If they don’t like it they can always move.

What is "laughable" is that fact that the group "Cherokee Citizens Group for Kids" is actually trying to make it seem like they are truly a community organization working for the betterment of kids, when in reality, all they are is an activist front organization for Dr. P and the CCSD Employees with a "teachers union mindset." It is a "vocal minority" group of a small, handful of disgruntled teachers and CCSD Employees who are lockstep in agreement with the educational bureaucracy of Dr. P, Mike Chapman, Rick Stiner, and Janet Read and who are the minions out doing the dirty work of Dr. P and Mike Chapman, the board chair. The district's own Director of Forecasting and Planning at the various meetings said that the districts would be redrawn not according school attendance lines but along the lines of balancing the population out due to the growth of Cherokee County. The bottomline is that the public can see right through this latest tactic by the BOE. The Cherokee County Delegation is very much aware of the Chicago politics that have been a part of CC for years and is part of the Dr. P regime and is doing all it can to restore the BOE to a BOE truly elected by and representative of the community - not a BOE that can continue to be controlled by the Superintendant and puppet BOE members. The new voting policies will address that piece. The BOE is just throwing darts arguing the maps, etc. because they know no matter what map is utlimately decided upon...(con't below)...

...Dr. P and the four BOE Members who have been the key puppets are going to lose their seats. They are just trying to make it look like they were "outed" by legislators instead of the voting public who is ready to make the "right decision for real children and the community" by voting these bureucrats out of office, just like Debi Radcliff and Gary Puckett were a few years ago.

And to echo the words of the BOE's very own Chair, Mike Chapman - "If you don't like it, you can MOVE." I suggest Mr. Chapman take his own advice and if he doesn't like his chances in his new post, "HE CAN MOVE." I wonder how well that is going to work :).

Ashley-with all due respect, you are not a CCSD Teacher but you mentioned several times on this board that your husband is, to include being an athletic coach that was brought in from FL, as has been the impetus of the CCSD leadership as of recent to bring in coaches from FL and TX instead of giving local guys the opportunity many have deserved. I'll now leave that piece alone, but I am certain that the Cherokee Citizens for Kids Group is comprised of adults whose families directly benefit from an employment standpoint from the CCSD-either as a teacher, staff member, BOE Member, etc. Let's be honest and be real about this. If your organization is as true as you say it is, why don't you hold a public grassroots meeting and invite the community to have a dialogue? CCA is a community grassroots initiative that was opened to support the % of children that were not getting their education optimized in the traditional system and has provided the education that is now seeing these children THRIVE. It is a community school that exists as an option for everyone-you can go see for yourself. It serves ALL CHILDREN from all neighborhoods, from all races, and from all walks-to include Special Needs. Based on these facts, if your group was truly "For Kids" as you claim, it should be partnering with CCA instead of trying to squash it, no ??? Since you're trying to squash it, that is why the public can see thru this and know CC4Kids is just another front organization for Dr. P.

And CP4 Choice has been the grassroots group that has helped fuel the charge for educating the public and bringing a progressive educational option to CC that the CCSD BOE has been lockstep against. Hardly hogwash. CCty is the home field of GA Conservatism. If you want an educational bureaucracy and Democratic Socialism, you can "MOVE" to Cobb, Fulton, or Gwinnett. Your anti-School Choice stance is truly in a minority position and I feel confident that is what will happen come the 2012 BOE Elections.

(con't from post above..)...This is the Civil Rights battle of this decade and I stand with our delegation in this fight against Dr. P and the current Anti-Choice BOE regime and I stand against anyone who attempts to fight against children getting the education they need when as a country, we spend more than enough $ on education to give them the education they deserve. In taking Dr. P's advice from the AJC article , "The Gloves are Off."

I voted in BOE Members like Cochran, Geist and Usher and against anyone running against Chapman, Read, Stiner and Wofford whose values where in line with mine. In most all cases the RINO 4 had no one running against them but the tide has most definitely turned come 2012. I also stand with Chip Rogers and Sean Jerguson and believe that School Choice is the way to reform education. Go back and do your homework, on the last time the districts were drawn. You'll find those were gerrymandered to support Dr. P and his current regime. The Delegation is simply righting the previous wrong and ensuring the educational monopoly and Chicago politics of the past decade go the way of the Do-Do bird and we turn Cherokee County back over to the citizens to run their schools in collaborative way between Parents, Teachers, Administration, and the Business Community. Dr. P is an autocrat and he sorely lacks the collaborative leadership to take our Cherokee Schools to the next level. He has shunned and belittled parents - this is why Mike Chapman had the guts to tell parents "If you don't like it, move." He has developed very few, if any major partnerships with the business and local community to be involved in our schools, but rather simply said, "Just send your money to me and we will run this system." The legislators, parents, and business community are fed up with his non-collaborative, high spending, finger pointing approach....con't...below...

....In times like these we need real leaders who roll up their sleeves and work with everyone, with humility, and make the hard right decisions, and put the children and classroom first. I along with many others have continued to encourage the delegation to ensure we vote post by post and to draw the post lines that ensure a balanced population. We need new BOE Members who are going to stop whining and get out and work with the community to provide a world class education even in a down economy instead of whining about tax revenue and money and crying over spilt milk that can't be put back in the bottle.

Real Deal-- here is your homework. I checked a few facts but don't have the time to review all your claims. The School Board in 2001-02, when the current districts were drawn, included NONE of the current board members, not even Read and Chapman. It was Becky Babcock, Kelly Campbell, Mike Christopher, Janet Flint, Fred Larsen, Bob Rogers and Gary Puckett. So much for the "current regime" theory. Mike Chapman soundly beat Danny Dukes (65% to 35%) in 2008, and Janet Read got 59% of the vote over TWO opponents, so there is your homework on "no opposition." The Governor filled in the local funding gap for the 16 charter schools that were approved by the unconstitutional charter school commission (the $10 million he pledged in July and Patch has reported they received) so CCA is receiving about the same funding per student as CCSD, not your "65%", and the Governor has put this same money in the budget for 2012-13. Most charter schools do not provide full services like traditional public schools (transportation, nurses, full spectrum of special ed services), so it is hard to argue they deserve full funding.

This issue is has nothing to do with allowing parents to have a "Choice" in education and everything to do about pitting the community against each other so that our legislators can push policies that fulfill some extremist ideology they are pursuing.(Appears they are achieving that goal) The only ones who will pay for it will be our children who are counting on us to act like adults and do what is in their best interests. I would be curious to know how many conversations our delegation has had with either Dr. P or the BOE regarding what they believe to be the deficiencies with the manner in which the children are getting educated in the county and if they proposed any changes. Until all this, I have not heard a single concern expressed. Why would the legislators not want to engage with the BOE, PTA and the parents to work thru the issues? Makes no sense to me.

The choice will force the antiquated traditional school system to adapt and over come or face closing. I think that is the reason behind the push. IT is good for the kids they are benefiting state wide from the charters existence.

OMG I cannot believe that as adults many of you are on EVERY article the Patch puts out fighting like small children. No matter what side you're on, you're all acting ridiculous and should be embarrassed! Maybe what you're saying is true, some of it anyway, but it is all laced with hatred and seething comments towards one another. If I were you I'd be hanging and shaking my head...walk away people, there are BLOGS for this. This is a news site, can we let the people read the articles in peace?? Good gracious!!!!

Amen, 'Mother of 2', amen. 'Ashley', do not let 'Real Deal' bait you. He's just a bully who likes to pontificate and hear himself roar whether it's accurate or not. I would stay away from 'Mikael R Kient' - he's creepy in my opinion. I'd personally like to thank 'John' for hitting the nail on the head. "The only ones who will pay for it will be our children who are counting on us to act like adults and do what is in their best interests." THAT'S what Cherokee Citizens for the Kids is all about without all the other propaganda that's being put out. All the rest of what I scanned on here is absolute drivel.