Public Charters the People’s Choice
The November 6th election will give Georgia voters yet another opportunity to weigh in on the issue of school choice, charter schools, and how they may be established and funded.
Parents in the community in which I live, South Cobb, have had the unfortunate recent experience of seeing not less than three charter school ventures denied by the local school board. One was denied due to a shaky management history, one due to the fact that those promoting it had not adequately engaged the community, members of the board, nor had a skilled project team and the third failed because its financial development plan was deemed insufficient.
The end result leaves the children in the lowest performing and under-funded post in the Cobb district without an alternative for a quality education for their children. We know there have been a few bright spots in some of the schools in the area, but with a habitual high dropout rate, and low graduation rate one must still be guided by these most salient facts as measures of success.
We have seen how political power has been at work on matters of immigration, health care, and transportation. I believe if this cleverly worded amendment passes, politics will rule the day and concern for equitable quality education will continue to be a dream deferred. I don’t see politicians from Meriwether or Telfair County or other similarly disconnected appointees having the concern we need for the kids at South Cobb, Floyd Middle or Riverside Primary.
I will remain in favor of school choice for parents and if a locally managed and well financed charter is an option, it should be taken by individual families making a decision for the children in their home and our local school board members should be turned out if they don’t support it. The opportunity to vote for a re-right of the Georgia constitution on November 6th should be turned back because it is not in the best interest of our children and will allow non-affiliated appointees to make decisions and allocate public funds according to political agendas.
Smyrnan
10:18 am on Monday, October 22, 2012
Info from Better Georgia that's lists clear reasons to vote no on Amendment 1.
Voters of all political stripes agree that we shouldn’t change Georgia’s constitution. Liberals, moderates and conservatives have found a few simple reasons to vote ‘No’ on Amendment 1.
Out-of-state corporations are paying for the ‘Yes’ campaign
It creates a new Atlanta-based government bureaucracy
The new commission will be filled with political appointments
Georgia has more than 200 charter schools and an appeals process that works
A ‘Yes’ vote would cost $450 million dollars while most public schools still can’t pay for a full school year
Those out-of-state donors say Amendment 1 is all about more choice for education.
The out-of-state corporate ‘Yes’ donors are losing steam quickly on this issue. The reason Georgia voters are rejecting the big-dollar ‘Yes’ campaign is because all of their arguments promote a system of school choice that we already have today. Georgia has more than 200 charter schools and an effective appeals process.
The only things new about Amendment 1 are higher costs and an unnecessary state bureaucracy filled with Gov. Deal’s political cronies. We don’t need to change our constitution so out-of-state charter corporations can make a profit off our students. A ‘No’ vote on Amendment 1 will keep Georgia’s constitution the way it is today and allow us to focus on improving education for every student.
Lissa M.
9:48 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
The "everthing is just fine the way it is" folks in our crumbling govt. run public school system are running scared! Who would not want to have a CHOICE in education for our children???
R. Anderson
2:37 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
The amendment is not about CHOICE. It is about local CONTROL. If this amendment passes you will still have CHOICE but you will not have local CONTROL.
(PS Overall charter schools don't out perform public schools.)
Steely Dan
6:23 pm on Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Yes you WILL HAVE LOCAL CONTROL. LOCAL CONTROL will need to initiate the APPEALS PROCESS that AMENDMENT 1 will provide.
If it fails, you will have to have your choice DICTATED TO YOU by a LOCAL BOARD.
If you live in Dekalb, APS, Clayton, Bibb, and other corrupt counties, your choice will be DICTATED TO YOU BY LOCAL CORRUPT BOARDs.
Vote YES.
Monty Brewster
7:30 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The devil is a liar. Regardless of what happens with Amendment 1, Charters can be approved at the state level. Read the Supreme Court ruling. They ruled the commission illegal, not the DOE's ability to approve charters. Several charters have been approved and renewed by the state in the last few weeks alone.
Steely Dan
11:21 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Monty's wrong. If Amendment 1 fails, special-status charters will not be eligible for state approval. Monty clearly hasn't actually read Amendment 1 and is just repeating what his superintendent tells him to think.
Monty Brewster
9:10 pm on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Dan, have you ever read the ruling from the Supreme Court? Let me summarize it for you - Charter Commission is unconstitutional. BOE retains ability to approve charters. Now pull Chip's hand out of your rear and speak for yourself once in a while instead of regurgitating the trash you are force fed from our corrupt delegation.
Jennifer
9:23 pm on Saturday, October 27, 2012
Thank you for your comments. I am all for choice, but I agree that local control is best. I will vote, "no." I am very wary of amendments. They are often worded so that people vote for them, but we are not being given all the facts. Then, unfortunately, we have to live with the consequences.
Steely Dan
6:25 pm on Tuesday, October 30, 2012
A NO vote removes your Local Control, as well as your ability to appeal a local board's decision.
If you want to give up your freedom of educational choice and put it into the hands of people like those in charge of APS and other corrupt districts, vote NO.
If you prefer to think for yourself and make your child's decisions as a parent, vote YES.
Monty Brewster
7:30 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Steely Dan will be on the commission that approved new charters. Vote yes for him to be in control of your children.
Steely Dan
11:19 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Monty's currently altering test scores. Vote no to keep him in 'local control'.
Steely Dan
10:34 am on Tuesday, October 30, 2012
We need more districts like APS, Dekalb County, Clayton County, and Bibb County.
If our children's test scores are low, we need to alter them so that we can keep getting federal $$$. Paying our teachers is far more important than educating our children.
Our educational system is great - parents DO NOT deserve choice. Teachers and supers know what's best for their kids - NOT the parents. Parents need to pay their property taxes and shut the hell up.
Just trust the good folks running school systems like APS! Vote NO to more competition and more accountability. Vote NO to rising above our 48th-ranked status.
Vote NO to educational improvement. The status quo is great!
WE NEED MORE APS!!!!! VOTE NO!!
Erik Fernald
10:03 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The more I witness the less I like entrusting my children to a government run system. I have 2 boys and I cannot see either one going to a government school. I just do not see it happening. There is no trust, there is no real results driven system, and there is no real accountability. I have little faith in anyone supporting this at all.
Monty Brewster
10:31 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Erik, do you think standardized testing is a good way to hold schools accountable? Do you think that the parents should have any accountability in their child's education past that of making sure they are attending?
It's easy to put the blame on others. But it's not exactly fair when the legislators that make the rules have never had to play by them...
Lissa M.
8:55 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
We felt the very same way, so we spent thousands on private school for both children only to realize it was a joke. Accountability? None at all. We tried homeschooling, which is a wonderful option for moms who can manage it all, I'm just not one of those. Both children are now in public (I cried for the first 2 weeks believing all the lies about how bad it is!) & thriving. The Gifted/Discovery classes are incredible & the chances for scholarships are higher for public students. Do research it & then research some more. You will be as shocked as we were that public is much better than previously thought! Parents & students should have a choice, though. Good luck!
Steely Dan
11:29 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
I'm glad it worked out for you, Lissa. I had a markedly-different experience. I ended up hiring private tutors to actually teach my son basic remedial skills, mostly math. His "teachers" (using the word loosely) in elementary school would basically hand out some multiple choice sheets and then surf the internet. Or the class would watch movies. There was no real education nor learning experience - It was a complete joke. He's too old for any charters now but I'm voting YES for his future children and others currently trapped in GA Public schools similar to the one my son was trapped in.
GA public schools do work for some. But not all. No one can look at places like APS, Bibb, DeKalb, Clayton, and other counties on the verge of losing accreditation and say (with a straight face) that GA public schools work. They don't for tens of thousands of kids. For those kids and their parents, I'm voting YES. The handful of existing good public schools won't be affected by Amendment 1's passage.
Steely Dan
11:30 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Erik, charters have accountability. If they fail to educate children and parents leave, they get closed.
Public schools that do the same merely get more taxpayer funding.