Thursday, September 6, 2012
The Georgia Parent Teacher Association hasn't changed its position against a proposed charter school amendment despite pressure from its national organization.
The Georgia Parent Teacher Association's unwavering opposition to a controversial amendment that could restore the state's authority to approve and fund charter schools could become problematic for the group. "National PTA affiliates must adopt the mission and purposes of National PTA and operate in accordance with the policies and positions of the Association," spokesman James Martinez said Wednesday in an email to Canton-Sixes Patch. "The National PTA operates under a clear set of guidelines should an affiliate fail to comply with our National Standards of Affiliation." The state chapter, which supports charter schools approved by local school boards, reaffirmed its stance Friday despite pressure from the national organization to come …
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
It "has major concerns with the ... impact it will have on Georgia’s 1.67 million public school students," according to a statement from the group.
Under pressure from its national organization to rescind its opposition to a controversial amendment that could restore the state's authority to approve and fund charter schools, the Georgia Parent Teacher Association reaffirmed its stance. "We cannot support this constitutional amendment which will create an inequity in funding, siphon funds from local public schools where the great majority of the students in Georgia receive their education and deny parents meaningful engagement," the group said in a statement released late Friday. "Georgia PTA strongly opposes this constitutional amendment." In July, the state chapter made its position clear: Vote no when you go to the polls in November. While the Georgia PTA supports charter schools …
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The National Parent Teacher Association wants the Georgia chapter to remain neutral in the state's charter school debate.
With nearly two months to go before Georgians vote on a controversial amendment that could restore the state's authority to approve and fund charter schools, 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…
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Gov. Nathan Deal signed House Bill 797 at Cherokee Charter Academy in Canton, where he was awarded the 2012 Champion for Charters Award from a national charter schools group.
With Cherokee Charter Academy students flanking him, Gov. Nathan Deal this morning signed a bill that he said will provide Georgia families with choices when it comes to public education. "We have every confidence to believe that Georgians all across this state embrace the idea that parents should have more options and that parents should be more involved in the process of the education of their children," he said moments before he signed House Bill 797, which will restore the state charter schools commission if voters approve a corresponding constitutional amendment in November. "Charter schools are, in my opinion, a key ingredient in the future educational success for the state of Georgia. We know that when you promote competition, …
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The governor's office made the announcement today.
Gov. Nathan Deal will be in Cherokee on Thursday morning to sign House Bill 797, which will restore the state charter schools commission if voters approve a corresponding constitutional amendment in November. Deal's office announced this afternoon that the signing would take place at 10 a.m. at Cherokee Charter Academy, which has been ground zero in the county's school choice debate. In a 4-3 decision last May, the state Supreme Court struck down the Georgia Charter Schools Commission as unconstitutional, which nullified its authority to grant charters to schools rejected by local school boards. The court said the state commission could not force school districts to pay for charter schools the local school board had rejected, such as …
Rodney Thrash
4:21 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
Elizabeth: I didn't write that anything "needs to be restored." This amendment, if passed, will restore the Georgia Charter Schools Commission that the state Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional on May 16, 2011. No one is misleading anybody. Yes, the State BOE can approve charters. Cherokee Charter Academy in Canton is one of the former "state-commissioned charter schools" that was … more ›