What is the big deal? It will be voted on by the citizens of Georgia. We elect our politicians to represent us, and today I was well represented. I am thankful that there were Democrats who voted what they believed would be best for the children. Today was a good day for the children in Georgia. I do support this bill and will be voting in November.

Remind me again where Georgia ranks in education? Yah...something needs to change. Sunday sales, education reform...get crazy Gerogia! "What's the big deal?"...my sentiments exactly. Let the voters decide. Thanks Chip.

The people will choose what is in the best interest of our children, Not politicians, corporations, teachers, board of educations or other special interest groups. If people feel traditional schools are doing a great job the amendment will fail.

Well...our legislators are representing someone, but it is not me and would suggest that it is not entirely you.

http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/03/16/8427/georgia-worst-score-country

Please check your facts, the bill states that local money cannot be touched. http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20112012/HR/1162. Scroll down the page then you can click on the pdf version of the bill and check out Section 3 where it specifically states that local money can't be taken away. Thanks!

Well, we know where the Georgia Chamber stands, what would be the Cherokee Chamber be on all of this?

http://www.gachamber.com/uploads/One_Pager_Charter_School_Amendment.pdf

The expectation is also that funds obtained for specific purposes go for those intended purposes such as the mortgage settlement cash going to victims of mortgage fraud and specific fees collected say for affinity license plates related to supporting wildlife not ending up in the general fund...but it does. I have no faith that the legislation drafted by these people will not ultimately result in the districts money being siphoned off to Charter Schools without our approval. Call me skeptical:)

Simple math shows that money is diverted from traditional public schools to the charters. I'm keeping the numbers small to make it easy (mostly for me). The state has $100 budgeted for education. There are 50 schools. That's $2/ per school from the state funds. Now add in 50 charter schools. Now we're down to $1/per school. I wasn't a math whiz, but I'm pretty sure that 1 is less than 2, thus YES money is being diverted from traditional schools. And don't tell me "But the county has fewer children to educate because of the charter school, so they don't need the money." Does anyone truly believe that the total amount allocated per child only educates that one child? Of course not. Some children require extra funding in the form of special education or interventions. Some require less.

This whole issue is not about giving parents choice or improving Georgia schools. It's about money. And influence. And power. Not a single member of our legislative delegation has ever shown one ounce of true concern for the education of our kids. They are only concerned with forwarding their own personal agendas and climbing the political ranks.

I just don't understand anyone being against CHOICE? Isn't this America Cherokee County?? How has having a monopoly on anything improved the status quo? If money were the only issue (as it is for a lot of these non-supporters -- and NOT the children) let the money follow the child and the schoosl they CHOOSE to attend. Then there'd be some change & competition for our kids --and their $$. I'm voting YES for change in GA's education, it most certainly needs change...unless you're happy being on the bottom of the education list. I like having options and will be voting YES.

How do you not have choice now? There are plenty of private schools you can choose for your child. You can choose to get involved at your child's current school and help improve it. You can choose to homeschool. Charter schools are not new, and I haven't seen a huge improvement due to this competition.

I don't feel I should have to pay a private school for my child to get a decent education...or one that would be on par with the rest of the nation. Homeschooling? I admire those who do, but I can not. Have you been studying Charter schools much Holly? If they weren't weren't contributing to the betterment of education I don't think they'd be around any more and be an issue today. Don't tell me to get INVOLVED in my childs school, I'm there, but I'm only one parent...and there is only so much a volunteer can do.

Pam, what "erroneous" thing did I say that makes you think I am "ill-informed"? There is plenty of information out there that says that charter schools do not perform substantially better than traditional schools. What are they adding to the party? How are they improving other schools? That's what I don't see. As for CCA, I'm not speaking about that school in particular, as I am MORE THAN WILLING to wait and see how the kids there are doing. I do not object to charter schools across the board. I don't believe they are the root of evil, nor do I believe they are the saviors of public education. What I DO object to is the state setting up a non-elected board to determine how my tax dollars are distributed to the schools.
As for the adversarial relationships among the adults in this issue, I agree wholeheartedly that the kids are the losers. I saw it first hand as a teacher- the parents accused teachers of being unfair to their child, the teachers felt attacked and not supported by parents or administrators. The very people who should have been working together to help the students were unable to do so. That's why I don't understand the effort to create a parallel system instead of everyone rowing the boat in the same direction to improve the system we have. It is NOT beyond repair, but it will be if the people most involved bail on it.

Barbara- I understand that you are only one parent and cannot do it all yourself. No one is asking you to. The fact is that it's not the school board that makes a good school. It is the leadership of the school combined with the involvement of the parents at home as well as in the school building itself that makes a good school. My kids are blessed to be in great CCSD schools. I really don't worry about the education they are receiving, but I do worry about those kids at less successful schools. Many of those kids won't end up in a charter school for any number of reasons from lack of space at the charter to the charter's inability to provide needed services ( which, by the way, the CCSD schools don't have the option of not provding) to parental neglect. What about those kids? Who will be left to improve the schools for them?

Once again you are misinformed. Where are you getting your class counts from? We started with low numbers because we were waiting for CCBOE to decide whether or not they would approve Cherokee Charter. When school opened there were a number of parents who pulled their children from the roster because they weren't certain CCA would open. Remember that it was last minute because of the local vote as well as the state vote? The class size numbers, at least in 6th grade, is around 28. My daughter's class is a regular class size. So you are incorrect. Also saying "Any teacher worth his or her salt will try to teach material in a different way to reach all learning styles," isn't accurate. Many of my children's teacher's were teachers of the year. They were good at what they did. I'm not blaming them but the tape that binds them. Hopefully the change in "No Child Left Behind" will change this. I hope so for them. The focus should be the children and not the money and power.

Holly, the adversary has NEVER been the teachers but the CCBOE. Where did anyone ever say teachers were being unfair to their child? We know their hands are tied when it comes to the way education has to be taught in govt. schools, and why we like the Charter philosophy. Those children who need extra services are the exact ones NOT being helped and who are the ones leading the charge in CHOICE,
As for the non-elected board members issue, do you honestly believe the "blue ribbon panel" are the end all be all in deciding our childrens future? I don't.

@Barbara...Choice is not the issue as you've always had a choice to attend public, private schools or home-school. The issue is about funding for-profit schools with PUBLIC tax dollars, schools that are accountable 1st to the owners/shareholders of the business, not the parents, the locally elected school board or even the state!.

As to the monopoly claim...Monopolies aren't always bad, especially publicly owned monopolies, and competition doesn't always bring the best results. Our public schools are owned by us and report to us. In NC, there are two regulated natural gas monopolies whereas in GA we have "competition". NC's natural gas rates are dramatically lower than GA's and in NC you don't have to "lock-in" and sign contracts for service. Natural gas competition in GA is worse than NC's regulated monopolies! Public education is no different...charter schools as a whole perform no better and often WORSE than public monopolies!

(cont)

So charter schools are public schools (aka govt schools!) but do not have the same regulations or ridiculous red tape that other public schools have to deal with. Don't you think traditional public schools would benefit from less bureaucracy? I do. Why don't our legislators push for these types of changes in our public systems now? Wouldn't our children be better served by improving our current system instead of creating parallel schools? The reason charter schools are being pushed by certain legislators despite not showing much, if any, improvement over typical public schools is because charters are big business. Sadly, it's always about the money folks.

As to our public schools monopolies, they are required to educate all children without discrimination, turn no child away, and provide all Federally and State mandated services...For-Profit Chareter Schools Aren't! Our public school monopolies are overseen by locally elected officials with a vested interest in education our children and strengthening our communities, and if they don't, we the people can vote them out...No so with For-Profit Charter Schools. Our public schools are barred from engaging in advertising campaigns (buying newsprint television ads) and greasing the pockets of elected politicians...For-Profit Charter Schools aren't! Our public school monopolies are required to spend all of their money for the benefit of our children...For-Profit Chareter Schools Aren't -- They Want Profits!

Your argument that "your" tax dollars should follow your child is WRONG. The are no other areas where individuals can dictate how specific public tax dollars are spent based upon their individual decisions. If a few friends and I want to build a park, we can't go to the county or state and say, give us our tax dollars so we can build a park. As to "your" tax dollars following your child...keep in mind that your child's allocated share of tax dollars wasn't funded entirely by you...it was also funded by childless individuals, empty-nesters and businesses. "Your" actual tax dollars may be much, much less.

The saddest thing about what is happening is that our elected legislators are pitting neighbors against neighbors on education issues while they are fundamentally changing Georgia for the worse with other legislative changes...little steps at a time! Here are a few examples...

1. They passed a law allowing individuals to divert $2,500 of their state income taxes to Student Scholarship Organizations to fund private school scholarships. The many of the SSOs have not provided audited financial statements to GA as required by law. Further, there is no reporting as to who is awarded scholarships. Our politicians' children may be receiving FREE PRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATION using state income taxes!
2. The annual limit on SSO funding is $51 million per year which would/could be spent on public schools or building intersates. ($50 million per year for 20 years would build the I-75/575 corridor).
3. The state is taking public roadways and turning them into tollways -- and building gov't beauracracy.
4. The state was recently ranked last in corruption laws yet wants to close "open record laws".
5. The state wants taxpayers to vote for regressive sales taxes to fund local airports (used by businesses and wealthy private plane owners), public road projects, and MARTA -- while giving business major tax breaks.

(cont)

6. Chip Rogers wants people to vote for another 1% sales tax to "fix" property taxes. If it's a wash, applied equally, why change it? A. It impacts the poor more.
7. The state wants to change the tax code to increase sales tax rates while reducing income tax rates. The majority of the tax savings will go to the wealthiest, the majority of the increase will be on the poorest.
8. The state wants to "protect" car dealers from private party sales that are exempt from sales tax. Last year they tried to do this and tried to pass a law requiring sales taxes on private-party car sales...it failed. Now they're trying again with a Vehicle Registration Fee of 6.5%-7% and all vehicle transactions - dealer or private. This is a new tax!
9. The state is again making politics re: a woman's right to choose. The state "knows" that fetuses "feel pain" at 20 weeks whereas scientists and researchers have determined this is not the case.
10. The state wants to implement sales taxes on all goods and services, including internet transactions, and to give tax cuts to businesses.

And of course, they will succeed because we're all bickering about "school-choice".

Awesome summary Frank and absolutely correct. Our elected "officials" are a disgrace as, it appears, is the rest State Government. To think my children will be subject to these predators makes me sick to my stomach.

CCSD propaganda is in full force today. I don’t fault you too much, you’re just misinformed, but, to say you are losing out on funding to a school that only teaches 800 is straw man argument. I can’t find any documents that even support that theory. SO I have to ask, is this just a bunch of made up information in fear campaign or do you have actual facts that show what you have stated to be true? Are you being fed information from the BOE or is this independently vetted information?
How many of you are teachers or spouses of teachers in CCSD?

@EdFreedom...CCSD propaganda? How about informed citizens against charter propaganda? But enough of that. If the charter amendment passes and if it doesn't immediately take local funds, how long do you really think it'll take before Chip says, "since the state can create local charter schools then the state can allocate local funds to the local charter schools"? It's only a matter of time, one little change ayre a time. Before we know it, charter schools will out number local school, have huge bureaucracies, compensation figures well beyond that of public administrators, and performance scores on part with our current schools.

We should be fixing the public schools first by copying the best practices of the best public, private, charter, and foreign schools.

We don't"need" charters but they're being billed as our Savoir. If they're so great, why are their scores not significantly better? A. Because they're not better, the teachers aren't better and many students and parents spend too much time on sports, video games, and tv.

@ed freedom...you don't have any better knowledge of what will happen...but based upon the fact that charters don't currently perform better than public schools and past little by little changes by the legislature, I stand by my opinions.

Why can't a for profit management company by fired? Easy, the for profit will pay off the board and politicians via contributions, speaking fees, consulting fees, free vacations, etc. it happens in every regulated for profit business environment.

Did anyone else see the AJC article today where charter school proponents said that it takes between 5-10 MILLION dollars to run a campaign? Do charter schools have that kind of money? I know public schools in this state don't. Seems like that money could be put to better use.

I did see that comment. No, the schools themselves don't have those funds, but the companies that run the schools sure enough do. Just wait- it'll make the mailings and robocalls in the presidential campaign pale in comparison.

Your right i have not.. manly because i don not see an interest in facts here.
The only fact that has been posted is that BOE is elected.
Where do you think the opposition campaign get their money? tax dollars....

@ed...as far as I know, none of the opposition on this site is funded by the school system. instead, we're just concerned citizens and parents. The charter school proponents and their funding is big business...fact! We don't have a special interest in this hunt, the charters do.

Speaking of funding, why do you think they set cca up as a nonprofit? Why do you think they set charter usa as a florida company? It's to save money...taxes that would help support schools and roads.

@ed...I agree that everyone should pay their fair share of the tax burden, however, we disagree on what is considered fair. Many people don't pay income taxes simply because they are poor and have no taxable income. They don't receive special tax breaks, just standard deductions and personal exemptions which don't even cover the cost of living. The others that don't pay are the elderly living off of social security or their savings. There are plenty of wealthy who receive major tax deductions and pay less % than the working class. That's were the tax injustice lays.

Look a fact: Correction: The subhead for this article originally said the amendment would allow the state to force local school districts to fund charter schools. It would not do that.

Another on point article: Pennsylvania Schools’ Financing Fight Pits District Against ‘Charter on Steroids’

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/education/pennsylvania-schools-funding-fight-pits-district-against-charter.html?pagewanted=all

Most welcome, Ashley.
I hope you don't let anyone's knuckle-dragging get to you.

Amen!!! HR 1162 is coming to the vote of the people!!! Thank you Senator Rogers and the legislators who decided to do their job and let the voters decide, not the nasty Special Interests who are masquerading as caring about kids when in reality all they care about is protecting their bureaucracy and stifling real educational progress. These nasty and corrupt Special Interests - The Georgia PTA, The GAE and PAGE (pseudo Teacher's Unions), The GA School Boards Assoc., and The GA Supt. Association are truly disengenous lobby organizations who could care less about children unless is aligns with their primary selfish concern - themselves, their power, their control over the system and the money. The Cherokee Citizens for Kids is a similarly disengenous organization comprised of a bunch of "angry teachers" and "angry teacher spouses" who espouse caring for all kids but then in every point they make on their website, all they can do is talk about global metrics as a system and because CCSD is above average then no kid should have any issues or need anything else. Like who died and left these 60's radicals king to decide what is best for our children? These people are evil power hungry Educational Monopolists who must be set in their place...the voters will speak and give them a dose of reality come November. Mike Chapman and Janet Read - you don't like it ? You can move! Ashely & Frank - 82% of Georgians favor school choice - get used to seeing that number on Nov. 6th !!!

Are you serious? This guy from Augusta, where Education is HORRIBLE, is a hack. He is Dick Yarbrough - East. His wife is a public school teacher - GO FIGURE !!! He also uses NO CITATIONS TO THE POLL. A poll of who? 6 people at a sandwich shop near a school, 5 of whom are card carrying GAE or PAGE members??? At least my data is substantiated by research from a current, reputable organization polling real parents not "Angry Special Interests." You can go to The Center for An "Educated" Georgia's website and pick your study that confirms the majority of Georgians favor school choice. The polling data is there for all to see. Do you think the legislature would be that stupid to push this to go to the voters? They know they have the majority. What you also fail to note is that black voters are a strong majority in favor of Charter Schools...it gets back to the educational slavery realities, as well as the fact that the public school districts that sued the state to reverse the Charter Law used the Civil War era Racism-infused portion of the GA Constitution to justify it in the year 2011. Even the black community is divorcing themselves from their beloved Dem. Party on this one and smells the public educational bureaucracy rat big time. Huge win will occur in Nov., GA Voters will pass this in favor of more choice and Charter Schools..When it comes to their children, Parents want the most local control of all - THEIR HOUSEHOLD NOT THE BOE or AN ANGRY TEACHER SPECIAL INTEREST!!!

I think Ms. Johnston said it best....

http://cherokeetribune.com/bookmark/17923291-Sending-wrong-message-on-school-choice

Also - Ashley - there seems to be major flaws in your Anti-State Charter argument. If the amendment does not touch ANY funding of local, state or federal dollars, why are you fighting against it??? The traditional system continues to operate as it operates. Now again, why are you fighting against Children and School Choice???

And if you are going to rip the CEG's grassroots marketing approach, you ought to put the stone down. When you can tell me why the school PTAs always have a class play right before the PTA Meeting (because that is the only way they can get people to come to one or listen to their babble), then we can talk about the Starbucks card. Grande White Chocolote Mocha for the PTA President, please :) .

I am not nor have I ever been a school teacher. I am a concerned parent and a realator. The two best things in my life...my child and my job. What is the number one question that clients ask? How are the schools? I have always been proud to say that they are some of the best in the nationa and can cite local, state and national findings to back up the claim. School choice is not bad but opening a school wtih local funds and not local oversight is BAD. I, too, predict a huge win in November as we vote OUT the bureaucracy rats that are pushing to make changes to things that aren't broken. By all means control your household and I will control mine...I don't want an angry, well funded, non-elected charter school special interest group controlling anything.

I have suspicion that a space craft could land in Georgia drop a bag of money out labeled charter school only and Ashley ( and a few like her) would still say that was taken money away from a another school distinct. Either she is just plain stubborn or willfully ignorant, either way she is wrong.

Oh and where is the patches repost of this article in the tribune?
http://cherokeetribune.com/bookmark/17974964/article-Parent+with+choice++++++++best+kind+of+%E2%80%98local+control%E2%80%99#.T2x8Kgd22jM.facebook

Hmm. paranoia as well? I mention the others.. maybe you did not read that in your paranoid state? I hope you get better.
Sorry but your not that important to me, but your the few who do this everywhere... your entertaining. to read about that is for sure. Google and the internet is not your friend. You are all over the place. Still wrong, but none the less your are every where. Like a weed.

Ashley, I am the one who was waiting on my daughter in drama rehearsal with nothing to do so since I have so many patch posts from this particual blog I thought it would be entertaining to read them. I no longer read these blogs for information or legitimate points of view because they are few and far between. You tend to be very condescending and rude to people that have a different viewpoint than yourself which makes you lose credibility after the first several blogs, as do others on this blog. I have actually seen Rodney immediately cut off comments on these blogs because 2 vocal people get out of hand. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out who those two are. It may be fun for you to banter, but it is not becoming of you. I think you are a smart woman, but these banters do not reflect that.

Actually what everyone understand is that you and a few others like you have decided that no matter what the facts are.. all the problems you have in your school system are because of money you will never get. We all know QBE is broken, we all know that the CCSD is top heavy and in need of a fat trim. Yet there are those like yourself that instead of looking at the facts, it is easier to latch on to a political issue and hold on to it like a pit bull even though it is not true. At what point do you realize you are a not advocating for children but a broken system. Many parents are looking not now, but 20 years from now.. If this keep going you can call GA another state that has gone the way of business vacant due to the lack of qualified workers with the skills they need to operate their business. But yea i know we are the best school system at the bottom of the pile of crappy school system. What an accomplishment. It is not many of the teachers faults, they are victims as well, those of us that see how this can be better, want it to be.. those that believe what is broken is still good... well what can you do bought that? Horse water? BY the way we are now 46th in the nation on our way to the top.... how many states we got? ^o)

Amen Mikael, you nailed it!

Mikael-THANK YOU FOR THE POSTING IN THE TRIBUNE ABOUT SCHOOL CHOICE BEING THE TRUE, "MOST LOCAL CONTROL." It is what I have been saying all along. Many on the anti-choice side keep using the false argument that the Republicans have not been acting like Republicans in failing to support the BOE as the "most local" of all control but the reality is that is an erroneous statement. The reality is our Republican Party is going the step beyond and putting this in the Parents hands. Additionally, I don't think you could have summarized the other side's approach towards School Choice any clearer.."Yet there are those like yourself that instead of looking at the facts, it is easier to latch on to a political issue and hold on to it like a pit bull even though it is not true." Couldn't have been a more accurate statement of the current reality of the Cherokee Citizens for Kids.
The "Real Deal" regarding this whole situation is the fact that Republicans are being true to their core, are being common sensical about how to best use available dollars instead of holding on status quo failure, and are challenging the public to think about the best route to reform, given that throwing money at traditional public education solely, has proven to be a recipe for disaster...(con't below)...

(con't) ...Unfortunately, it is people like Dr. P, the 250 Teachers that wore black to the Charter Vote last June, and activist bloggers like Ashley who create front organizations that are false marketing efforts solely designed to protect their special interests as teachers and teacher spouses (over parents and kids having choice in getting their needs met with THEIR OWN VERY DOLLARS)...that are standing the way of real progress and making this the nasty fight that it is.

At the end of the day, it is not a surprise that there are those that will never be able to see the forest through the trees, but at the same time, we can't let them block the patrol through the forest to arrive at the mountaintop destination.

Come November 6th, GA's will speak for themselves, and show where they stand on this issue, and NOBODY, INCLUDING A CORRUPT AND DISGRUNTLED BOE, AND AN ANGRY TEACHER GROUP, will be able to prevent that reality from happening. I look forward to the outcome of November 6th and seeing GA and Cherokeans vote for the brighter and "right choice" future for the kids on Nov. 6th. In the words of a famous president, "Bring it on!"

Mikael...Every argument you make against Ashley, myself and others is weak and shows your incompetence. What you "know" as "facts" aren't necesarily facts, but merely opinions. "We all know" is not a fact, it's an opinion. "CCSD is top-heavy" is an opinion. You accuse Ashly, myself and others as latching "on to a political issue and hold on to it like a pit bull", but HELLO, so do you! We're advocating for the children of CCSD not a supposedly "broken system"...Check the FACTS, Cherokee County ranks high, charter schools are average to below average! Once again, you argue that Georgia is 46th, but that's a lousy argument using poor logic because we're arguing about Cherokee County!

@Real...Your arrogance amazes me along with your irrational comments. You accuse Dr. P, teachers, and concerned parents of creating "front organizations" and providing "false marketing" to protect their "special interests", yet the only ones in this argument that ARE providing false marketing, creating front organizations, and trying to protect their special interests are the for-profit charter schools companies, their employees, zealots, and spoiled parents who don't want to work within the current system. Charter Schools USA is only interested in public school funds! They are seeking a guaranteed revenue stream to pay executive compensation for their management staff, profits for their owners and what do they offer in return - comparable or sub-par results? - and the notion that "choice is better".

Choice is always better. If a for-profit solution is best, then it is best. If a non-profit solution is best, it is best. We need to free marketize public education and let competition proliferate. Competition will drive innovation, higher standards and performance, and with children and parents being the customer, satisfaction in education will be higher. We free marketize everything else in this country, save for education, and then when the results are the same as communism/socialism, we have some scratching their heads as to why. Then we have idiots like the Anti-choicers on this sight actually fight to preserve educational communism and socialism in Cherokee County. Wow !!! Go figure. Thankfully this will all be in the hands of the voters of which Dr. P cannot control. He can control the teachers and CCSD employees, but not Cherokee County as a whole. We will fight hard til Nov. and win on Nov. 6th for CHILDREN.

http://www.ledgernews.com/opinion/1215-march-28-2012/4802-focus-on-broken-funding-system
Dear Editor,

In the coming battle on amendment HR 1162 the anti-charter special interest groups will assail the for-profit management services contracted by our non-profit public charter school. This assault is weak as our conventional public schools also use for-profit entities.

They regularly enter into large dollar contracts with for-profit entities like designers and contractors to construct schools and with our board-appointed superintendent for his management services. Why is this efficient and effective method of business not valid for the operation of a charter school?

The anti-charter special interest groups will claim 1162 is an assault on “local control”. We gave and continue to entrust authority to the local school board. We will decide in November if we want to expand that trust and enrich our public school experience with school choice in the form of state funded charter schools. The most fundamental form of “local control” is a parent with a choice.

The anti-charter special interest groups will claim that they are for charter schools, but that 1162 should not pass until the conventional public schools are fully funded. This is disingenuous. The Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding formula on which this claim is based is broken. It promises money that is not there to give. No budget will ever be fully funded under QBE.

Thomas Hart, Canton
Well said Mr Hart

Mikael,

Well said !!! I would like to call to everyone's attention "the truth" or "Real Deal" about the BOE Redistricting. While Dr. P and Mike Chapman have been parading and putting on a "whining sideshow on wheels"...and making it seem like they represent the entire BOE and Cherokeans when they are clearly nothing more than a vocal minority, finally, Mike Geist, Kim Cochran, and Rob Usher have stepped forward and set the record straight on the situation. Please see Mr. Geist's genuine and accurate letter to the editor that fully speaks to the truth on this situation.
http://www.ledgernews.com/opinion/1208-march-21-2012/4760-school-board-minority-speaks-out

Read the Letter Ashley. Geist calls out everything clearly including the "Big Fat Fact" that when the polling was done 80% of respondents were School District employees. Surprise? Mr. Geist, Usher and Ms. Cochran clearly spell out the fact that the "voting" public was conveniently left out of the District's polling plan and "voter respect" was pratically non-existent. If you want to start throwing stones, it is people like Dr. P, Chapman, and you who live in the biggest glass house of all. The Voting Public has spoken to our Legislative Delegation and we are exercising Local Control to get rid of the corrupt status quo of Dr. P and BOE Members like Chapman and Read, and the phony CCSD Employee Front Organization called Cherokee Citizens for Kids. It should officially be renamed Cherokee Teacher and Employee Activist Group for Themselves. And come Nov. 6th, you're all out of here !!! You and those that believe in your cause are just a bunch of selfish, egotistical, worrisome employees who are power and control hungy and unfortunately see nothing wrong with denying the most local control of all - parents and children. Your comments about the State Commission are ridiculous. There is more than enough oversight and we elect those who appoint the State Commission, just like you want to elect board members to appoint a countywide chair. The same reasoning for the same law is ok with you at the local level but not at the State for Charters? You are the biggest hypocrite!

@Ashley...Well said! But if I may add a few...

1. Governor Deal was about to be throw out of the US House for ethics violotions when he resigned.
2. Governor Deal had to provide multiple financial disclosure documents when running for Governor because they were fraudulent/grossly inaccurate.
3. Governor Deal was virtually bankrupt when he took office.
4. Governor Deal tried to use political influence for financial gain (i.e. his salvage business).
5. Chip Rogers and Tom Graves borrowed money and claimed ignorance when they couldn't repay the loan. They received debt forgiveness which industry experts say was highly unusual. Taxpayer's picked up the debt forgiveness.
6. Jack Murphy was sued by federal regulators for "Gross Negligence" and "Breach of Fiduciary Duties" for his involvement with Integrity Bank. This while he was Chairman of the bank committee.
7. Kathy Cox, former state school superintendent couldn't manage her money and had to file for bankruptcy leaving lenders/creditors in the lurch.
8. Tim Echols of the GA PSC, travels extensively (far more than his colleagues) at the public's expense.

I could keep going, but I won't. Giving more power to these people is just downright insane.

No one wants to tear down public education, we only want to make it better for ALL and do so without an agenda for ourselves or any specific group - unlike Dr. P, Chapman, Read, and the Cherokee Teachers and CCSD Employee Activist Group for Themselves. THE VOTERS WILL SPEAK IN NOVEMBER, STATEWIDE, AMEN !!! EVERYONE WILL SEE WHAT A TRUE, ROTTEN MINORITY EXISTS IN THE CCSD FOR SURE.

Hardly Ashley...The Super Majority of people are those that respect the role of the parent and are those that feel education should be a family decision, and options that are available, should be most accessible to all without restriction. This majority includes many teachers who although they may work in a traditional public school, they have the proper sense of humility to know that not every child can thrive in that environment, and it is no one's fault at the core. Those like you and FJones, Dr. P, Chapman and Read who have such arrogance and an overall lack of humility in failing to accept that truth are people who put their arrogance and pride first above what is best for children, and have taken things to such a personal level because of the fear mongering that you cannot rationalize what is truly best. Take off your black teacher t-shirt for a moment, and put yourself in the role of a parent with a child who, for example, was not thriving in CCSD, for whatever reason. They move to a Charter with a different educational delivery method and within the year, they begin to thrive tremendously. Now how sensible, how caring do you think it is for a teacher of all people, to be fighting against this choice? To be vocally standing up at rallies facilitated by the PTA (who is supposed to be fighting for every child), and fighting against children like this having the opportunity to thrive? It is not sensible. It is SICKENING. TO EVERYONE'S STOMACH. IT NEEDS TO STOP.

Wow, Rodney this is a very heated issue! Thanks to Patch for providing a forum for all voices in Canton to have their say. Keep up the good work, buddy!

Can some one please post the CCSD fiances for the past 5 years? so we can all see where the money goes.

Mikael...Call the BOE finance dept. You can visit them anytime and review the financial statements.

Who do I call to get CCA's documents for the last year? Who do I call to get Charters USA records for the last 5 years? Oh, I forgot, they're a privately held out-of-state company and don't have to disclose anything. Nice way to avoid open record requests and conflicts of interest. Now if only CCSD could get away with it.

If it is not openly available as a digital record then yes CCSD does.