Governor responds to school chief’s strong opposition to charter amendment on Nov. ballot
Gov. Nathan Deal has issued a response to the surprising news yesterday that State Schools Superintendent and fellow Republican John Barge was breaking rank and opposing the charter school constitutional amendment on the ballot in November.
Barge argues that the amendment simply creates another needless bureaucracy to do what the state Board of Education can do and already does: Approve charters rejected by local boards of education. In this time of fiscal Armageddon for public education, Barge estimates that the creation of an appointed Charter Schools Commission will divert hundreds of millions from schools.
While negative, Deal’s response is far more temperate than that of GOP House leader Ed Lindsey of Atlanta, who sent Barge a blistering letter, which I posted yesterday. Please read it as it’s high drama.
Deal sent this note to Republican lawmakers:
I am discouraged that Superintendent Barge has changed his position since the campaign trail and no longer believes parents should have public school options for their children. His new position doesn’t change mine. I stand with 2/3 of the General Assembly and will uphold the promises I made when I ran for office: Parents and students should have public school options; this is the best form of local control.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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142 comments Add your comment
Reality Check
August 15th, 2012
12:13 pm
Loganville – you can rate it however you want but Barge lied first. He caved to the pressure of the school bureaucrats and it’s that simple. Unfortunately the when you are in that world you get isolated from the rest of the world. Unfortunately for Barge the probably 50% of the educrats vote in the democratic primary. The people that have been complaining to him and caused him to change his “views” will be different people than the ones voting for him.
Jefferson
August 15th, 2012
12:17 pm
Gov Deal is still hoping he won’t have to pay the loans back.
@Returning DCSS parent
August 15th, 2012
12:19 pm
If you sent your son to a local charter school that is still in existence, it was most likely one that was approved by your local district or the State BOE. I also support charter schools and have a personal stake in the continuation of charter schools. However, I do not support another government entity that can go above the heads of the local and state officials that *I* elect. Charter schools are already approved and started every year. This vote is NOT about whether or not we will have charter schools operating in our state. We will have them regardless. This is about taking tax dollars from all over the state and allocating the funds to schools that are approved by people that have no reason to listen to local voices.
Seriously?
August 15th, 2012
12:35 pm
I’d be curious how many of these responders are a. Public School emplyees or b. Do not have children in a public school. My experience is that people who are in those two categories are about the only ones who believe that what we have now is working, that the public schools are underfunded, and that the money should go to the school – regardless of whether the child does or not. The fact is that our public schools are an embarrassment to the state. The Governor and the majority of the Legislature have made significant contributions in trying to bring competition and innovation to our public education system. When you hear the superintendents complain, it’s always about money and NEVER about the kids. Barge changed his mind because he knows that competition is bad for public schools – it will force them to work for our money, to not expect a blank check whenever they say they need more money – what’s not to like about that?
testerbill
August 15th, 2012
12:43 pm
The Commission to be established will be Governor appointees who will make campaign contributions and do whatever Deal wants. This is another way for Republicans to control education policy in GA and create as many charter schools as possible. While some charter schools are excellent, there is not enough oversight of their finances, curricullum, or teachers. And decisions should be left to the local school district whenever possible. Any appeals could be made to the State Superintendent.
Don't Judge.
August 15th, 2012
12:49 pm
Please let me do what is best for my child. Charter school has been wonderful for us! Don’t judge someone before you’ve walked in their shoes. You don’t know what other people have been through in their school systems. You don’t know what other parents have to fight. And don’t think you’re immune, either.
Don't Judge.
August 15th, 2012
12:54 pm
If there’s no demand for a charter school, it won’t be there. No one is FORCING a charter school. The “local school board” is 6-7 politicians, and they don’t know my child better than I do.
Hillbilly D
August 15th, 2012
12:55 pm
Gov Deal is still hoping he won’t have to pay the loans back.
He’ll have his Congressional pension; he’ll have his state pension, so he’ll be fine.
Glad I can afford to send my daughter to pvt school
August 15th, 2012
1:24 pm
I have mixed feelings about Charter schools but I have never been faced with sending my child to a soutside APS school. I think a voucher system is much better.
At this point I’ll probably vote NO on the assumption that if our legislature wants it like TSPLOST it is probably in their interest not ours.
LoganvilleGuy
August 15th, 2012
1:38 pm
@RealityCheck:
I’m curious to know more about your assertion. Has Barge ever publicly stated that he is in support of creating a separate commission to create charter schools? Or are you referring to some other statement that you perceive as a lie?
The bottom line is that coming out against a charter school commission does NOT equal coming out against public school choice. The two are not related.
If Dr. Barge simply stated he supported some type of public school choice, I don’t see where he has changed his position or lied.
I am as conservative and as Republican as they come. However, I see this as a play for my local tax dollars. I want to retain control of my tax dollars at the local level and not have them controlled by a state commission and/or private corporations. You may feel differently about your tax dollars but it doesn’t give you the right to hijack mine too.
All of this talk about “local control” through charter schools is baloney. Local taxpayers without children or without children who go to charter schools lose their local control.
Holly Jones
August 15th, 2012
1:39 pm
@living in an outdated system- you want to know WHY Alisha Morgan supports charter schools? Because her husband, who sits on the Cobb BOE, is a lobbyist for the for-profit, out of state charter school corporations. Not out of the goodness of her heart.
PJ
August 15th, 2012
1:43 pm
I agree with Barge – the issue is not if there will be charter schools or not, it is about who has the authority to approve them and I am all for local control over those decisions. I have 2 children in our neighborhood public school, but also have many friends who send their children to the charter schools in our area. I am grateful that we have that choice. However, as evidenced with the Fulton Science Academy Middle School debacle, our local school board had every reason to attempt to reign in that school & eventually deny its charter (the audit was very telling). The same decision was made at the state level. The current system, where local school boards have the say on charter schools, works. There are alternatives available, but giving the state the ability to take that control away, in the form of allocating local tax dollars to questionable school alternatives, takes away local control & cripples local school boards. And, if local school boards turn down applicants, there are almost always very good reasons. In fact, there are very few cases where charter schools, denied by local boards, win appeals to the state. If rural school systems want charter schools, then those parents need to appeal to their local boards or run for those offices.
Rick
August 15th, 2012
1:48 pm
Most of the legislator’s children and grandchildren go to private schools. This is just another attempt by them to save money and send their kids to publicly funded private schools. Just like the GOAL law that was passed, this amendment will help break public schools. How much money is already being diverted to private schools now? At least 20 million tax dollars a year that would have gone to public schools.
Pete
August 15th, 2012
1:50 pm
Let there be some choices for public education in Georgia. Georgia isn’t called the “Dummy State” by the rest of the country because their school systems are good. The current public school system and their current politicians receive a big fat FAIL!
Get Real
August 15th, 2012
1:52 pm
Mr_B are so ignorant to the fact that we spend more money on education than ever and yet China, India and other poorer nations that spend less per capita are producing students that are better educated. When it comes to education, we are like the poor farmer that thinks he need a bigger truck.
Yep he lost money but he sold out of product so lets get a bigger truck.
We look at education budgets the same way and Mr_B and the other money grubbers on here are proof.
It is time for Americans to have real choice.
Maureen Downey
August 15th, 2012
1:59 pm
@To all, Criticize the person’s position but let’s stop calling folks “idiots.” As someone noted earlier, more comments are going into moderation and will continue to do so if the comments don’t address the issue in a civil manner. And to the folks who keep trying to slip in racist rants with “clever” spellings of choice words, you will never get your comments published. Some of you are not getting published because there have been too many reader complaints. As I have said many times, this is not the town square. You are not entitled to wield your bullhorn without restraint. This is the AJC living room, and we can and will kick out out for inappropriate postings.
Maureen
Carlos
August 15th, 2012
2:00 pm
I don’t know how some of these board members get elected. They are elected by the mindless morons that go to the polls and just push buttons of incumbents because they have no clue. It’s only because the people don’t have faith in the local school boards to approve appropriate charters that they are going to be state controlled as well. The local school board in Cobb County is a political failure and until the rotten eggs among that board are elected out of office the system will continue to fail our children.
mommyof2
August 15th, 2012
2:01 pm
I support charter schools. My children went to their local public school and it was a horrible experience. I found that their were too many administrators. These administrators are making over 60,000 a year and they don’t teach any classes. The principals are running amuck with no supervision. I saw the principal go to lunch at 11 in the morning and not return for the rest of the day. The teachers are taking vacations and getting married during the school year. So they aren’t in the classroom. Where is the accountability? The crct is not a hard test but teachers stop teaching in February to teach to the test. The kids aren’t being challenged. I truly believe that we have to blowup this current system. Maybe charter schools and online schools are the start to a new system.
Ray
August 15th, 2012
2:02 pm
Public education has not achieved the desired results in many, many years. Why should it, without competition teachers and schools can continue to do however they wish. It is not government money by the way, it is money confiscated from taxpayers. I demand a voucher system where I can CHOOSE where and how I want my child to be educated. It is MY MONEY AFTER ALL. My wife and I both work and drive old cars so our child can go to a private Christian school whose academics far exceed the surrounding public schools, yet I pay taxes on public schools. WHAT A FARCE. Public schools hate competition.
Renee
August 15th, 2012
2:25 pm
Sounds like John Barge would make a much better governor than the flimsy excuse for one that we have now. To borrow a saying from my great-grandmother, Nathan Deal “ain’t got a lick of sense!”
Wondering
August 15th, 2012
3:01 pm
I am against this amendment and for charter schools. It is a simple position. Charter schools allow local parents and educators some freedom to try new ways of improving education. Those methods can help improve the public schools in general. However, I want the people that approve charter schools to be accountable for their decisions.
This amendment creates a new commission to approve charter schools at the state level, and it only makes this commission accountable to the politicians that appoint them. This is similar to the DOT and look at the issues we have there. They miss placed half a billion dollars, and no one lost their job.
Now we have an amendment to create a new commission that will within five years control at least $400,000 with no cap and no accountability. Our only choice as voters will be to pay the bills and vote out the idiots that did the appointing. Except remember that they will probably be retiring or term limited anyway, so again, no accountability.
Creating charter schools should be a local decision. In the mean time, creating state charter schools and not funding our regular k-12 systems is not creating choice or a level playing field. Our funding of public education in Georgia is already broken, the equalization grant program is failing, and now they want to divert money to private education companies and cut public education further.
Sounds like the beatings will continue until morale improves.
Wondering
August 15th, 2012
3:03 pm
$400,000,000, not $400,000. Sorry.
LD
August 15th, 2012
3:17 pm
@ Reality Check: SB 289 – Education; require students; one course containing online learning; passed and signed into law on May 1, 2012, effective date July 1, 2012.
@Seriously? (and many others) – the vast majority of public schools are working well for their students. Just as in retail, if you have a poor experience you will be more vocal than if you have a good experience. Personally, I find the exact opposite of your suppositions as to who is supporting the local schools. It is the people actively involved with their schools that recognize what is working and what isn’t. Here is an interesting opinion piece from one of my local papers http://www.thecurrentplus.com/news1.html . I found the entire article a fresh view of education in the States, but was especially surprised that the US has never ranked at the top of international rankings. Yet, the U.S. has lead the world in many areas (including science and technology innovations).
I think the largest problems facing public education are bad press and unreasonable expectations. Please know, I am not saying that there isn’t room for improvement – every individual and group has room for improvement. But people send their children to school expecting the school to not only educate, but also parent. And, for those that continue to claim Georgia is “at the bottom,” please give a reference for the measure you are using. If this is just your “common knowledge,” know that “common knowledge” is often wrong! Based on NAEP scores, Georgia is near the middle in most subjects (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/). Not ideal, I know, but not dismal, either. And from articles referenced in this column, Georgia ranks quite high in both AP scores and educational curriculum and direction.
For those that continue to ask, “Why can’t our local schools have the freedoms given to charter schools?” The answer is “They can.” Local schools can either become a conversion charter school, or an entire system can become a charter system. Both options can give your local school the flexibility given start-up charters. Also, if you want your local schools to have more flexibility, write or call your legislator and tell him or her to stop enacting mandates that your local school has to follow!
Georgia is moving foward in education. Maybe if its citizens can have constructive conversations not only with each other, but with local school administrations, local boards, our state board, and legislators Georgia can move faster.
NLM
August 15th, 2012
3:21 pm
I have turned this computer inside/out trying to find the answer to one question,,,,where will the money (proposed 430 million over the next 5 years to cover just the 7 charters schools in question) come from? There is nothing else left to tap,,,,buses are overcrowded, teachers underpaid, class sizes increased and the list goes on. It has been suggested that the only $ left to take is away from the arts. We are talking statewide band programs, and any of the arts you can name. Can our government really take away something so valuable? We are talking hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by parents on these programs out of pocket each year for their amazing value to the community. Can you imagine going to a UGA game without hearing that band in the back ground or have the absence of 800 plus parents who would be there to support their effort? What about all the jobs lost, not just to teachers and instructors, but businesses that depend on local support of such programs such as Jackson Music. Does the government control us so much? We have a choice – VOTE NO
bootney farnsworth
August 15th, 2012
3:57 pm
still waiting for a basic answer to a basic question: how does Deal plan to pay for all the additional personnel and (presumably) infrastructure?
we’re cutting the school year, furloughing teachers, laying off staff, increasing class size, ect
and he wants to do this?
bootney farnsworth
August 15th, 2012
4:07 pm
@ outdated
I’m sorry I missed your missive earlier. sad to say you are not a predominant issue in my mind, life, or even even lint trap. I’m flattered however I occupy so much of yours.
regret to say I’ve been happily married nearly 30 years, so your dreams will go unfulfilled.
but as long as you insist on getting my attention, is it to post links to the studies I asked to see?
the ones which you claim will validate you?
continued refusal to do so might lead one to question your honesty in this matter.
bootney farnsworth
August 15th, 2012
4:12 pm
@ get real
probably not a good idea to claim someone else is ignorant in a grammatically incorrect sentence.
also, who exactly are the “money grubbers here”?
is “money grubbing” like catfish noodling?
Cactus
August 15th, 2012
4:14 pm
The charter school amendment has very little to do with “choice” or delivering a quality education option to children stuck in a struggling school system. It has everything to do with directing state tax dollars to for-profit education management corporations whose links with state elected officials may never be known. The state board of education already has the power to authorize charter schools that have been unfairly rejected by local school boards, so the creation of a separate school system under the authority of an unelected Charter School Commission adds bureaucracy where none is needed. Charter schools are not the issue; there are a growing number of charters under the auspices of local control and many do an excellent job. They offer choice and an opportunity to experiment with new ideas. In my opinion, voters need to think about why conservative elected leaders at the state level have invested so much of their political muscle to this cause and why they are willing to bypass the state school board, which is appointed by the Governor, to create another bureacracy to govern a separate school system outside the control of local voters. Common sense, a healthy degree of skepticism and a reasonable understanding of how things work in politics should prompt all of us to wonder who profits from the amendment. There is nothing from the performance of state charter schools under the old Charter School Commission to suggest students benefit, nor is there even evidence that the former state Charter School Commission offered any transparency or accountability with state tax dollars. The AJC ran a report a few months back on how state employees encountered huge problems trying to trace how tax dollars under the old Commission’s authority were spent. We know the for-profit education management corporations salivate at the prospect of entering this market, and while there is nothing wrong with making a profit there is every reason to question whether students will benefit. As we have seen with for-profit education management corporations in higher education, in many instances the only folks who benefit are the owners of the corporations. I hope I am wrong about this, but I fear that unsavory deals have already been made between some of our state elected officials and the owners of education management corporations, and those deals may only get more odious as time goes by if the amendment is passed. I have no evidence to support this, but I think it is a reasonable suspicion given the questionable ethics of many of the most powerful people in the legislature. In my opinion, state tax dollars, which have been systematically withdrawn from public schools under the guise of “austerity,” should be restored and no further effort should be made to redirect monies needed by our students to for-profit corporations. State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge has seen this political issue from the inside, and thank Goodness has enough integrity – if not political acumen – to change his mind and stand up against his party’s pursuit of self interest at the expense of young people. I believe Dr. Barge has committed political suicide by taking the course he has, but at least he will leave office with a clear conscience and the respect of those who continue to think that the state has a constitutional responsibiltiy to educate its children. Before you vote on the charter school amendment, please ask yourself why our state leaders, who have shown no interest in improving education in Georgia, would invest so much political capital in getting this amendment passed. It all comes down to following the money, in my opinion.
Mountain Man
August 15th, 2012
4:16 pm
“If you cannot afford a private school, then put these energies into making your local public school strong enough to offer what you want your children to have”
Or move to a better school district. Trouble is then we get branded a “white flight”, just because we want a good education for our kids.
bootney farnsworth
August 15th, 2012
4:19 pm
“educrats”?
did I miss a meeting? did someone invent new slang while I was on line looking for work?
td
August 15th, 2012
4:20 pm
I am trying to be educated here. I have seen Dr. Barge post $400 million and have seen several poster do the same. Where is the $400 million coming from? Link please so that I can study.
bootney farnsworth
August 15th, 2012
4:21 pm
@ mountain man
why would you care what other people think? if moving to a new district is really what’s best for a child, do it and who gives a damn the opinion of others.
I surely don’t – especially when it mattered to my child’s education
N-GA
August 15th, 2012
4:27 pm
My children graduated Georgia Tech (BS & MS) and Kennesaw without a need for charter schools. The concept of a charter school suggests that the state isn’t doing a good job educating our children. There are many reasons this occurs (poor teachers, truancy, uninvolved parents, etc.) and charter schools don’t address those problems. Charter schools are a poorly disguised attempt to re-route educational dollars to “private” schools.
living in an outdated ed system
August 15th, 2012
4:36 pm
Here is why Barge made the worst decision of his professional career (from the Center for Education Reform):
Barge Backs Down on Charter School Amendment
“Were you lying then or are you lying now?” That’s the question Georgia House Majority Whip Edward Lindsey (R-Atlanta) posed in a letter to State Superintendent John Barge after Barge suddenly revoked his support for the pending Charter School Amendment in Georgia. It’s a fair question. Barge ran for office strongly supporting the amendment in a state where charter schools are popular. But once in office and really put to the test, he caved to those representing the failed status quo.
The Charter School Amendment will allow the creation of an independent state commission to approve and monitor charter schools. This is important because when authorizing power is left solely in the hands of state and local boards, it results in less quantity and quality of charter schools. Data shows that states with multiple chartering authorities have almost three and a half times more charter schools than states that only allow local school board approval. And state test scores, credible research, and experience show that those states with multiple authorizers are home to the highest quality charter schools.
Georgia is a prime example of a state with a single authorizer creating a hostile environment for charters because school boards often view charter schools as competition and reject applications not based on merit, but on politics. That means less choices and opportunities for Georgia parents and students.
CER President Jeanne Allen made the following statement:
I’m extremely disappointed that John Barge would back down on such an important issue just because he faced some pressure from those looking to protect their turf. He’s shown himself to be more interested in protecting the interests of adults rather than that of students.
When people in position of leadership back down on important issues, it’s the kids that get hurt. It is my sincere hope that the charter amendment passes and that the students and parents of Georgia don’t have to suffer the consequences.
Barge needs to get an early copy of the movie Won’tBackDown to see what happens when good people stand firm on their principals and let the pressure strengthen their resolve, not destroy it.”
living in an outdated ed system
August 15th, 2012
4:41 pm
@Bootney, watch your tongue! I would never allow my children be taught by you. They would not be getting a quality education, or shall I say “adequate” which is what is in our constitution. I love this blog because @Maureen gives me so much ammunition for my own blog : ) You all look at change as a threat instead of an opportunity. I mean, the woman most of you idolize on this blog, Diane Ravitch, made the outrageous statement that Charter Schools are “a threat to American Society.” And the sad thing is that all of you probably believe her!
LD
August 15th, 2012
4:47 pm
here is the link of to the DoE’s press release (which has the supporting documents): http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/External-Affairs-and-Policy/communications/Pages/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?PressView=default&pid=54
Ashley
August 15th, 2012
4:51 pm
Barge DID publicly support HB 881 which created the first charter school commission in Georgia
td
August 15th, 2012
4:53 pm
LD
August 15th, 2012
4:47 pm
Thank you.
Tony
August 15th, 2012
5:58 pm
Here, again, the politician is presenting their viewpoint on the charter school amendment as a false dichotomy. In other words, to be for charter schools you have to support this plan even though you know it will rob the children of Georgia of adequate funding for their public schools.
The reality is the needs of our state’s educational future should not be framed in this kind of either/or discussion. We need leaders who realize this and are willing to fight the fight it will take for our children to have the best schools in the nation. Charter schools may be one way of achieving that goal, but not through the current proposal. It stinks! Giving charter schools 2.5 times the funding the state gives to other schools is not a good plan.
Thank you, Dr. Barge, for shining a light on the truth of the charter school amendment.
Maureen Downey
August 15th, 2012
6:01 pm
@To all, Take a look at the commentary from the Center for Education Reform — posted by someone who accuses everyone else of misstating the facts — because it is dead wrong in its facts.
When John Barge ran for office, there was not even a constitutional amendment to support or oppose. The constitutional amendment was only proposed AFTER the state Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that the Charter Schools Commission was unconstitutional. That decision was handed down in May of 2011.
Even a simple Google check would tell you that Barge was elected in 2010. As someone who attended most of the school superintendent debates, I can assure you that no one was discussing a constitutional amendment in 2010. Not the candidates. Not the Legislature. Not the governor.
In fact, the first real mention of an amendment emerged in the summer of 2011. It did not gain any real traction until the Legislature met in 2012.
I find it so amusing that a poster who continually berates others for not doing their research would post this piece.
Maureen
Ron F.
August 15th, 2012
6:07 pm
Deal is lying again. It won’t be “local control.” It will be state funded and you can bet your bottom dollar state managed control. The schools may have local “boards” of parents, but the state holds the purse strings, and guess what happens if you don’t follow the state plan?
I tell you, only in Georgia could a felon get elected governor, sweep away his wrongdoings, and then have the gall to chastise someone else for not following his master plan. What a joke!
bootney farnsworth
August 15th, 2012
7:17 pm
@ outdated
so, you don’t have access to the studies you claim after all?
imagine.
funny thing is, making comments attacking me and acting like a keyboard commando (puffing up all big and bad, secure in the knowledge you’ll never have to back it up) just further erodes any sense of
your integrity.
midnight garden
August 15th, 2012
7:36 pm
Taking control to the state will mean outsourcing and privatizing schools and its just a bad idea. Next comes vouchers. Look at one of those Louisiana schools where kids are taught that dinosaurs lived three thousand years ago with Jesus. Lets make our motto “hey, at least we’re better than Louisiana”. I’m voting No in November and hope yall will too.
living in an outdated ed system
August 15th, 2012
8:02 pm
@Maureen, you misread the entire press release and focused on the WRONG FACTS.
Georgia is a prime example of a state with a single authorizer creating a hostile environment for charters because school boards often view charter schools as competition and reject applications not based on merit, but on politics. That means less choices and opportunities for Georgia parents
and students.
You conveniently missed all of the language which is about Economics 101 and how monopolies will not embrace change.
How convenient of you!
living in an outdated ed system
August 15th, 2012
8:05 pm
@Bootney, I will not cite research for you because you will not believe any of it anyway. Your ignorance amazes me – you are unfortunately stereotypical of the segment of teachers who came from the monolithic world of teaching to children and you will unfortunately never change your ways. I am actually getting sick and tired of showing you the truth which you fail to look at.
I have plenty of integrity, and you don’t even know me, so stop with the nonsense and focus on the issues, not personal attacks! You are giving me so much content for my blog, so thank you.
Ron F.
August 15th, 2012
8:12 pm
Hello??? Barge never said he didn’t want charter schools, he said he didn’t support the constitutional amendment to create a state commission, at significant cost in an already stressed budget, to do what the state already has the power to do. At the heart of this debate is funding. The state wants to create its own fleet of schools, beholden to noone locally, as a means to subvert true local control. Now before you scream about parent boards and them being public schools, think about it. They want to fund them, which sounds good on the surface. But somewhere in all the political doublespeak lies the fact that the state is going to have to pony up money it doesn’t have. Where will it come from?
I’m not opposed to charter schools per se. I think in places like APS and Dekalb where there is such rampant corruption, there should be charter schools, vouchers, whatever it takes to reform them. I’d love the state to exercise some muscle and clear both administrative systems out completely and start over. They won’t, of course, because that won’t further the real cause which is to eventually get rid of public schools in the state period. They want to privatize education, despite what they may say in public. My lack of support for, in fact absolute refusal to approve of this amendment is that it is but one play in a dirty political game, that in the end is going to subvert true local control.
living in an outdated ed system
August 15th, 2012
8:13 pm
@Bootney, @Maureen, and all:
Here’s a recent free whitepaper to keep you busy. 322 pages of stuff that will make you cringe.
GSV Advisors released a report called American Revolution 2.0. I suggest you read it thoroughly. The system is failing our children, and for some reason, you feel like protecting the institution that is responsible for this demise in our education system and economic competitiveness.
Teachers are an important part of the fix, but not outdated educators who cannot understand why the system is broken, and why more $ won’t fix the problem.
living in an outdated ed system
August 15th, 2012
8:15 pm
@Maureen, I have offered an olive branch to you, and you chose not to accept it. It is clear where your biases are and that your views do not represent the views of ALL Georgians.
LarryMajor
August 15th, 2012
8:41 pm
Maureen, thanks for saving me a lot of typing.
Also, who are these entrenched, ferocious status quo supporters?
I remember the Georgia Charter Schools Association hiring several lobbyists to get this resolution passed. I remember Tony Roberts saying this was necessary because everyone does it. (And all we have is an Alvin.-) I remember the Center for an Educated Georgia paying private citizens ten dollars in the form of a Starbucks gift card to call their elected officials to support this amendment – which reminds me…
Did they announce how much they will pay us to vote for it in November?
Jerry Eads
August 15th, 2012
8:50 pm
Bravo, Maureen. I suspect Bracey will be showing that happy grin of his from beyond. I know it’s a huge amount of work to monitor and moderate. I’d hope your efforts will encourage some of these folks to read and think a bit before posting.
Jer