With nearly two months to go before , the Georgia PTA is under pressure from its parent organization to rescind its opposition to the measure.
Last month, the state chapter made its position clear: Vote no when you go to the polls in November.
While the Georgia PTA supports charter schools approved by local school boards, "we reject the state power grab from local communities in the education of their children, the financial inequities, and the overt attention being given to those who intend to profit from the education of children," Sally FitzGerald, the group's educational policy specialist, wrote in the July 1 position statement.
Since then, according to an article in Education Week, the National PTA has revised its policy on charter schools and extended its support to charters approved by all authorizing bodies—not just local school boards.
And the national organization wants its chapters to support the change. For the Georgia chapter, that means taking a neutral stance in the debate over the state's proposed charter school amendment, according to Education Week.
Emails to FitzGerald and the Georgia PTA executive committee have not been returned, but the Georgia Charter Schools Association today praised the National PTA's policy shift.
"We applaud the recognition by National PTA that just as one size doesn't fit all in educating our students, a single charter authorizer doesn't fit all either," Georgia Charter Schools Association President & CEO Tony Roberts said in a statement. "High-quality authorizers such as the give parents and students a needed appeals process when a school board refuses to fairly consider a charter application. The entire charter community here in our state is asking Georgia PTA to follow their national organization and end their opposition to the November vote on the charter amendment."
The Georgia PTA isn't the only opponent of the charter amendment making headlines. In a move that came as a surprise to his Republican colleagues, State Superintendent John Barge earlier this month announced his opposition to the measure.
"Until all of our public school students are in school for a full 180-day school year, until essential services like student transportation and student support can return to effective levels, and until teachers regain jobs with full pay for a full school year, we should not redirect one more dollar away from Georgia’s local school districts," he said.
Gov. Nathan Deal, who , said local districts wouldn't lose money.
"In fact, under the formula in the legislation, they are getting the very lowest level of funding of any public school," he said at the time.
FAST FACTS
- On Nov. 6, voters will be asked, "Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?" Voters will check "yes" or "no."
- Cherokee school board members voted 4-2 during its April 19 meeting to endorse a , which they fear will take away from local districts.
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I don't have anything against Charter Schools. I wish every student could have the best education possible . I believe the all schools should be able to implement the lastest and greates educational tools available to them. I have 3 children in or have gone through the Cherokee County School System. They have all received a top notch education and I credit the involvement of parent, teacher and school. The Local School Boards is not the last chance for Charter Schools. they have an appeals process to the State School Board already in place.
From the AJC: memo sent out by Gwinnett Chamber CEO Jim Maran to the organization’s board of directors and other parties (emphasis is mine): We have had recent conversations with members of the Chamber’s Board of Directors and Gwinnett’s Legislative Delegation regarding state-controlled charter schools and the related constitutional amendment referendum. With respect to all parties engaged in the issue, the Executive Committee of the Board has decided the Chamber shall remain neutral on this subject. As such, the September 5 event has been cancelled. The Sept. 5 event was a fund-raiser for opponents of the measure. Gov. Nathan Deal addressed the Gwinnett Chamber only last week. Do not persuade yourself that this is a coincidence. We’re told that some members of the legislative delegation threatened to withhold funds for Gwinnett Tech and Georgia Gwinnett College if the chamber didn’t back off.
1. The state wants to fund private schools and has allowed taxpayers to fund Student Scholarship Organizations with tax dollars. Over $50 million of state tax funds are going to un-supervised SSOs each year. 2. The state set up a voucher program whereby a certain SPED students with IEPs could receive vouchers to attend private schools. Some have pushed to expand this program to include: any child of military family, any foster child, and any child that attends/will attend a HS with grad rate<60%. No need for an IEP. Others want to expand the program to include any student with any of the following: hard of hearing, emotional/behaviour disorder, orthopedic impairment, "other health impairment" (diabetes), visual impairment (glasses), speech impairment (stutters), and more. Most students could fall into one of these categories. 3. One southern state has implemented a full voucher system that allows students to attend schools that teach creationism. 4. Texas wants to eliminate "critical thinking" and other programs that would challenge a student's beliefs or parental authority (i.e. can't teach evolution if student believes in creationism). 5. Texas wants to re-write the importance of many of the founding fathers. The ultimate goal is to dismantle public education in favor of for-profit, private and church schools. The dumbing down of education.
My Pro-Traditional stance is that a move to for-profit charter schools is the wrong approach. My Pro-Traditional stance is that a move to centralized state control over education is the wrong approach. My Pro-Traditional stance is that charter "freedoms" should be allowed in a traditional environment. My Pro-Traditional stance is that charters should be locally approved and accountable to the local district. My Pro-Traditional stance is that if the pro-Choice folks spent as much time and effort fighting for "choice" that the entire school system for ALL students could be greatly improved and legislators held accountable. Instead, Chipster and friends are avoiding accountability as the heat, anger, and rhetoric has been shifted to all us. Lastly, if you want "your" tax dollars to follow your child, keep in mind that your tax dollars are only a small fraction of the tax dollars you want to follow you child. Unless you pay $5,700 in local school taxes PER CHILD, you're actually asking for other people's money to follow your child.
America, as a whole, is well aware of the failure of the liberal ideology that Trad. Public Schools (TPS) have been force-feeding our children since the late 70s. America as a whole knows that "teaching the 3 Rs" (with a heavy dose of science and IT) is a far superior approach than the Elevation of Child's Self Esteem that is the hallmark of a liberal educational ideology that has helped to slide America down in the global rankings these past 3 decades. Can any 50 yr old adult say that public schools today are better than the ones we attended? Only 5% of America believes public schools give our children an 'excellent education' and America as a whole rates Traditional Public Schools as the WORST possible place to educate your children. Yet, TPS advocates insist that if we just shovel more billions to them and them alone, all will be fixed. The gig is up. The liberal ed. experiment has been a failure. America wants More Choice. Voting YES for 1162 ensures they will. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/gallup-americans-rate-public-schools-worst-place-educate-children
http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Charitable-Organizations/Exemption-Requirements---Section-501(c)(3)-Organizations "i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates."
People...this is NOT about school choice or charter schools. School choice/charter schools are here to stay and competition is a good thing. This ammendment changes the consitution so that if a charter is denied by a local BOE, it can go before a charter commission for possible approval. GA Supreme Court rule that unconstitutional. The process to appeal is already in place...take the application to the State BOE for possible approval. If approved by the state, it gets state funds that match the missing local funds. Where does that money come from??? the big piece of the education pie just got smaller...less for TPS. I like how it also says "local communities." What is the definition of a local community? the entire county, or a small group of parents or a management company from outside the community? I am also surprised that the GOP is backing this becasue it creates BIGGER government...another government agency is ususally not a GOP favorite idea. As far as the GA PTA resolution, they voted on that prior to National PTA CHANGING their stance. National PTA is being swayed by lobbyists in Washington and can not afford to anger anyone as PTA membership roles and relevance is diminishing. Look at the history of the PTA, they have always been and advocacy group.