when ANY transition occurs. Transition can promote growth, but they can also be setbacks. Kids moving back and forth between schools will be a more frequent and unfortunate consequence as we get more charter chains. If one reads the national news, it is clear there are some horror stories where schools have shuttered their doors without care for their students. Of course the data shows that most charters don’t outperform and often don’t even match their traditional public school counterparts. But who needs data when what you really want is profit. And ultimately vouchers.

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Again with the untruths that our public schools are failing. It is known as THE BIG LIE!! If the education reformists state it often enough then the public will believe it. The truth is that in schools where the number of students in poverty is 20% and less, American scores are at the top!! As the number of children in poverty increase, the scores decrease. Therein lies the problem that the reformists don’t want to admit or confront-poverty is the number 1 determining factor of educational success.

The problem I have with the reformists is that insist on pushing an educational model that does deliver the promise of providing a better education than that of the local, traditional school. Sure, in a small % of occasions, some schools do better but these are not the norm. Also, the other problem I have is that you are willing to decimate public education to feel that you are getting something akin to a private education for your children-to H**L with everyone else. The for-profit charters will move in and their only mission is to make money off of the backs of our children, I have a huge problem with that and cannot understand why anyone would think it is acceptable. The charters in other states do not have to be accountable for the education they provide to the children sitting in their class rooms and you can bet that our legislators, with the backing of ALEC, will go down the same path and we will have the same debacle that is happening in LA, NY, and PA.

Adam Smith, who is seen as the father of modern capitalism, warns us against those who seek to gain profit at the expense of others. See the excerpt below and he explains it perfectly. This should be a warning, even to those who say privatize, privatize, privatize education.
http://dianeravitch.net/2012/08/06/adam-smith-warns-beware-the-profit-seekers/

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Is anyone surprised that ignorant people might end up voting the opposite way from what they want? No.

I’d be much happier with the idea of charters if for-profit companies were not allowed to run them. Parent/community charters, with nothing to gain financially–I would not mind if the state could do an end run around recalcitrant school boards. But the state being able to give tax monies to private business run to educate for profit? No.

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@ Sneak Peek – So….what you are saying then is that poor kids can’t learn….or, that the public school system cannot adequate teach poor kids. That position is unacceptable in my view. Look at the 90/90/90 schools (public and charter). They SUCCESSFULLY educate poor kids, so why are we allowing those who can’t a pass for failure? If it CAN be done, they why is it not being done in every school?

If I go to the store to buy a gallon of milk and pay 5.49 for Mayfield and 3.49 for Big Value brand, I don’t expect the Mayfield brand to give me soured milk. Should I hold the Big Value brand to a higher standard for freshness? Of course not, we should expect BOTH products to be fresh. However, if Mayfield served up sour milk and cost more, then why wouldn’t I go to Big Value? I get a better product for a better price. Poor people pay taxes with the same expectation that middle class and rich parents do – that the public education system will educate their children, too – not serve up sour milk. And keep in mind, the whole purpose of a public education system is to ensure an educated public, not just a fragment of the population. If we don’t believe every child can and should have access to a quality education, then there is no longer a need for public education. I, personally, do not believe this. We NEED public education.

Charters, by legislative design, are intended to raise student achievement (note it does not say for only rich kids – ALL kids is implicit in the legislative intent for charters. Charters CANNOT make excuses. Regardless of what population they serve, their students MUST perform or they will be closed. End of story.

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“Charters, by legislative design, are intended to raise student achievement (note it does not say for only rich kids – ALL kids is implicit in the legislative intent for charters”

Not to nitpick, but “legislative intent” ain’t worth a whole lot in this state anymore. The intent of the mountain of education legislation enacted since God was a boy has been to raise achievement for all kids. The problem has been the one size fits all approach. If charters can free themselves from that and pick specific populations to draw from, then they might just succeed. I’d respect them more and be more likely to support them if they would specialize and advertise it. Part of my opposition is that they are touted as “public” schools, when they need to specialize. If the legislative intent is to support that specialization based on need within a given area where a charter wishes to begin operation, then let’s get them started. In the long run, if they try to act like public schools, they’ll end up with the same problems.

As to the amendment, yes the wording is tricky, and I think it’s on purpose.

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Way to go parents of Cherokee County. Check out the link below:
http://www.empoweredga.org/cherokee.html

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@ Ron

of course the wording is tricky.
the last thing those fools downtown want is (regardless of position) the voters to understand what they are voting for.

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for the Waiting for Superman crowd:

you do realize it is a propaganda film, right? produced by people with a point of view and product to sell. no different than a Michael Moore film. or a beer commercial.

if it works for you, God love ya. just understand its not objective, balanced, or impartial.

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A yes vote to this amendment = expansion of state government into local schools and a state appointed “commission” making decisions. A no vote = local control by local school boards and local voters of local schools. Like accountability? Then vote no.

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“The Good ole Boys down at the Dome are making a way for Pastor BOB and his associates to get State financing without all of the rules.”

Yes Bernie, but here’s the problem: the status quo that is expressing its “moral outrage” is the same status quo that brought us:

-Beverly Hall
-Crawford Lewis

And organizations like the Georgia School Superintendents Association, who will AWARD people like Beverly Hall, then REFUSE TO RESCIND the award.

When the status quo acts like THAT, it’s not that hard to exploit voter DISGUST is it?

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@sneak peek, I’ll be happy to answer your questions

“Why is it that the reformers don’t want to address the issue of poverty?”

Answer: Because the schools themselves won’t. Because the single best way to address it, to make students accountable for academics AND behavior, which teaches children they have CHOICES in their lives, schools aren’t willing to do.

Why is it that the reformers want to push through legislation for charter schools when research shows that. more often than not, charters do not provide more educational success than their traditional counterparts.

Answer: Because it chips away at the EDUCATIONAL MONOLITH. If a charter school isn’t responding to needs, there’s at least a fighting chance that committed parents can bring about change EXPONENTIALLY EASIER than trying to change the educational monolith

Why is it that the reformers, who tend to be conservative voters who advocate for privatizing education, want the public to vote for an amendment that goes against their own view point of smaller government (ie local control v’s central government).

Answer: Because THAT’S HOW BAD the government schools AND the status quo behind them, have acted.

They are SICK and TIRED of watching “leaders” like the DeKalb County School board

They are SICK and TIRED of watching “leaders” like the APS school board. They are sick of hearing how a board that turned a blind eye to cheating was given AWARDS for its competence for God’s sake! (You really think ANYTHING would have changed if not for the AJC being willing to finally report on what they knew for YEARS to be true?)

Sure, this bill could have some awful consequences. But this bill is a NATURAL consequence of local school boards violating the public trust, again, and again, and again.

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I am a supporter of charters generally, but if you are a resident of SE Atlanta,then you know that the charter schools there are just becoming tax-payer funded private schools for white middle class families who dont want their children to go to school with low SES, primarily black children who attend their local public schools. I am voting no.

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@Not all charters, you think these parents would have any trouble sending their children to the low SES, primarily black Ron Clark Academy if they were zoned there?

You think that MIGHT have something to do with the fact that Ron Clark will hold them accountable for word AND behavior, and the public schools will NOT?

Would you want your child to go to a school like Westlake, where a child can PHYSICALLY ASSAULT a member of staff, only to be let back in 3 days later to brutalize a child?

You think that happens at the “low SES, primarily black children” Ron Clark Academy?

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i love this state. every few years we get to change our constitution with an amendment that is written so poorly that even the ones you benefit vote against it. just like the Gay marriage BS we approved. Why did people vote against their ability to collect insurance, benefits or legal rights?

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@ Beverly

I sorta agree with Ed on the whole Herb Garrett thing. shortly after being sent to the Regents some organization which awarded Tricoli shared governor of the year or some such sent out an oops letter.

while it gave most of us a good chuckle and an no poo Sherlock moment, it didn’t fix anything. we were still catastrophically in debt, still facing GBI, FBI, CNN, S&M ect sanctions, and at least 282 of us got laid off.

I feel you – I truly do. but its not easily gonna happen, and your energy is better spent other places

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@ Bev Fraud: I do enjoy many of your posts, but I wish you’d drop the demands that Herb Garrett revoke Beverly Hall’s Superintendent of the Year award. What’s he supposed to do? Track her down and demand the plaque back? What happens if she won’t comply?

Nope Ed Adovacate. It’s not about the PHYSICAL award. It’s about the STAND.

Just releasing the statement will do, and adding the appropriate annotation on the website. Doesn’t matter what she does, YOU (GSSA) has made a stand for integrity in the process.

It’s not unlike when the Olympics rescinds a gold medal for cheating. Doesn’t matter if the winner returns the actual medal. The RECORD stands, and in this case, for every child and every parent and every staff that was hurt by Beverly Hall’s actions, they deserve GSSA take a stand on their behalf. (Not that the Olympics doesn’t have its issues, but at least now, people know that if an athlete cheats and gets caught there is no award.)

I just don’t get how anyone can see letting her keep the award as morally right, or rescinding it as morally wrong.

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@bootney and ed advocate: I get it; give in a rest, right?

But what if we, as standard operating procedure, DIDN’T give it a rest? What if we CONSISTENTLY demanded our education leaders tell the truth?

What if, back in 2001 when Paul Donsky of the AJC broke the story of WIDESPREAD MASSIVE gains that defied logic, the school board kept PUSHING, kept PUSHING, kept PUSHING?

What if the voters had said, at every public appearance, “Why aren’t you asking these questions?”

I saw an English teacher ask Matt the Mouth Organ at DOE to comment on the insane amount of time being required to implement these standards. Don’t people get, that if every time Matt the Mouth Organ is mentioned on this blog Maureen gets OVERWHELMED with requests, there would be pressure on him to respond.

The blogsphere CAN bring pressure to bear, but it’s somehow considered “impolite” even to use it that way. And thus education is the mess it is. They players KNOW they can get away with it.

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I have to admit, in the interest of fairness, that there are quite a few charter schools in Georgia that seem to be doing a good job. But I can guar-on-tee you when the legislature gets through with their agenda, even those schools will be struggling. As we consider this amendment, we have to keep in mind the polarized politics we’re living with right now. The corporate interests fueling this debate, the good ‘ol boy politics, and the general unabashed disregard for public education from many of our legislative body makes me very, very wary of this. They have no more interest in truly improving education for ALL than I have in kissing the pig they’ve slathered the lipstick on here.

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@ LD – I really appreciate your thoughtful post and will try to respond to all questions/thoughts just as thoughtfully….but it will probably be lengthy.

While I agree that students with profound disabilities rarely apply to charters (noting that this is a parent’s choice and not the charters denying entrance, because they can’t by law), your numbers are off. First, students with profound disabilities are funded at a MUCH higher level – about $16,000 per pupil. Districts, as LEAs, also have access to a state “pool” for low incidence SPED students who cost the district in excess of (I think) about $25,000.

You must also keep in mind that districts earn funding based on the averages for SPED students and thus, are able to spread staffing, etc. across the county for efficiency, which reduces costs to educate SPED students. Charters must hire a singular individual for one school, usually at market rate, and thus, the actual cost is higher. That is not a positive or negative position for either, just a function of size of each entity. We always hear that charters don’t serve Special Needs students. The data in Georgia shows 8-9% for charters and 10-11% for districts. Charters are less, but not substantially so. Charters serve students with all sorts of exceptionalities – I taught 2 students with profound autism and my co-worker taught a child with Down’s Syndrome at my charter school….along with others.

You must also consider that start up charters authorized by their districts do not have access to state funding allotments for facilities – that is another stream of money for the districts. In addition, districts have taxing and bonding authority, which provides another revenue stream for facilities. Districts receive (if voted) SPLOST funds. Start up charters “may” be provided SPLOST dollars for facilities, technology, or transportation, but generally districts do not share the funds (has happened only twice in our state and was quite a political feat in both cases). Charters pay for facilities out of their operational funds. Under HB 555, districts that have unused public buildings must allow charters to utilize them without lease fees (because the public already paid for them), but we have several districts who refuse – they prefer to use the buildings for storage, professional development, bus parking, or “future” plans than to allow students in charters to have access…and so the charters pay out of their operational dollars instead. For a balanced view though, APS has been very fair with their surplus facilities, and we are seeing DeKalb be a little more open minded to charters using surplus buildings.

Also, as LEAs, districts have access to tons of other federal grants and funds that charters cannot access. So, the funding streams for districts are much, much broader. Charters rely on state, local (if eligible), federal (if eligible), and fundraising.

Now, with 797, state charters will receive their earned proportionate share of state facilities funds, so that will help some, but without access to SPLOST or bonding and taxing authority, they will still be funding facilities out of operational costs.

The numbers that I quoted you considered REVENUE for only state and local, because adding them together, it evens the playing field for both (particularly rural districts) and gives the public some understanding of about how much per pupil is being paid in tax dollars. Charters generally spend their money in 3 blocks (in order of %): salaries, facilities, general operations.

As for your excellent question regarding why the Commission and why not just clarify in the law…we wish to goodness it would be that simple. Unfortunately, when the Supreme Court overturned the Superior Court and interpreted the Constitution by adding a word that wasn’t there (”exclusive”), it created a huge gray area about the authority of the state – for everything. I really encourage you to read the majority and especially the dissenting opinions from the Supreme Court on this case. Judge Nahmias was pretty scathing about the short-sidedness of the decision of the majority and warned about the potential for challenge by those opposed to the state authorizing charters or funding them. He also mentioned that the decision opened up a can of worms on non-charter related matters….i.e., if districts have EXCLUSIVE control, could they refuse to follow the state’s salary schedule? What about the fact that the state spends more than half of its budget on public education – are they just a paycheck without any oversight? The state Attorney General concurred with Nahmias. So you see, to really ensure that it is perfectly clear that the state has responsibility that is shared with the district in authorizing charters AND clarifies the role of the state in public education in general, we have to seek Constitutional clarity. The important thing to note is that the voters will make the decision – it will not be mandated by anyway. if it’s voted affirmatively, it will be the will of the people. We are seeing a lot of bi-partisan support – the majority of Republicans and nearly 50% of Democrats. That’s pretty amazing given how contentious this issue has been and how much nonsense and misinformation is being spread by districts and the GSBA and GSSA.

Something interesting to know is that the state has, in the past, been a sort of “appeals” body for charters…however, they received no local funding and were usually operating under $4000 per pupil which is not only inequitable, but unsustainable. The districts never challenged the state’s authority for doing this…not ever. The Commission provided not only an appeals process, but also more equitable, sustainable funding when it was established. I won’t get into the argument of whether or not this was fair since it’s a moot point now, but the thing to know is that the districts challenged the state’s authority for approving schools only after there was money involved. Admittedly, they lost money in the prior structure, but NOW, there is an absolute guarantee that no funds will be taken from them. ..so NOW their argument is about funds they could POTENTIALLY have. There IS a budget crisis in Georgia, but there is no guarantee that the state would fund them higher anyway. If they had desired to take .0004 of the budget and added it back to K-12 education, they could have done it at any time. They have decided to take that tiny amount of our state budget that does NOT come from K-12 education and provide it to the charters. What difference does it make? It is being invested into public school students. I find it so interesting that the districts are not being financially impacted and STILL they fight the charters. Despite their claims to “support” charters, they continually deny them (even the viable ones) and fight them even when there is no impact to their own budgets. It is clear they just don’t want charters around to challenge what they are doing. What frustrates me most is that it’s not just a philosophical difference we have – their arguments are illogical and unsubstantiated.

As for the 3% – the up to 3% takes care of the ACTUAL costs for central administration and oversight. The district approved charter schools pay their school districts up to 3% as well (meaning that the districts make money off of every charter they authorize and the charters automatically start at 97% of funding, assuming they are funded correctly, which most aren’t). Something else to consider is that every school “earns” state funds, which includes central administration, and the school districts retain this at the central office. 88% of the districts spend 1-7% on general admin. Lest you think I never say anything nice about districts, allow me to commend these districts for containing costs in areas that don’t touch children (general administration).

Columbia County 1.7%
Camden County 1.8%
Paulding County 1.9%
Lee County 2.1%
Bryan County 2.1%
Hart County 2.2%
Tift County 2.3%
Henry County 2.3%
Walker County 2.4%
Cherokee County 2.6%
Morgan County 2.6%
Catoosa County 2.7%
Rome City 2.7%
Cobb County 2.8%
Carroll County 2.9%
Decatur County 2.9%
Fannin County 2.9%

Here are some high fliers with general administration costs (keeping in mind that every dollar spent here is NOT in the classroom…you should cross reference this to some of their achievement. How many of these are rural districts that are “hurting.” Why don’t they just collaborate with a neighboring district for general administration functions so more money could go into the classrooms? The legislature asked some that question a few months ago…and they hemmed and hawed. It’s a “turf” thing, which only costs tax payers more dollars.

Pelham City 7.1%
Gwinnett County 7.1%
Pulaski County 7.2%
Taliaferro County 7.5%
Chickamauga City 7.5%
Clinch County 7.6%
Social Circle City 7.7%
Treutlen County 7.9%
Twiggs County 8.1%
Miller County 8.4%
Warren County 8.5%
Talbot County 8.8%
Marion County 8.8%
Glascock County 9.0%
Randolph County 9.1%
Bleckley County 9.2%
Turner County 10.0%
Webster County 10.9%
Stewart County 11.3%
Calhoun County 11.6%
Clay County 11.7%
Chattahoochee County 12.5%
Quitman County 13.0%
Hancock County 15.1%
Baker County 16.4%
Atlanta Public Schools 21.3%

Here’s what the charter sector desires (and always has desired): when a group of parents/community members feel that there is a need to provide for an alternative option for education for purposes of either 1) raising achievement and/or 2) providing options, they should be able to take a quality application to the school district and receive a fair evaluation. Districts and charters should be able to collaborate to share best practices to meet all students’ needs in the community. Charters should be able to count on their districts to provide fair and equitable funding for charter students. Charters should not have to worry about being renewed if they have excellent academic results and good fiscal stewardship (we’ve had some explicit and implicit threats by districts for charters coming up for renewal and a recent closure.)

If all of those things happen, you should never see a charter go to the Commission. It won’t be needed. Since the legislators had the fore thought to provide an incentive to work with districts (by only providing supplement at average of the lowest 5 districts in the state), and charters will be taking on the role of LEA, which is a great deal more responsibility, only those where districts fail to be fair would elect the Commission route. It is a checks and balances. And keep in mind that funding is ALWAYS subject to appropriation (that’s in the law).

I hope I answered your concerns. Please let me know if you have others. Since you are a quality charter supporter, I hope you’ll reconsider your position on the Constitutional Amendment and vote yes so that the districts will be more compelled to deal fairly with charters applying first through them.

And for the teachers out there reading this blog – I really, really hope you are thinking about this. If charters challenge your districts to rethink their priorities (and hopefully pipe resources to kids instead of central office bloat), rethink school morale, etc., that benefits YOU. For parents, you should support quality charters for the exact same reason – it raises the bar for everyone. Don’t let the districts shirk from the challenge.

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@CharterStarter – you rock!!

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One word: Vouchers. Lets schools stand or fall based on parental CHOICE! Or has “choice” suddenly become a dirty word?

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@CharterStarter2 : Thank you for all the information. I had understood the need to clarify the state’s role in the constitution (thus the amendment), but I still do not understand why the State School Board cannot be the granting entity for state charters (regardless of QBE and other funding allocations). If the state needs a separate entity to approve charters, should each local system also create an appointed board to review and grant charters? But then, wouldn’t this increase their central administration costs and have the taxpayers crying “foul”? I have not yet heard (in my opinion) a legitimate reason as to why the state level approval process could not be done through our State School Board and elected superintendent. I realize that HB797 does not outline this scenario; HB797 creates the commission and the chartering process (among other things). For me, the creating of an appointed commission comes down to “good ole boy” politics, and appointments will be given as political favors. While I would hope that the appointments would be based solely on knowledge and ability and not politics, I highly doubt that this is what will happen. At least with the State School Board, there is one elected official directly answerable to me, the voter. I would have fewer issues with the commission if the seats were elected positions, not appointed. But regardless of how members get their seats, I still think the commission is duplication of effort.

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@ LD – I understand where you’re coming from, but consider these 2 things…

1. The state board has a million other responsibilities in K-12 education. The kind of oversight of a singular group of schools would be impossible to do as effectively as an objective Commission who only has that responsibility. The Commission did and will be voluntary. The Commission staff, when it was in existence, only took about 1 or 2% for administrative fees to cover costs for its staff. Compare that to a district approved charter who pays their district 3% of their total revenue. This is a cost savings, not an addition.

2. The charter sector would LOVE for districts to have external boards to review and make recommendations for approval or denial. Bringing in objectivity would help so much. Currently, APS, who I believe is the best authorizer we have in this state (excellent charter school office – tough, but very fair.), has people come in from outside the state to serve on interview committees to provide the objectivity. The 3% fees that charters pay cover the costs of travel/review fees, which is pretty modest (I think national standard is about $100 per application). This would work great and probably yield much more fair processes and transparency IF the boards at the district level would take the politics out of it and rely on the objective recommendations of an external review panel.

3. As for “elected” positions….consider it this way, these individuals are appointed by individuals who ARE elected. The state board is also appointed and not elected. District boards take recommendations from hired staff who are NOT elected. I think a way to look at it is IF the appointing individual or body makes a poor choice in the appointment, the buck stops with them, as their constituents will hold them accountable. If I was in the position of making appointments, I think I’d be ULTRA careful in my selection, as once they get into the position, their actions are outside of your control. And as for the appointed Commissioners, they are business professionals who are well respected in their communities (or the ones we had were). They don’t want to jeopardize their reputation. Just my general thoughts on that.

I am really enjoying the dialogue.

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Thank you CharterStarter. Like I said, I’m not real familiar with all the pros and cons related to charter schools, so I have a lot to catch up on.

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” I find it so odd the people are willing to place more trust in the decision making integrity of local boards who have a vested interested in denial versus an objective commission with no dog in the fight. Odd”

Looking at APS, Dekalb, and Clayton, it really is odd, I agree. I’m in a small town and what it boils down to is this: we elect our local board. In my county, and many throughout the state, the members are local folks who are known. You see them in the grocery store, and at the post office; you know their kids and grandkids. Most of them you grew up with and knew their teenage vices and sins. They have a vested interest in the community. If it sounds a little “Mayberry-ish”, it’s because in much of the state, there is still the loyalty to local folks. It’s a tough sell to get people to accept that a group of folks in Atlanta could override their decisions. Sometimes the differences are about more than geography. Progressive is NOT a word I’d use to describe attitudes beyond the metropolitan Atlanta area. As I’ve noted before, I work in a town where racial divisions like those in Delhi, LA would happen between the public and charter schools.

As I posted, I’ve read about and know people working in some of the successful charter schools. Much like public, there are some good and some bad, and we generally hear more about the bad. I know there are good ones out there. Help me understand this: who audits the charter schools? Is there a clear chain of command about who has access to their records? The local BOE and state audit us every year. How is this done in charter schools for the tax dollars they receive? I’m thinking about all the issues brought up with stalling and withholding records at FSAMS as I type this.

My concern about corporate management of charter schools ties into the accountability issue. If the state is investing dollars in the school, does it have any rights currently to audits? How far does the state’s right to information reach when a private entity is running the school?

Thanks for the answers. I am reading and considering, even when I get up on my high horse about the issue.

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Am I the only poster on here that thinks the “dialogue” between Charter Starter, Too and other posters is actually a “dialogue” with him/herself? If it’s a given that it will be an overwhelming Yes on the Charter Referendum, why the need for such a lengthy “dialogue”?

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Sneak Peek: Have you seen the Reuters article? Private firms eyeing profits from U.S. public schools http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/08/02/usa-education-investment-idINL2E8J15FR20120802

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“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended…”
I always vote “no” to any change with that wording. However, I would vote “yes” if it read, “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to repeal the compulsory education statute?” That would solve all of the complaints on this board. The corrupt educrats, who have helped bankrupt this nation and lower education standards to cater to the Globalists, would be thrown out. All the public school facilities could be leased to the highest bidder and TAXPAYERS would get the rent money. Most would then be able to afford a nice private school. Free market pressure would produce a variety of schools to suit different needs. Good teachers would be rewarded, bad ones would be out of work. REAL education would be unleashed! What are we waiting for?

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Good authorizer = approve only quality charters through a fair and transparent process and provide appropriate oversight to ensure academic achievement and fiscal stewardship while not compromising the school’s autonomy.

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@Charter Starter 2″ I find it so odd the people are willing to place more trust in the decision making integrity of local boards who have a vested interested in denial versus an objective commission with no dog in the fight.”

This is my main concern in that the people on the commission WILL have “..a dog in the fight.” I have little faith in the officials in Atlanta to appoint positions based on ability rather than given as a favor. I worry that the people on the commission will have a vested financial interest in some way for many of the applications that come before them.

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