An email from principals asks charter school teachers/staff to sign onto the amendment battle. Is that legal?
In a ruling a few weeks ago, the Georgia Attorney General said that school systems could not use public resources/funds to either oppose or support the charter schools amendment on the Nov. 6 ballot.
The decision came in response to complaints from attorney and voucher advocate Glenn Delk that school superintendents and boards were speaking out against the amendment on public time and money.
Attorney General Sam Olens notified the state DOE to alert local school boards that they “do not have the legal authority to expend funds or other resources to advocate or oppose the ratification of a constitutional amendment by the voters. They may not do this directly or indirectly through associations to which they may belong.”
Then, in a court ruling last week, a Fulton County Superior Court judge said school systems could post straightforward information about the amendment on their websites. And school board members could answer questions from constituents.
So where does this email fall in that legal spectrum?
The Georgia Charter Schools Association — a trade organization supported in part by dues paid by public charter schools — sent an email this week to charter schools around the state. Charter schools are public schools.
The email asks principals to ask their staffs to agree to have their names appear in an ad in favor of the charter schools amendment restoring the state’s ability to approve and fund charter schools over the objections of local boards of education.
Here is the email from the Georgia Charter Schools Association sent to school leaders via their work emails:
Dear School Leaders:
Please distribute this email to your teaching and support staff today:
We are working under a very tight deadline to put together an ad that will run in local media with the names of Educators, School Leaders & Teachers who support public charter schools.
If you support Amendment One, and would like your name included, please send me the following information today or by noon tomorrow.
Name:Email:Name of School & CountyNina Rubin
Director of Communications
Georgia Charter Schools Association
The murky issue, beside the fact that the association gets tax dollars, is whether the use of school personnel, school time and school computers and emails to distribute this email to staff crosses the line drawn by the Attorney General’s office.
Also, there would seem to be an issue of coercion when a charter school employee gets such a request from a principal for what amounts to a political endorsement.
Wouldn’t the employees of the schools feel pressured to comply since it would be obvious if they didn’t as their names would be missing from the pro amendment ad?
The email was sent out by Georgia Charter Schools Association communications director Nina Rubin. I emailed and called her this morning, and she confirmed that she sent the email. She said she understood that the email was vetted “by someone from legal. But I have asked our attorneys to look a this and will send a comment later.”
When I get that more detailed comment from Rubin, I will post it.
I asked the AG about this email and received this response:
We’ve received numerous emails like this sent by people on both sides of the campaign. As we have repeatedly made clear, limitations on the use of public resources apply equally to supporters and opponents of the ballot referendum. That said, it is not our role to opine in a vacuum about specific emails. Rather, our role is to represent our clients, whether the DOE or the Ethics Commission. Those bodies have the primary responsibility to investigate and refer a case to us if they determine the individual case warrants further action. Throughout this process, we have limited our actions to responding to client requests for advice, and unless and until we receive something from one of our clients, it would be inappropriate for us to change that approach now.
STEFAN RITTER,
Senior Assistant Attorney General
A charter school employee shared the email. The employee wrote:
After reading about Glenn Delk’s ridiculous lawsuit last week to silence ‘the opposition’ – my blood started to boil after I received the email below at work today, forwarded by my Principal. Using school resources. And during school time. The hypocrisy was just too much for me to bear following Mr. Delk’s nonsense in the news. The Attorney General needs a serious wake-up call as well. I wonder if he will warn Ms. Rubin and the Principals that disseminated this information at the taxpayers’ expense? Highly doubtful!
From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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98 comments Add your comment
Atlanta Mom
October 19th, 2012
1:43 pm
I understand that one of the many wonderful things about Charter Schools is their ability to fire teachers quickly and without alot of process.
I wonder how those teachers are feeling?
Private Citizen
October 19th, 2012
1:54 pm
@ Atlanta Mom, They’re probably feeling like they’ve gone over a cliff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFTXkzySlmQ
If they were taxi drivers, they could work in different companies. Work for the state… work for the charter… work for the county… work for the charter. The charter commission should connect their charter schools to the Georgia Teacher Retirement System. Teachers would have no worries at all to work there with continuity in retirement plan. PS You know the big retirement plan, $400. / month or something. Not anywhere near enough to pay for the current cost of a healthcare policy for a teacher. Seriously! For real! It’s supplemented by the state but the actually cost of health policies – just for the policy – is just huge. It is such a scam that the insurance companies are systematically getting so much money from teachers, while most parents and students are not even covered. It is shameful and exploitative. Where in the student test does it ask about comparative reasoning and why your health insurance policy is $6,000. a year, then you make co-pays, and if you get an appendicitis, it costs $40,000.? Is that on the test? But if lived in the UK of Norway, the crazy gymnast surgeon does it and is happy to be working for government service.
FairLady
October 19th, 2012
2:05 pm
Ray,
Unfortunately, I would pay nothing for the substandard education my children would receive in many GA public schools. However, our children will pay the ultimate price. Amendment One at least gives parents FREE options and allows for more school choice for the parents of Ga. My babies are worth it!!
Dunwoody Mom
October 19th, 2012
2:08 pm
It’s a simple premise – just apply the ruling consistently. If John Barge or any other BOE cannot comment on Amendment 1, then Charter School employees should not be allowed (or forced in this case) to comment.
It’s like the old umpire strike zone argument….He may have the world’s worst strike zone, but as long as it’s consistent on both sides, no one can really argue.
Phil from Athens
October 19th, 2012
2:25 pm
“I understand that one of the many wonderful things about Charter Schools is their ability to fire teachers quickly and without alot of process.
I wonder how those teachers are feeling?”
Good for them. I’m glad teachers have to be held accountable for doing their job. How many union teachers get to keep their jobs for being incompetent?
chicagojeff
October 19th, 2012
2:26 pm
This desire.. to have this amendment is so Wizard of Oz like.. as soon as we give up our power to this nameless faceless group named by the Governor.. everything will be okay.. Right Dorothy? What’s to keep Gov Deal from dealing out Charter slips to companies that give him contributions? It’s nice to slam on Dekalb.. and APS…and Gwinnett..but when Willie Lump Lump starts a charter out in Cherokee and you have to slice your budget to pay for it..only to find out Willie’s parent company gave the corporate maximum last election.. don’t come crying about it later. BTW.. if the Walton sisters are so smart how come Arkansas’ education system is worse than ours.. and Univ of Mizzou is below UGA??
Private Citizen
October 19th, 2012
2:34 pm
A significant problem in the current system is worker feeling intimidated by their employer. Several persons have said it is easy to get “black listed” in education and, for example, if you challenge anything from your employer or otherwise do other than act like a mouse, your career is over. If you were a restaurant worker and you worked for a crazed restaurant owner, you could just go work at another restaurant, or ten of them. Background checks and credentialing checks are important but there is too much emphasis on the principals networking together as a caste and “what they think about” the workers. I’ve had at least one person who I considered to be semi-ethical have this type of power over me and when it comes to work review they act like you’re shining their shoes and do this power-trip withholding approval thing like you’re a little kid. Meanwhile those workers who flatter the principal and talk the talk get taken care of with no drama. It is not that the worker is for/against anybody, it is that some principals require people to cater to them. I think it would be good / significant for teachers to have more of a market about where to work. Another thing is that there are teachers who spouse works in corporate management and they say some of the stuff that goes on as school house management would be just unheard of in professional work environments. For a grown adult, nobody wants to be around that kind of stuff and I, for one, would welcome a greater choice in employers and conditions.
yuzeyurbrane
October 19th, 2012
2:38 pm
Why is anyone surprised?
Private Citizen
October 19th, 2012
2:43 pm
At the same time, there are critical articles stating that some charter school teachers are required to spend inordinate time / energy parroting trendy operational themes. Seems like Georgia teaches have a rough work environment. The OECD international comparative data says that U. S. teacher teach 35% more hours than their colleagues in other developed countries and receive less compensation as professionals, ranked near the bottom. The charter amendment is likely not going away. If it is not voted in, the private funding people will just re-tool for round 2.
Private Citizen
October 19th, 2012
2:48 pm
Given a choice of current pay and management conditions, I’d take less pay and better, more autonomous management environment in the hope that the management people leave you alone. to do your work.
BehindEnemyLines
October 19th, 2012
2:48 pm
In the case of this particular amendment, it’s such an obviously worthwhile notion that I’m honestly inclined to go with the “by any means necessary” approach.
That said, I’ve got no gripe with anyone in the opposition making use of the same procedure that the supporters used via the legal system. Just so long as they work within those parameters & allow the system to work in the same way, that’s fair game afaic.
Solutions
October 19th, 2012
3:05 pm
I luv it when teachers fight each other…….
Private Citizen
October 19th, 2012
3:14 pm
The French versus the Gates Foundation: Doctors Without Borders criticizes Gates-backed global vaccine strategy where “a tendency to place industry interests above the concerns of poverty advocates.” http://humanosphere.kplu.org/2012/05/doctors-without-borders-criticizes-gates-backed-global-vaccine-strategy/ Gates Foundation has before been accused to injuring people because they meddle with education policy and tell people in remote areas to do specifics things and this displaces other more relevant or broader medical treatment. For example, clean out your cabinets and stock THIS GIFT as a treatment, and then what they were made to throw out from their limited resources was what was effective for a lot of people.
Meanwhile, Doctors Without Borders has been doing relief medical work for about 40 years. They know their stuff in the field (Disclaimer: I send them money). They have their own methods for treating malaria, vaccines, etc. http://doctorswithoutborders.org/press/release.cfm?id=6319&cat=press-release&source=ADN121001E01
Anyone see a pattern here? Gates Foundation pretty much owns the State of Georgia at this point through their involvement in Race To The Top, Value Added Metrics, and ALEC / charter school amendment.
Hey – the best thing about “the law” is that you can modify and improve it.
Private Citizen
October 19th, 2012
3:21 pm
aye yi yi. Correction of Typo: “Gates Foundation has before been accused of injuring people because they meddle with medical policy and tell people in remote areas to do specifics things and this displaces other more relevant or broader medical treatment.”
John Konop
October 19th, 2012
3:40 pm
Maureen brings up a very good point about John Barge. I became friends with John over us both speaking out against the No Child Left Behind, teach to the test, heavy handed state and federal unfunded mandates and college prep and you are out education years ago. At the time math 123 was a cornerstone issue, which was really a masked debate about tracking of students. John and I both were considered to be on the very conservative side on this issue, standing up against the establishment side of the party. Ironically this is how I met Maureen.
Maureen and I were on opposite sides of this debate. In fairness she has always allowed as well as seek people who disagree on issues. Which is why any claims of Maureen not allowing open debate is ridicules.
Agree or not with John Barge on this issue if you believe in a multi track system he has done a very good job with expanding opportunities. And to not understand that he is on the conservative side on this debate demonstrates some of you do not know the history.
Below is a debate posted on this blog in January of 2010 that illustrates the pro and cons with tracking.
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2010/01/27/friendly-debate-a-single-academic-track-or-multiple-tracks/
Shel
October 19th, 2012
3:42 pm
The really sad consequence of the passage of this amendment, should that happen is that the children on the bottom will not end up in the charter schools. Most of the kids on the bottom are from families who do not have the means or education to make sure that their kids are supported, whether in a charter school or a traditional public school. These are not the kids who are chosen for these schools. That is very clear to those of us living in the real world. This amendment will accomplish many things if passed including legal school segregation and fiscal messes made with our tax dollars.
Private Citizen
October 19th, 2012
3:45 pm
Social engineer Bill Gates TED talk: http://blog.ted.com/2010/02/18/innovating_to_z/
Tea Party Bob
October 19th, 2012
3:47 pm
I just don’t like another layer of governement getting in on top of what we already have. It looks like it will be all cronyism as to who gets to be on that board, and this video shows its going to cost another $420 MILLION on top of what we already pay.
Where is Debbie Dooley when we need her to get on this thing. Total waste of money. I’m 100% voting NO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LxOnNLdfdkE
Ray
October 19th, 2012
4:08 pm
Ok, FairLady, and exactly which Georgia school is it that your babies attend? (!!)
Sally FitzGerald
October 19th, 2012
4:31 pm
PTA takes no tax money. All memberships are individual and dues are paid with personal funds. Under IRS guidelines for charitable non profits, the organization may speak to issues of its choice, but may not support or oppose political candidates or parties.
Organizations whose memberships are from entities that are tax supported are not allowed to either support or oppose statewide ballot issues. Neither are any employees of such tax supported entities allowed to speak out except on their own dime and on their own time.
Soothsayer
October 19th, 2012
4:36 pm
I had the “pleasure” of hearing a charter presentation last week. The two presenters were board members from as many state special charter schools, and when questioned about QBE Allotment Sheets for their respective schools, both were clueless. Talk about incompetence and lack of training! The teachers at our local special charter school are no different. Many of them were nonrenewed by our local system or left our system after being placed on a PDP. In my opinion, these folks are just “playing school.”
Pride and Joy
October 19th, 2012
4:52 pm
BRAVO FAIRLADY!
I love it when parents like you tell it like it REALLY is!’Very well said!
Private Citizen
October 19th, 2012
5:08 pm
@Ray, In other words Ray says lobbyist spider sense is tingling.
Get Educated
October 19th, 2012
5:20 pm
Get real. Seven people appointed by the Gov – and numerous for profit corporations spending millions for your yes vote – will decide who and where gets a charter school. Too bad some of these corporations are under investigation by the FBI. Too bad there’s no extra state money to pad politicians and for- profit “charter management” companies’ pockets. Watch your property taxes go up, up, up. Or you can vote no and take the route that currently is working – either the local board or the state board can and do approve charter schools in GA. Those voting yes are saying yes to government expansion on our backs. The only opportunities are for investors in these for profit companies. Good luck with that.
Ron F.
October 19th, 2012
5:23 pm
At this point, what good is the ad going to do? I think most voters who haven’t already voted have made up their minds. While this doesn’t put overt pressure on employees, and many I’m sure will gladly participate, it does seem a bit of overkill when “polls” show that voters favor the amendment…unless the supporters are worried since there is strong opposition to the amendment. Unfortunately for both sides, this is more about politics than what is best for kids, and opinions are strong on both sides. I think there is a valid argument about the level of trust we should have in government at the state level, and that body has done little to convince me that it should be trusted in this strongly partisan time. I may not always like my local board members, but I know them and I know where they live, shop, worship, and their motives are always clear. I can’t say that for our state level leaders, so I’m not about to give them more power over education than they already have.
Shar
October 19th, 2012
5:23 pm
@Fair Lady, if you want a different option, as you put it, NOW, go pay for it yourself.
I wanted the same thing, and that’s what I did. AFTER I was PTA president, on the Board of three of my kids’ public schools, did every single job I could as a volunteer to make the schools better.
This amendment is not about getting great new charter schools. It is about putting the spending responsibility for K-12 schools, which the Constitution specifically reserves to local elected authorities, in the hands of unelected state level cronies with no education experience, no personal investment in either the school or the local tax digest and no accountability to local parents, children, teachers or taxpayers.
This is the kind of change you are petulantly demanding that other people pay for. I don’t want my tax money being stripped away and used to fatten the bottom line of corrupt education corporations who are completely insulated from any public oversight, and whose only prerequisite for running our children’s schools is ponying up the biggest bribe to our legislawhores.
Want immediate change? Go put your “babies” in a private school and quit raping the state constitution to make other people pay for it!
Jeffrey Brown
October 19th, 2012
6:03 pm
I am opposed to the amendment, and I think not having our facts straight undermines our position. The AG did not issue a ruling regarding Dr. Barge’s advocacy. He gave the superintendent some informal advice in response to a question. The AG himself has said that this advice does not have the standing of being the “official position” of his office or the State of Georgia, which the term “ruling” would imply.
Maggies Daughter
October 19th, 2012
6:49 pm
Hi to the anti charter campaign and those who wouldn’t know conservatism if their life depended on it. Including Jane. I imagine this leak came from one of Casey Cagle’s phony charters. Yup, conversions. Look at any other state. They don’t have conversion charters. Only lovely Georgia with conversions and charter systems. What a joke. Again, Georgia is a laughing stock because the charter law was hijacked by the GSBA and GSSA. True charters are started and run by parents and outside groups. From NY to Calif. Only in Georgia do we have this running battle because MOST charters aren’t really charters. That’s why this war NOT to let REAL charters be created with the constitutional amendment.
Jeffrey Brown
October 19th, 2012
6:53 pm
I misspoke, and I apologize. I was thinking of the AG’s advice to Dr. Barge about the superintendent’s own advocacy, not the communication to Dr. Barge about local school system/board advocacy.
another comment
October 19th, 2012
7:27 pm
I do not know how Sam Olens even holds his head up as he walks in the Temple on Saturday. Does he have the promise of a Hebrew Charter School in East Cobb ?
another comment
October 19th, 2012
7:28 pm
I am a Liberal and John Barge was the only R, I voted for in the election.
Private Citizen
October 19th, 2012
7:45 pm
@Maggie’s Daughter, The charter amendment in Georgia is new territory on a national level and has much attention from various interest groups. If it seems “different” this is because that although the amendment language is simple, there is think-tank strategic level strategy to go with it. On a national level it is a pretty big deal and intended to more or less be a “roll out of concept,” a debue of a new way of doing things.
Private Citizen
October 19th, 2012
8:57 pm
First they came with Wal-Mart,
and I didn’t speak out because I didn’t run a five and dime store.
Then they came with Home Depot,
and I didn’t speak out because I didn’t run a lumber yard.
Then they came with Chic-fil-A,
and I didn’t speak out because I didn’t run a diner.
Then they came with charter schools,
and there was no one left to speak for me.
WillinRoswell
October 19th, 2012
9:51 pm
Phil wrote:
“Hey WillinRoswell-Where are the charter schools going to get competent teachers? From the same universities/colleges that public schools get theirs. Don’t tell me that school systems can’t get rid of incompetent teachers. They can and are doing it. Charter schools have incomptent teachers as well.”
Thank you for your response.
Apparently you misread or did not understand the meaning of my comment. I did not mention teachers once. Certainly there are weak teachers in both public and charter schools. I want you and other readers to understand that there are many local boards of education in Georgia that are crippling their schools by their improper behavior. In turn, they oppose the charter schools amendment because of the threat to their power. You don’t have to take my word for it. Here are three excellent examples: Clayton County, Miller County, and Warren County. These three are only the tip of the iceberg of what is now happening state wide. I invite you and others to inquire of the Georgia Department of Education, the Georgia Board of Education (including your own regional board member), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and last but not least, a cross section of teachers. Get their ratings and opinions of the local boards of education in Georgia, and I think you will then see what I am trying to get folks to understand.
Mary Elizabeth
October 19th, 2012
10:15 pm
“Also, there would seem to be an issue of coercion when a charter school employee gets such a request from a principal for what amounts to a political endorsement.
Wouldn’t the employees of the schools feel pressured to comply since it would be obvious if they didn’t as their names would be missing from the pro amendment ad?”
=======================================================
I wish to connect some dots for those that may not be aware. Principals obliged to the Georgia Charter School Association that supports the Constitutional Amendment appear to be practicing coercion toward their teaching staff in their charter schools to support this amendment. Likewise, managers of a Koch Industries firm here in Georgia – Georgia-Pacific – also appear to be practicing coercion with their workers to get them to support Gov. Romney for President. (See link below.)
The sponsors of the original HR 1162 which became the Consitutional Amendment, Republican state Representatives Jan Jones and Edward Lindsey, are members of ALEC. The Koch Brothers are conservative Republicans who support ALEC financially.
On the front page of the AJC today (paper edition) was an article entitled, “Should your boss sway your vote?” and online that article was entitled, “Koch election mailing to employees sparks controversy.”
Below are the beginning lines of this article:
————————————————————————-
“Earlier this month, the corporate parent of Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific sent its 50,000 employees election-related material that included a list of political candidates supported by the company.
The mailing by Koch Industries drew national attention, raising the question of whether employers should bring politics into the workplace, and to what degree. . .
The Koch Industries mailing also contained a letter from company President Dave Robertson and opinion pieces written by top executives David and Charles Koch, who are brothers and prominent backers of conservative causes. David Koch’s commentary states his support for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.”
—————————————————————
Those who initiated and/or practiced coercion in the workplace in these two instances appear to be Republicans supportive of a conservative ideology espoused by the Koch Brothers regarding free markets. Hmmm. That should make you think. Any time you have an autocratic setting in which power at the top dominates, you will get coercion of employees because workers are not seen as equal to management and are, therefore, not respected as much as those in superior positions.
If you do not see that that autocratic ideology has the potential to undercut the very foundational tenet on which America was based – that “all are created equal” – then you are in denial, in my opinion. Just another reason to vote NO to the Constitutional Amendment in NOvember, which appears to me to be more political than educational.
Btw, perhaps Dr. John Barge made his decision regarding not supporting the Constitutional Amendment based purely on educational considerations, not on political ones, so his particular political persuasion was irrelevant to his decision. If that were the case – and I believe that it was – then Dr. Barge is a true educator, not a politician obliged to others. Someone of standing should nominate Dr. Barge for a Kennedy Center “Profile in Courage Award.” He well deserves that honor, in my opinion.
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/national-govt-politics/koch-election-mailing-to-employees-sparks-controve/nSg9y/
bootney farnsworth
October 20th, 2012
12:45 am
@ fairlady
if your “babies” – myself, I had children once they passed about 2- are all that, why are you living in Georgia? our educational system is crashing, and its not a secret. if your “babies” are so special, why don’t you have them in Catholic school in the northeast?
NE Catholic schools are widely regarded as among the best in the nation. or move to DC and enroll them in Stillwell Friends, allegedly one of the best schools in the nation.
again, why are you still here?
could it have something to do with private school requires sacrifice and involvement? actually turning off the TV and getting off the couch is a bridge too far for most parents.
if your “babies” are so special, you should be working as many jobs as it takes, selling all your property, constantly trading up husbands to service the little darlings.
here’s the ugly truth. public education at the primary level isn’t designed or intended for children as special as your “babies”. and in public education, no one’s “babies” are so important that they merit raiding state funds to pamper them
unless of course they can play football, then all bets are off and you should be able to sell them to the highest bidder.
mountain man
October 20th, 2012
9:02 am
“Principals obliged to the Georgia Charter School Association that supports the Constitutional Amendment appear to be practicing coercion toward their teaching staff in their charter schools to support this amendment.”
Sort of like the coercion that principals practiced when making teachers change grades on standardized tests in traditional schools?
mountain man
October 20th, 2012
9:10 am
“Then they came with charter schools,
and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Nice touch, Privat Citizen, comparing charter schools to the Holocaust.
But the reason why people shop at Wal-mart, Home Depot, and Chik-fil-a is because they CHOOSE to. What you seem to want is a world where the price-gouging local lumber yard gets protected from competition – you want a two-by-four, you pay MY price. Same with schools, you live in this district, you go to OUR failing school, unless you are rich enough to move or send your kids to private school.
I am voting YES because I am tired of our children being TRAPPED in bad traditional school systems. The ones that vote down the competition.
Dr. Monica Henson
October 20th, 2012
9:58 am
I am a charter school leader and our school is an institutional member of GCSA. We are strong supporters of them because they provide valuable services to us, such as meetings of business managers and school leaders, as well as data analysis and board training. We pay for our membership with school dollars, which of course are taxpayer funds.
It bothered me to receive that email because it felt as though we were being asked to do what VoteSmart, GSBA, GSSA, and anti-amendment district BOEs and administrators have been doing–provide information that amounts to advocacy, not objective information.
What didn’t pass the smell test for me was the request for school employees to be asked to be named, with their school’s name attached, in an advertisement in favor of the amendment, plus the fact that it was sent to me at my work email asking me to forward it to my employees. That’s advocacy, pure and simple.
For a school superintendent or principal to “provide information” to employees carries, intentionally or not, an implication of endorsement of the information itself, and employees may perceive it as pressure to conform to what they infer is the leader’s political position.
I compromised when I received the email, after checking with one of my board members, and forwarded it to my employees after school hours, with a disclaimer that they were under no obligation to respond, and if they did respond, they should direct their answer to Nina Rubin, not to me. This was my effort to keep it from looking like they were under pressure to agree with what they may perceive my position to be.
I still didn’t like doing even that, and in retrospect I feel that it was a wrong decision on my part. I have since notified GCSA that I will not participate in any other requests to forward amendment information or advocacy requests to my employees. This is the only time, incidentally, that I have received such a request from GCSA.
What’s sauce for the district school goose should be sauce for the charter school gander. That’s my position. We are ALL public school employees and have no business using school email or other resources to “inform” employees, parents, or other stakeholders on this issue when it amounts to advocacy.
Private Citizen
October 20th, 2012
5:32 pm
Mountain Man, I’m just making a pun based on the famous Niemoller thing that he oft repeated, sometimes in different versions. Niemoller was a Lutheran although, yes, he was imprisoned during the Shoah.
Private Citizen
October 20th, 2012
5:33 pm
…not endorsing Lutherans, mind you…
Private Citizen
October 20th, 2012
5:34 pm
What till I find that Top Schools person, I’ve got an inspired poem adaptation waiting for them.
Lead to Change
October 20th, 2012
8:38 pm
Malarky!!!! Nothing but bullying being done by goveror’s office and state attorney general!
Pride and Joy
October 20th, 2012
10:27 pm
Bravo Dr. Monica Henson! Very well said indeed!
A. Friend
October 21st, 2012
5:04 pm
Why does Georgia Charter Schools Inc DBA Kennesaw Charter School now have have $300,000 law suit. If I read it correctly their former landlord has sued them for breaking its lease and not making repairs to their former building. Look it up in Cobb County records. Many questions need to be asked about how these schools use our State of Georgia and Cobb County dollars.
PublicSchoolTeacherforChoice
October 22nd, 2012
10:14 am
@ Atlanta Mom…Hire your own lawyer! Mr. Delk works for us.
Traditional Teacher
October 22nd, 2012
10:19 am
Our local system is still bombarding me with rhetoric against the amendment, using school email, webpage, etc. Supt. is forwarding letters from PAGE, editorials, anything he can find. I feel a little uncomfortable being a supporter in this environment, even with nearly 30 yrs behind me.
DeKalbParent
October 22nd, 2012
10:19 pm
Now that we are on this subject, has anyone besides me noticed the VoteSmartGeorgia “Vote NO” signs that are “ILLEGALLY PLACED” all over DeKalb County? (Highway exit and entrance ramps, public right-of-ways) clearly against the DeKalb sign ordinance! There were over a dozen signs placed “ILLEGALLY” next to an early voting location in DeKalb this weekend. Similar signs were placed next to voter registration in DeKalb last week.
I am for the Amendment and went door-to-door in residential areas “asking homeowners” to support and place a yard sign in their yard. My children asked me why there were VOTE NO signs all along the main streets in our area. I had to tell them that we couldn’t put our signs there because it is against the rules.
This is way way way worse than an email to teachers from a principal. Let’s get back to reality!
I have the photos to prove it, and anyone that starts watching the side of the road will see exactly what I mean.