Amendment One: A chance at a choice for students who today have neither
No one among us, if faced with a persistent disease and a physician who’d failed to cure it, would be content to continue consulting only that doctor — and, especially, to be told we could not seek a second opinion.
None of us believe we could live in a place with only one grocery store, selling only junk food, and be expected to maintain good health.
Nobody I know would want to learn a trade but have the opportunity to work for only one employer.
And I’m certain no American would stand for living in a country where just one name, the same name, appeared on the ballot year after year.
Yet that’s exactly the situation we expect thousands of students, parents and even teachers in Georgia to accept. We can take one small but important step toward changing that by approving Amendment One and increasing their educational choices.
This amendment, which would affirm the state’s role in creating public charter schools, is neither a magic potion nor an indictment of all traditional public schools. Many traditional public schools do a fine job educating many of their students, and nothing about Amendment One would change that.
This amendment is, however, a recognition that our system of offering a single public school to any given student, based on nothing but that student’s place of residence, has squandered the potential of too many kids who needed a different approach.
It is true that some people manage to overcome educational adversity. We rightly celebrate those parents, many of them single parents, who take on additional jobs, who drive long distances, who uproot their families — who do anything it takes to ensure their children can attend better schools. We are justifiably proud of those teachers who transcend red tape and a lack of support to help kids beat the odds.
These stories are truly extraordinary, some of them seemingly superhuman. But it defies these words’ definitions to expect the extra-ordinary and super-human of every person who faces such daunting circumstances.
In a sense, the Rev. Joseph Lowery was right when he recently warned against modern-day school segregation. What he missed is that we’ve already segregated our students — into those who have good public schools, those who have the means to escape the bad ones, and those who have neither — and that the radio advertisements he recorded placed him on the side of those who have given us that segregation.
What he missed is that, in a land where opportunity is supposed to be as close to equal as we can make it, the civil rights issue of our time concerns that third group of students, who are ensnared in a system that diminishes their opportunities.
Opponents of Amendment One have cast it as a partisan, race-based measure, when support for this measure has united Georgians of various ideologies, backgrounds and colors in a way few recent political issues have. They have conjured all manner of supposition about the motives of those who support state charter schools or would approve them (or those who would appoint the approvers), about the numbers of schools that would be created and what their student bodies would look like, about what would happen to those who didn’t attend these new schools.
What they haven’t done is advance a persuasive defense of the system they seek to protect, the one that has left so many people so desperate for another choice.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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246 comments Add your comment
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 5th, 2012
10:06 am
In case you missed it, it IS my money, you know.,/i>
NO, it’s NOT your money. It is society’s money now. That is the amount you contributed to society so you can continue to work and prosper within its benefits, laws and protections.
JDW
November 5th, 2012
10:07 am
Well I for one am glad this will be over tomorrow…this is nothing more than a Republican led state level power grab designed to circumvent those local school boards that don’t toe the party line. It will dilute both funding and parental involvement in local schools and opens this state to excesses seen from charter explosions in other states.
Come on folks wake up and smell the coffee…there is a process for approving charters and a state level appeal ALREADY…this is a Trojan Horse.
Dusty
November 5th, 2012
10:11 am
Well, folks, have at it! I have already voted.
I read about this school issue. I thought about it.. I made up my mind. I voted. on it.
I hope you do the same.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 5th, 2012
10:11 am
Private schools are there for those who believe they can “buy” a good education.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 5th, 2012
10:12 am
“You educate all the children as best you can.”
And the funny thing is that this amendment doesn’t change that argument one tiny bit.
But again, logic escapes you, Finn.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 5th, 2012
10:13 am
Here is info on the profit side of the Charter School scam:
http://www.alternet.org/dont-be-fooled-investors-charter-schools-are-cash-cows
Daily Headlines for November 5, 2012
November 5th, 2012
10:14 am
[...] Amendment One: A Chance At A Choice For Students Who Today Have Neither Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, November 5, 2012 No one among us, if faced with a persistent disease and a physician who’d failed to cure it, would be content to continue consulting only that doctor — and, especially, to be told we could not seek a second opinion. [...]
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 5th, 2012
10:15 am
Aquagirl, please do not parse my posts in order to make a point. If you cannot make a point against the ENTIRE argument, I suggest your time is best spent over at Bookman’s where that policy is excelled at.
Why can’t you defend the WHOLE truth?
Answer: Because you know that will expose a government institution of gross incompetence and mismanagement, and you can’t find yourself willing to admit that such a thing occurs each and every day.
And you didn’t answer my question on seniors. Go figure.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 5th, 2012
10:15 am
Actually, most of the studies have shown the opposite: charter schools consistently rank at even or worse – sometimes much worse – than traditional public schools. For example, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University found that students in every single Pennsylvania cyber charter school performed “significantly worse” in reading and math than their peers in conventional public schools. That’s a 100% failure rate .
same link
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 5th, 2012
10:16 am
“That is the amount you contributed to society so you can continue to work and prosper within its benefits, laws and protections.”
Really, Finn?
What “benefits” are my kids receiving if they are in a bad educational system, and I now not have to pony up extra money for them to get a better one, but still have to pony up my money to educate someone else’s kids?
Are you sure YOU graduated from an accredited school system? Because with “logic” like that, I’m not so sure.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 5th, 2012
10:16 am
Aquagirl, please do not parse my posts in order to make a point. If you cannot make a point against the ENTIRE argument, I suggest your time is best spent over at Bookman’s where that policy is excelled at.
Why can’t you defend the WHOLE truth?
Answer: Because you know that will expose a government institution of gross incompetence and mismanagement, and you can’t find yourself willing to admit that such a thing occurs each and every day.
And I noticed that you didn’t answer my question on seniors. Go figure.
CharterStarter, Too
November 5th, 2012
10:17 am
@ Aquagirl –
On a small scale (i.e., 1 person’s whims), I can see your point… HOWEVER….
We have 60,000 kids sitting in start up charter schools right now. Keep in mind that only 4 school districts in this whole state have more than 60,000 kids.
We have 5,000 kids sitting on waiting lists right now. And you should know that 119 of our districts have LESS than 5,000 students.
We’re not talking about individual parent whims for their little Suzy Sunshine. We’re talking about massive amounts of parents who are demanding better from public education.
sneak peak into education
November 5th, 2012
10:19 am
You only have to look around the country to see the election battles, whether it is for the congress or all the way down to the school board, to see the millions being funneled into the campaigns supporting those who are running on the platform the privatize education through the policies of the right-wing group ALEC. And who is behind these groups that are buying these campaigns? In some instances they hide behind ambiguous names like “Americans for Responsible Leadership” and their real donors are not revealed and can remain in the dark, murky corners, all the while pumping millions into these campaigns to push their “privatization” agenda. Don’t be fooled into thinking they are workimg on your behalf; they are only interested in lining their pockets with tax payer money. kind of makes you think about what has happened with the out if state donors funneling huge money into the state to pass this amendment.
Vote smart and vote NO in NOvember for amendment 1.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 5th, 2012
10:19 am
Looks like they changed the time on the server hosting this blog. Comments are now appearing before others made at a time that is now considered “later”.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 5th, 2012
10:19 am
Yinzercation / By Jessie B. Ramey 5 COMMENTS
Don’t Be Fooled: For Investors, Charter Schools Are Cash Cows
In Pennsylvania and across the nation, investors are making big bucks off of charter schools, and donating huge sums to the politicians who protect their interests.
Continued from previous page
“Well, probably the charter school business. We said it’s our highest growth and most appealing sector right now of the portfolio. It’s the most high in demand, it’s the most recession-resistant. And a great opportunity set with 500 schools starting every year. It’s a two and a half billion dollar opportunity set in rough measure annually.”
Brain also told a nice whopper when the anchor asked him if there was any investment risk due to some public backlash against using taxpayer money to pay for charter schools. He claimed, “Most of the studies have charter schools at even or better than district public education.” Actually, most of the studies have shown the opposite: charter schools consistently rank at even or worse – sometimes much worse – than traditional public schools. For example, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University found that students in every single Pennsylvania cyber charter school performed “significantly worse” in reading and math than their peers in conventional public schools. That’s a 100% failure rate .
With such dismal results, investors really ought to be asking why Gov. Corbett’s administration keeps approving new charter school applications. Cyber charters in particular are charging taxpayers far more per student than it actually costs to educate them – to the tune of one million dollars per day sucked from our public coffers into the pockets of charter school operators. Pennsylvania already has 16 cyber charter schools – including four approved just this past summer – giving us one of the highest concentrations in the country. Yet the Department of Education just scheduled hearings on eight new cyber charter school applications.
Gary Miron, an education professor at Western Michigan University who studies charter schools, told the Post-Gazette, “Pennsylvania, as far as I know, has the most lucrative funding for virtual schools. It’s very favorable. It doesn’t surprise me more companies and entities want to come there for virtual schooling.”
Indeed. This is not about doing what is best for students. Charter schools have become investment opportunities for the wealthy and their portfolio managers, businesses that must be protected with favorable legislation bought by strategic campaign contributions. As these charter school operators feed at the public trough, they strip our public schools of desperately needed resources. It’s time to fight back. Public education is a public good, not a cash cow.
ouch!
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 5th, 2012
10:20 am
Finn, get with the program. alternet and thinkprogress are BIASED and inaccurate sources of information, ‘kay?
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 5th, 2012
10:20 am
oops, sorry about that last long post.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 5th, 2012
10:21 am
Tib, we all choose info sources we agree with.
Aquagirl
November 5th, 2012
10:24 am
I know this logical argument is lost on you two, but try to keep up, OK?
You’ve confused “logical argument” with “Randian fantasy.” .The greedy self-centered aspect of modern “conservatism” is well demonstrated by your attitude. That happens a lot with you, Tiberius.
In forty years or so when people are trying to understand how things got so bad they can read your comment in some dusty archive and see what folks were thinking. Or more accurately not thinking.
We pay for public education because we need an educated populace. Despite your claims of rugged independence, you enjoy the benefits of widespread education available to all children. It’s called modern civilization. It’s to your benefit someone you’ve never met can handle dispatches for Georgia Power, or fix a technical problem at a sewer plant, or read a set of blueprints and e-mail a contractor. Those people don’t fall out of the sky. You pay for their basic education. In return you get citizens capable of building and maintaining a civilization instead of planting corn and signing their name with an X.
The fact your thought process runs from A to A is noted, though. BTW that’s not logic, it’s just stunted thinking where you can’t draw inferences.
commoncents
November 5th, 2012
10:24 am
LBB
I think the “Trojon Horse” the liberals are touting was actually built by the children our education system failed… but, for lack of knowledge and history that should have been taught in our schools, they left it empty.
CharterStarter, Too
November 5th, 2012
10:24 am
@ Yuzeyourbrane – The AJC’s “investigative” report included both system and conversion charters, neither of which do open enrollment – they keep kids from their zoned schools. If you pull out start up charters that do open enrollment and compare it to the districts they serve, the charters serve a higher population of minority and economically disadvantaged kids.
@ Zinc – Actually, since 1993, districts have had the opportunity to use this flexibility through conversion charter schools. Recently many of these have not been renewed because they have not been autonomous enough for the district and aren’t USING the flexibility they have. Also, every single month the state BOE approves waivers from districts. These too are not maximized. Truth is, the districts want everything “even Steven.” It’s easier to manage.
The state dictates the WHAT, usually not the HOW – most of the nonsense teachers and administrators deal with is from local school district central offices.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 5th, 2012
10:25 am
Note that if you see improprieties at voting locations tomorrow, use your cell phones to shoot video and that video can be posted at:
http://www.videothevote.org/
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 5th, 2012
10:26 am
ALEC is the new boogeyman for the left.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 5th, 2012
10:27 am
wow, some people appear to posting 30 minutes into the future. Nice software.
Don't Tread
November 5th, 2012
10:30 am
Opponents of Amendment One want to preserve the monopoly and throw more of our money at it. (Not for the kids’ benefit of course.)
CharterStarter, Too
November 5th, 2012
10:32 am
Enter your comments here….hmmmmmm…. thought I pressed submit, but it’s not showing up, so I’ll try again.
Aquagirl,
I understand what you are saying about individuals catering to individual children, but let me put it to you this way:
There are more than 60,000 students in start-up charter schools in the state. Only 4 school districts in this state have more than 60,000 students.
Over 5,000 students are sitting on waiting lists for start up charter schools. 118 school districts have less than 5,000 students.
We’re not talking about one or two parents catering to their Suzy Sunshines… we are talking about massive amounts of parents demanding quality public school choice.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 5th, 2012
10:34 am
ok, go to any major newspaper site from Pennsylvania or Florida and do a search on “charter schools” and read through the articles. Go see what these other states are dealing with.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 5th, 2012
10:34 am
Nice argument, Aquagirl, but this amendment doesn’t change your argument one bit.
You want stunted thinking? Look to your own response.
I have never stated that I do not want an educated society, nor that I am unwilling to pay for it. In fact, I am more than willing to pay for it. But if MY kids are not getting the value I perceive my tax dollars are paying for, then all I want is to take my kids and my money out of the system until such time as my kids have been educated.
You don’t care about the education of my kids one bit; all you want is MY MONEY.
Once again (and pay attention this time please), if my kids aren’t in the public school system as an expense, why should the public school system have the need for my money? Shouldn’t their expenses drop as kids are removed from the system, and if not, why not? How are they any different than a greedy corporation who finds a way to reduce the price to make a product, and refuses to pass along the savings to consumers?
Thomas hetward Jr
November 5th, 2012
10:37 am
A charter school is still a government school.
.
This whole effort was a huge misallocation of resources.
.\
The rational course is to advocate for personal tax deductions for private schools…………………….or nothing..
A great quote———
.
“when a society must ask permission from the state ………and INDEED…does so willingly, with eyes cast down…………… on how to eduacate the children , then you will know that your society is doomed”.
Thomas Heyward Jr.
St Simons
November 5th, 2012
10:42 am
Your obsession with this most heinous, sneaky, nasty, ALEC backed,
attempt to sneak this by the people of Georgia is disappointing.
If it was so great, why do you have to be so sneaky about it?
Why didn’t you word the “amemdment” truthfully?
Shall the Constitution be amended to take tax money from the People
to form private for-profit businesses to teach children that the earth is
6000 yrs old and Jesus rode on a dinosaur, and these schools will
have no standard curriculum accountability?
Russ Moore
November 5th, 2012
10:43 am
Kyle, you are channeling Ralph McGill – just as eloquent and memorable. Dr. Lowery shocked me the other day. You are speaking for his people – and any student and family – better than he is. I think it’s all been said now, and it’s in the hands of the voters. I’m voting YES!
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 5th, 2012
10:44 am
Well put, St Simons. hehehehe
Aquagirl
November 5th, 2012
10:45 am
f my kids aren’t in the public school system as an expense, why should the public school system have the need for my money?
To educate children in general. Duh.
Once again, you show the shortsighted, self-centered thinking that if YOU PERSONALLY are not using a service at any given time, well, it’s just not needed.
You pay the same amount in taxes whether you have children in school or not. Or for that matter if you never have children, have twenty children, or build an entire self-financed school to serve thousands of kids.
If your tax money was specifically meant for YOUR kids, only parents of school age children would pay taxes. If you want to restructure the tax base that way, give it a shot. Let me know how you like cr@pping in your yard and doing your own surgery.
CharterStarter, Too
November 5th, 2012
10:45 am
http://www.econ.gatech.edu/files/papers/CharterSchools_0.pdf
Economist Christine Ries from Georgia Tech debunks claims made by the school districts…
Logical Dude
November 5th, 2012
10:46 am
Kyle: They have conjured all manner of supposition about the motives of those who support state charter schools or would approve them
Can you be more specific and try to handle each criticism? I know, I know, I saw the previous column, but it didn’t actually handle the major criticism.
This amendment is for money. Huge amounts of out of state money coming in to support this amendment so that those “in the know” will get huge amounts of money back.
We really don’t need a change in the constitution just for another government handout, now do we?
Russ Moore
November 5th, 2012
10:46 am
And sometimes I think it’s too bad that these blogs allow comments. It’s like I came into a showroom and looked at a priceless Rolls, and suddenly it’s surrounded by rusty cars on blocks covered in mud and weeds. Thank you for being there.
St Simons
November 5th, 2012
10:46 am
This is the most corrupt insidious thing ever attempted in Georgia, the
most corrupt state in the Union. and that’s saying something, buddy.
teaching taxpayer
November 5th, 2012
10:48 am
True CHOICE would mean we, the people, would ELECT the members of the state board that would spend OUR tax dollars. But no. Nathan Deal will APPOINT his CRONIES if this amendment passes. Say “No” to Deal’s cronies, and demand a better amendment in 2014. I am in favor of SCHOOL Choice and VOTER choice!
Streetracer
November 5th, 2012
10:50 am
As I have said before, money does not create great schools. Compare expenditures and outcomes for DC and South Dakota (or other plains states, for that matter). Educational outcomes depend ptimarily on parental expectation/ student desire and student work ethic. If parents or guardians don’t care and if students won’t do the work, it doesn’t matter how much money one throws at the school system.
bluecoat
November 5th, 2012
10:50 am
This is not about allowing charter schools.Which we now do have,and can continue to have.It’s about the state creating more government.So that it can appoint and decide where the schools are located,and how much more taxes you pay for these schools.What % money will go to these schools.This amendment is not about the mule,but who loads the wagon,and pays the freight.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
November 5th, 2012
10:50 am
“If your tax money was specifically meant for YOUR kids, only parents of school age children would pay taxes. If you want to restructure the tax base that way, give it a shot.”
So I take it that you’re against seniors having their taxes eliminated for schools once they turn 65, Aquagirl?
‘Cause that’s what’s happening all over the state as counties get those breaks passed locally.
And nice of you to completely ignore my question, Aquagirl. If the school no longer has my kids in it, shouldn’t the EXPENSE to teach my kids be gone as well? So in your world, I not only have to pony up for my own kid’s education outside of the system, I have to pay for the crappy one others get, AND I have to continue to pay for expenses no longer being incurred by the school system?
Are you REALLY that dumb?
BenDaho
November 5th, 2012
10:52 am
Public education is setup for the common good for ALL in our state so that we can educate children and develop them into good citizens who will, in turn, keep the wheel turning to ensure that we all live in a civilized society
Really? I thought the children were in school to learn math science and proper grammar. Shouldn’t it be the parent’s responsibility to develop them into good citizens? If that’s what kids are being taught in school, no wonder Georgia is sucking hind t!t nationally in education.
CharterStarter, Too
November 5th, 2012
10:56 am
@ Teaching Taxpayer – You are a teacher? Good heavens! You DO know that the State Board of Education is established as an APPOINTED body UNDER OUR STATE’S Constitution?
If you want that changed, then do what we did, get 2/3 of the House and Senate to pass a resolution to put a question on the ballot for all Georgia’s voters to consider.
St Simons
November 5th, 2012
10:57 am
man up, cons. Pay it forward.
Somebody before you had to pay for YOU, but you shirk that
responsibility.
Typical cons.
JDW
November 5th, 2012
10:58 am
@Tiberius…”Are you REALLY that dumb?”
Actually the proper question is directed at you and goes like this…Are you really that selfish, self-centered and short sighted?
Yes you should pay school taxes so long as you are a member of society, seniors included. It’s called furthering civilization and it is everyone’s, you included, responsibility.
Matz
November 5th, 2012
11:00 am
Really? Another one, Mr. Wingfield? Dang, they must really have you in their pocket…. along with the tens or hundreds of millions they plan to milk from public schools into their corporate coffers if this ruse passes. Hope you held out for a good price. Once you give it up cheap, they’ll never pay you what you’re worth.
Streetracer
November 5th, 2012
11:04 am
Tiberius:
Don’t expect aquqirl to actually answer anything. She hasn’t responded to my response from early this morning.
sneak peak into education
November 5th, 2012
11:04 am
I cannot understand the blinkered approach by some who talk about THEIR tax money going to educate other children in our state when THEIR tax money should follow THEIR child. Public education is setup for the common good for ALL in our state so that we can educate children and develop them into good citizens who will, in turn, keep the wheel turning to ensure that we all live in a civilized society. If we don’t want to pay for schools, you WILL be paying for more prisons. Don’t be so short sighted.
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
November 5th, 2012
11:04 am
The amendment isn’t about not paying for public schools. It’s about getting the most from the schools. If they weren’t so bad, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
bluecoat
November 5th, 2012
11:04 am
Pony,mule,trojan horse,and jacka&&.