State charter-school advocates try to squelch dissent
If approved by voters next month, Amendment 1 would give appointed state officials — officials answerable to politicians, not to voters — the authority to create and oversee special state-authorized charter schools anywhere in Georgia. The wishes of local voters and locally elected officials would not matter.
In other words, Amendment 1 is about taking power from the hands of the many and concentrating it in the hands of an unaccountable few. If you have any doubt about that claim, look at the heavy-handed manner in which those backing the proposal are trying to silence those who oppose it.
It’s safe to say that no one knows the potential impact of Amendment 1 better than school boards and superintendents. The Georgia School Superintendents Association and the Georgia School Boards Association strongly oppose its passage, as do many school boards, school board members and superintendents.
But according to their critics, they do not have the legal right to express such opinions. Supporters of Amendment 1 claim that school boards, for example, are forbidden from passing resolutions opposing the proposal because that constitutes an illegal use of taxpayer money to influence an election.
They have also enlisted powerful allies in their effort to silence opposition. Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens has issued an advisory opinion that is short on specifics but ominous in tone, warning that “school boards 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,” an apparent reference to the school-board and superintendent associations.
Atlanta attorney Glenn Delk, a longtime advocate of private-school vouchers, upped the ante this week when he filed suit against all 180 school boards in the state, insisting on their silence. The concerted effort to intimidate opponents of Amendment 1 has even convinced State School Superintendent John Barge, an elected statewide official, to take down a statement explaining his personal opposition to the proposal from the state Department of Education website.
It’s important to note that the law forbidding use of taxpayer resources to affect elections is important and ought to be respected. But to date, statements by education officials and associations have been well within the customary limits of that law in Georgia.
For example, while Barge pulled down his statement of opposition, as of Tuesday the website of Gov. Nathan Deal still contained two press releases touting the governor’s support of Amendment 1. In addition, Deal traveled to Cherokee County for a high-profile ceremony last spring in which he signed legislation related to Amendment 1, a clear use of taxpayer money to publicize his support of the measure.
Last summer’s failed campaign to rally support for a regional transportation tax also offers a stark contrast. The state Department of Transportation made no secret of its support for T-SPLOST. A FAQ still available on the DOT website warns that if the tax measures are rejected, “Georgia’s regions and the state as a whole would not be able to address its transportation infrastructure needs for a growing population and potential economic development.”
Deal himself endorsed the T-SPLOST in an op-ed column presumably written by state staff at state expense. Among other places, that column was published on the website of the Georgia Municipal Association, under the headline “Georgians need to support T-SPLOST”. GMA serves the same function for city officials that the school board association serves for school-board members. Similar examples can be cited involving the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (the trade organization for county officials), the Atlanta Regional Commission and countless county commissioners.
Yet somehow, perhaps because those in power also backed T-SPLOST passage, none of these examples caught the attention of our attorney general, and no concerted effort was made to silence them. One rule for them, another for everybody else.
– Jay Bookman
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247 comments Add your comment
Joe Hussein Mama
October 10th, 2012
10:41 am
yuzeyerbrane — “Olens was a good county commissioner but has literally sold his soul to advance in state Republican politics.”
I miss Thurbert Baker.
TaxPayer
October 10th, 2012
10:43 am
A public community college provides a higher quality, lower cost education than a for-profit private institution such as Phoenix yet cons would have us believe otherwise.
Marty Huggins'
October 10th, 2012
10:44 am
“Charter schools tend to be located in low-income communities and low-performing school districts where the need for quality educational options is greatest. The New Orleans and Washington, D.C., school districts had the most charter schools in the United States in 2009-2010, and Los Angeles and Detroit had the most students enrolled. As illustrated in figure 2, in the 2008–2009 school year, more than half of all charter schools were located in urban areas, compared with 25 percent of all non-charter public schools.”
http://www.occ.gov/static/community-affairs/community-developments-investments/spring11/articles/why_charter/cde11spring02.htm
“Charter schools disproportionately serve minority and low-income students in large, underperforming urban school districts. How have they performed academically? Do they outperform traditional district public schools? The debate over these achievement questions has been fierce at times over the past two decades, frequently involving complex research methodology questions that can be difficult for the layperson, the press, and the general public to parse.”
Joe Hussein Mama
October 10th, 2012
10:45 am
M. Huggins — “If charter schools are universal in that theory as you post proclaims, then why do charter schools out perform their public school counterparts?”
“Why do a higher percentage graduate and then go onto college from charter schools than from public schools?”
Parental participation seems to be the reason. If you account for the number of hours each week that one or both parents/guardians spend helping their kids with schoolwork, the difference almost completely disappears. It seems that the schools themselves aren’t to blame or praise — it’s the level of parental participation and involvement that makes all the difference. Parents who send their kids to alternative schools seem to spend more time helping them — and that seems to be the kicker, not the fact that the kids are no longer in public schools.
If mom n’ dad send Junior to school and expect him to figure it all out on his own, then IMO *they* are the ones screwing up — not the kid and not the school.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
October 10th, 2012
10:46 am
Eventually Georgia schools will just become Sunday School class.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
southpaw
October 10th, 2012
10:47 am
dB@8:17
A slight correction–austerity isn’t the Borg style. Whatever they want or think they need, they assimilate. In other words, they take what they want–kind of like progressive governments.
barking frog
October 10th, 2012
10:48 am
The only leveler among
rich and poor school
districts is the tax collected
by the state and sent back
to local school districts.
This method could create
good schools in poor
districts.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
October 10th, 2012
10:48 am
ERWIN,
Agreed but I remain fascinated by the simple things we take for granted….like how a cd/dvd work, how these navigation systems do all they do, how colliders work and what we learn…etcetera…in everyday life its amazing what I don’t understand the use of standard quantum physics..
Marty Huggins'
October 10th, 2012
10:49 am
TaxPayer
October 10th, 2012
10:43 am
Who has made that argument?
There is a difference between privet for profit and private non profit.
Harvard is private, Yale is private, Emory is private, university of chicago is private,
Duke is private.
Should I go on or would you like to use the boogey man of for profit schools?
Brosephus™
October 10th, 2012
10:50 am
I would say that anybody who supports this amendment is borderline nuts, but based on some of the posters here who have already signaled support, I imagine that most of us know it’s a given that supporters are indeed nuts.
People who support these power and money hungry b@stards who call themselves Republicans or Conservatives here in Georgia need to open their eyes to what lays right in front of them. If there ever was an example of why this Amendment sucks, this is it. If this were so great for the State of Georgia, there would be no need to strongarm the opposition into silence.
Will the real Conservatives/GOP stand up for once? Y’all keep saying you’re all about freedom and sh*t, so will you allow Georgian’s freedom of speech to be stomped on?
Pass the Cheesy Grits Please
October 10th, 2012
10:50 am
Gay people “have no more claims to special rights than child molesters or rapists.”—Teacher’s Resource Guide to Current Events for Christian Schools, 1998-1999, Bob Jones University Press, 1998
Another beauty they teach kids in Charter Schools. With tax dollars.
This is all about getting control of the curriculum.
Nothing else.
Look before I leap...
October 10th, 2012
10:53 am
“This is all about getting control of the curriculum.”
and perhaps the money…
Welcome to the Occupation
October 10th, 2012
10:53 am
Bill The Onion White: “Public screwels are in the dumps and folk like Librul Jay caterwaul for failed status quo”
Remember back in the days when people who self-identified “conservative” were supposedly the staunch defenders of the “status quo” against overzeaelous liberal experimentation and social engineering?
Not any more.
Now it’s the “conservatives” who are in a mad rush for CHANGE NOW NOW NOWWW!!!!
Funny how that happened ain’t it?
Almost enough to make you wonder whether the whole descriptor “conservative” was a fraud all along.
RF
October 10th, 2012
10:54 am
Let’s also not forget that our state legislature wrote and implemented current law regarding education, in line with federal laws. For the 38% of funding they provide, they decide curriculum, standards, testing, and performance requirements for schools. They get a lot of control for their money. Now, they want to create schools that have the power to get around some of the state created rules in order to “innovate” and “increase student achievement.” Now wait- they wrote the laws,etc., and yet want to create schools that have less requirements…say what? And they’ll be the majority investor in those schools, funding them at 100% if not locally approved by a district. So you make the rules and then create a set of schools that don’t have to abide by all of them. Interesting…
TaxPayer
October 10th, 2012
10:54 am
Marty,
Cons want to transform our k-12 school system into a for-profit publicly-funded private school system. Like Phoenix University. Not like Emory University. Not like Harvard…
stands for decibels
October 10th, 2012
10:54 am
I know there are new sheetz, but…
You’re not obliged to send your kid to your local public schools if you think they’re deficient or unacceptable in some way.
I feel I should break in here and share a bit of personal experience. People seem to think that public schools are dead set against parents having any options; that’s not what we found. You can work out transfers to other schools—of course, transportation is up to you and, if you’re fortunate, similarly minded parents in your neck of the woods willing to carpool.
This again comes to the amazing gap I see in these discussions between those armed with a little bit of information, who yell and scream based on an astonishing level of real-life ignorance.
I really do think that if this stupid measure passes, it will be based on a large number of voters seeing the magic words “Charter Schools” and thinking “well that sounds good to me!”
But, there’s time to get the word out. And to make life miserable for Nathan Deal’s bagman Glenn Delk. Have I mentioned that his office contact info is:
http://www.lightmasanddelk.com/directions-and-map
Suite 1150
1355 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30309
404.876.3335
Fax: 404.876.3338
Oh, and you can go to Google+ and upload photos and leave reviews. I’m sure Glenn’s prospective clients will appreciate it!
Marty Huggins'
October 10th, 2012
10:55 am
Joe Hussein Mama
October 10th, 2012
10:45 am
I agree parental involvement is key.
I also feel parents should have a free option when and if the current school does not or is not capable of producing an environment that is conducive to learning.
No child can learn to their capability with a high level of behavioral distractions by class mates.
The guaranteed parental or custodial involvement at many charter schools limit the amount of misbehavior because the parents of each student are involved.
Why should certain parents be forced to pay(especially if they can’t afford it) for an educational environment that harbors learning instead of hindering it all based upon where they may have bought a house 10 years ago?
DJ Sniper
October 10th, 2012
10:55 am
I agree with the bloggers here who are concerned about what kind of curriculum could be taught at these charter schools if this amendment passes. You see the tomfoolery and nonsense that they are trying to teach in the charter schools in Louisiana. Other countries are trying to arm their kids to be the best they can be, while here in America, we want our children to be as misinformed as humanely possible.
Keep the religious teachings where they belong: in church.
Mary Elizabeth
October 10th, 2012
10:56 am
Welcome to the Occupation, 10:17 am
“Mary Elizabeth, any ideas on why Barack Obama, the ‘liberal’, is right in line with the Nathan Deals of the world on this issue.”
=====================================================
Welcome, this is a complex issue. It would take me more time and effort than I can expend this morning. (I have other plans for the day.) Let me just make a few short statements for you. You want to easily combine Deal with Obama, but that just is not the case. There are shades of grey. Below are a few.
Barack Obama wants to improve public education. He has seen the poverty of children in the Southside of Chicago’s public schools that need much help and attention. He supports public charter schools as ONE means to help every child have a good education. He is not trying to privatize public education. He is not trying to dismantle public education. In fact, at the Democratic Convention, Obama said, “We must not gut education.” That was a direct line indicating to all that “gutting” is exactly what Republicans are trying to do to public education, in contrast to his policies regarding education.
He and Arne Duncan have a “Race to the Top” plan for states to improve standards for public education. Georgia is one of those “Race to the Top” schools. Gov. Deal is the head of Georgia’s government, therefore, they must all work together for that end. Obama, more than likely, does not know the intricacies of politics in Georgia regarding this Constitutional Amendment, in full. He may not even know that this amendment is unnecessary because the State Board of Education can establish state charter schools.
Just as I support the overall humanitaraian and egalitarian vision of Thomas Jefferson, yet I do not agree with ALL of Jefferson’s thinking, likewise although I support President Obama’s overall egalitarian and humanitarian vision for Americans and people throughout this globe, I do not necessarily agree with or support every aspect of his thinking. In terms of Obama’s “Race to the Top” educational plan, it is commendable in trying to improve public education, but its failure to recognize that every student cannot be taught on standards to which he or she is not prepared yet to master, in point of time, concerns me. For instance, trying to have all students master Algebra II in 8th grade when some 8th graders have not yet mastered long division, or decimals and percentages, is unwise, as I have been trained to understand mastery learning. Moreover, Race to the Top may demand too much testing in the overall context of teaching, although I support testing for diagnostic purposes. Furthermore, I do not want to see testing used as a primary way of dismissing teachers or of cutting their salaries, because I am aware of so many other factors are operative in having less than expected test results, such as IQ standing of different student, and social and economic deprivation of some students from birth to age 6 and beyond, which has its effects educationally years after that point in time. Yet, I applaud Obama, Duncan, and Deal for making education a priority – such as Deal’s emphasis on vocational education in Georgia. However, I do not applaud Deal’s political ways of handling the Constitutional Amendment which I see as highly political and simply wrong in the ways he is trying to use his power to suppress dissent to this amendment. Obama is not part of that.
Here are my last words in my own blog regarding the assessment of teachers:
“NOTE to U. S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan from Mary Elizabeth: ‘I commend what you and the President are trying to do to improve education and to enhance the respect that teachers are afforded in America, but I surely do hope you read this post in full!’ ”
For any who may want to read my post on my own blog, on assessing teachers, here is the link:
http://maryelizabethsings.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/about-education-essay-5-assessing-teachers-and-students/
Welcome, I have given you a “hit and miss” overview of the question you asked of me. This is much more complex, and interwoven, than I can possibly relate in the nuance that it deserves on this blog, but at least I have attempted to broach your question of me to some minimal degree.
Gone for the day.
Dirty Dawg
October 10th, 2012
10:56 am
If charter school ’systems’ were run as, and by, non-profits, then I could be more supportive. As it is all I believe it to be is just one more attempt – and a damned big one- to outsource education in the name of making money for ‘the few’. Now if you tell me that the companies that run the charter schools are already ‘not-for-profit’, I’ll have to see their organizational documentation and the salaries of their staffs. Kinda like the non-profits that were set up by Medical Associations to underwrite ‘malpractice insurance’.
GT
October 10th, 2012
10:56 am
One of the major problems with this state is it is a one party system that represents everything that has held the state back for a hundred year. Like Romney they game the system that is how they make a living. To me the ultimate laziness of a state or country is going with the flow. Bullies have a hay day, smart people move to where smart people live, and we are stuck with banana republic generals with big hats and no cattle and a toss salad of unearned medals on their chest.
Steve Jobs use to say the market doesn’t know what they want until they see it. He felt like it was his job to introduce them to the future. Romney and these local state guys do market studies and change themselves to meet the product the public thinks they want. If the public wants live executions on television, by golly that is what they want to. That ain’t leadership that is weak kneed, small character politics that make the providers rich and the state poor and uneducated. I don’t mind that as much, it is no ones fault but the fools that voted for these facilitators, it’s when they can’t take the blame for the damage they do and no one calls them out on it that bothers me. When they end up in hell and wonder how they got there, maybe the devil will explain how communism was a one party system too.
TaxPayer
October 10th, 2012
11:00 am
A pro-life, family-values congressman who worked as a doctor before winning election as a Tea Party-backed Republican had an affair with a patient and later pressured her to get an abortion, according to a phone call transcript obtained by The Huffington Post.
The congressman, Rep. Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee, was trying to save his marriage at the time, according to his remarks on the call, made in September of 2000.
Does that make him a hypocrite or do cons get special passes.
Marty Huggins'
October 10th, 2012
11:02 am
TaxPayer
October 10th, 2012
10:54 am
Who has called for a for profit system?
Privatize does not mean for profit!
Which politician has called for Pheonix University to be the model for our public education?
You got a quote of one saying that? I did a quick search and was unable to find one.
But it was a quick search
Joe Hussein Mama
October 10th, 2012
11:04 am
M. Huggins — “I agree parental involvement is key. I also feel parents should have a free option when and if the current school does not or is not capable of producing an environment that is conducive to learning.”
And it seems that SfD gave you one — transfer to another school district. How come the “free option” being demanded is always another, parallel school system? How come the noisy school choice advocates never seem to admit that perhaps the public school over in the next county might just work out better for their kid?
“No child can learn to their capability with a high level of behavioral distractions by class mates.
The guaranteed parental or custodial involvement at many charter schools limit the amount of misbehavior because the parents of each student are involved.”
And IMO, public schools would benefit greatly from the same level of parental involvement, but school choice advocates never seem to admit that. It’s always the school’s fault, or government’s, or society’s. Never the fault of the parents who can’t be bothered to get involved. It’s almost as if those parents want everyone else to do *and* pay for what they themselves won’t.
“Why should certain parents be forced to pay(especially if they can’t afford it) for an educational environment that harbors learning instead of hindering it all based upon where they may have bought a house 10 years ago?”
I see. Parents have no responsibility whatsoever as regards supporting or getting involved with their kids’ schools. It’s all on the backs of other taxpayers like myself. Thank you for clearing that up for me.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 10th, 2012
11:05 am
M. Huggins — “Who has called for a for profit system? Privatize does not mean for profit!”
Oh, my dear country mouse.
bob
October 10th, 2012
11:07 am
Isn’t Arne Duncan a strong proponent of Charters ? Also, a bit off topic but has anyone seen the story that the white house dumped the embassy bombing excuse of the video and now agree with what everyone knew two days after it happened ? You would think the obo admin would be embarrassed but they are not. They just decided to tell America a lie, they have now come out and said they never blamed the video. The said part is most on here will believe the admin even though we all have seen them blame the video.
Welcome to the Occupation
October 10th, 2012
11:08 am
bob: “Isn’t Arne Duncan a strong proponent of Charters ?”
I’ve mentioned it several times already above. Can’t get any of these liberals to address it. It embarrasses them evidently.
RAMZAD
October 10th, 2012
11:09 am
I support the Amendment. Things can not possibly get worse at a state charter school than the corruption, confusion, ineffectiveness we are seeing now under these almighty locals.
If the Amendment fails your public school graduates still will not be able to read. Their SAT scores will still suck. The school boards will still be retinues of crony kissing weasels. We will still have the two tier systems; public schools that work and those that are warehouses for aspiring criminals. The Communist Party would do a better job that what we have going on now. Bring on the State charters.
Look before I leap...
October 10th, 2012
11:09 am
“The congressman, Rep. Scott DesJarlais of Tennessee, was trying to save his marriage at the time, according to his remarks on the call, made in September of 2000.”
He was unsuccessful. His first wife divorced him 2001.
Welcome to the Occupation
October 10th, 2012
11:09 am
Correction, Mary Elizabeth has responded on the issue, which I had missed. My apologies. I’ll read that now.
Marty Huggins'
October 10th, 2012
11:14 am
Joe Hussein Mama
October 10th, 2012
11:04 am
Haven’t been south of Macon much huh?
Gift county has 1 HS, Berrien County has 1 HS, Irwin County has 1 HS.
If you live in certain parts of those counties it is nearly if not a full hour to get to the next HS.
But you are right they could just move.
I just thought of it, we don’t need to reform schools at all.
Just tell parents if you dont like your child’s school just move.
I mean we have some really good public schools in this state, so why don’t the parents living in faint scho districts just move right.
Marty Huggins'
October 10th, 2012
11:16 am
Joe Hussein Mama
October 10th, 2012
11:05 am
Do you have a quote for a politician calling for Pheonix University to be a model for our education system?
I looked really quickly and found nothing but figure one has said it would just like to know who and when
Marty Huggins'
October 10th, 2012
11:19 am
Gift should have Tift.
Why does the G have to be so close to the T? Errr
barking frog
October 10th, 2012
11:24 am
Clicking on the recent post
takes me to the CSX website.
strange.
LoganvilleGuy
October 10th, 2012
11:33 am
@Marty:
How many private educational companies do you think will open charter schools unless it is to make a profit? Has the goal of a private company changed? I thought it was to make a profit to support the owners.
While there may be a few parents or non-profit organizations that start-up a charter school, the majority will be private companies. They will *have* to make a profit to remain viable.
Erwin's cat
October 10th, 2012
11:35 am
When did Bob Jones University become a charter school?
Tundra Dude
October 10th, 2012
11:38 am
Here is a pretty interesting evaluation on the impact of Charter schools
http://credo.stanford.edu/reports/MULTIPLE_CHOICE_CREDO.pdf
Stole my thunder, dude:
While public schools might be miserable, charter schools are higher on the Misery Scale
A whopping 37% did significantly worse.
Only 17% did better.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 10th, 2012
11:48 am
M. Huggins — Haven’t been south of Macon much huh? Gift county has 1 HS, Berrien County has 1 HS, Irwin County has 1 HS. If you live in certain parts of those counties it is nearly if not a full hour to get to the next HS.”
No, I moved here from Hawaii, where rural kids getting to a different school district means getting on a ferryboat or prop plane and flying to a different island — because there’s no road to get there. So spare me the hard-luck stories.
“But you are right they could just move.”
Or they could get up off their duffs and DO SOMETHING about the schools their kids are in. Like the parents in Hawaii did.
“I just thought of it, we don’t need to reform schools at all. Just tell parents if you dont like your child’s school just move. I mean we have some really good public schools in this state, so why don’t the parents living in faint scho districts just move right.”
See above. If Hawaiian parents can do it, so can south Georgia parents.
Joe Hussein Mama
October 10th, 2012
11:49 am
M. Huggins — “Do you have a quote for a politician calling for Pheonix University to be a model for our education system?”
Why would I? I didn’t make that claim.
Jack
October 10th, 2012
11:50 am
Amendents give me a headache. So I’ll probably vote NO. Not sure yet.
Northern Neighbor
October 10th, 2012
12:29 pm
If you care about your students and the education process, you should know who is on your local school board, field and support good candidates for school board, vote, and attend school board meetings regularly not just when you have a complaint.
kayaker 71
October 10th, 2012
1:16 pm
Testimony before Congress on the biggest government coverup since Watergate is now going on and it is obvious that lots of people lied. And Bookman is running a thread on charter schools in GA. Will we have the privilege of a Bookman thread on this whole fiasco?
Shamese
October 10th, 2012
1:22 pm
“It’s safe to say that no one knows the potential impact of Amendment 1 better than school boards and superintendents.”
Shamese
October 10th, 2012
1:29 pm
“It’s safe to say that no one knows the potential impact of Amendment 1 better than school boards and superintendents.”
No kidding, passage of Amendment 1 means the loss of power and big money. Do you really expect they’d support it Jay? Public schools have schlepped along for years grinding out unprepared HS graduates by social promotion and test tampering, and now that the public has said enough is enough they’re in panic mode.
yuzeyurbrane
October 10th, 2012
2:06 pm
I don’t recall who claimed charter schools outperform traditional public schools but that statement is inaccurate. The best that can be said is that the jury is still out on that question. There is much conflicting data on that point which is all the more reason that we should continue to experiment in this area rather than throw the baby out with the bath water.
Welcome to the Occupation
October 10th, 2012
9:58 pm
I don’t recall who claimed charter schools outperform traditional public schools but that statement is inaccurate
It’s bollocks. Bol-lux!
State charter-school advocates try to squelch dissent | Protect Georgia Schools
October 12th, 2012
10:08 am
[...] Bookman calls out proponents of Amendment 1 in the state government for trying to silence the opposition. We will not back down [...]