EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third of several stories from the state Senate District 21 candidates' debate sponsored by the North Fulton & Friends Tea Party, and held at the Crooked Creek HOA Clubhouse on July 10. Each will be accompanied by video with more complete remarks by the two men. Please watch both videos to keep candidates' comments in context.
Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, said during a debate on July 10 that school vouchers were needed "yesterday." His Republican Primary opponent for the state Senate District 21 seat, Brandon Beach, said the district has excellent schools and vouchers aren't needed.
The candidates were responding to a follow up question after answering a question about keeping control of taxpayer dollars after the failure of Fulton Science Academy according to a report commissioned by the Fulton County School System.
Moderator Jim Galloway said from Rogers' responses to the question, he extrapolated that the incumbent was supporting school vouchers. He asked how quickly the candidates thought the state should adopt school vouchers.
"How quickly should we do it? Yesterday. And the consequences will be, we'll finally have a market-based system with the best education schools in the system, deliver a product to children and parents that they want, that they desire, that they will be involved with," Rogers said.
He said a system that requires attendance at a specific school because of your address doesn't work."That's craziness."
Rogers said the free market system would close bad schools as the dollars follow the children to good schools.
On school vouchers, Beach said, "We don't need vouchers, we need good public education with parental involvement."
The school system has $8,000 per student for education, he said. "We just need to make our public schools good and demand parental involvement."
He would model other schools on the successful schools in North Fulton and Cherokee counties.
Chip Rogers should have no say in this as his opinion is hardly unbiased, same as the other paid for attempts by a damage control consultant company that audited the audit. Fulton Science Academy is dreaming if they believe that can weazel their way back into touching tax payers money. If they are the blue ribbon school they say they are (other schools this group operates claim the same) then they should have no problem with enrollment. But as the article in AJC stated FSA MS along with a list of other area schools met or exceeded the requirements. Notice how Albers won't jump in on this fight because of the controversy of his own exaggerated education. No on vouchers, support American Public Education. Private Schools is Private money and private "interests" I am tired of my money going to support the Turkish Olympiad, Turkish Language classes and all around emphasis of Turkocentricism. This is anti-American.
http://www.ajc.com/news/2011-georgia-crct-results-1000807.html?cxntlid=linkr The majority of schools are meeting or exceeding the requirements. It should be noted that in 2009 it was discovered there was state wide cheating on these tests. Furthermore, how is vouchers going to change the school's teaching methods or somehow make parents more involved in the process? School vouchers is merely more of the same "creative" educational jargon that amounts to nothing more but throwing good money after bad. In the video Roger's mentions Louisana (Gov. Jindal) as going to a charter system. It must be noted that Louisana is struggling with the privitazation of public schools. In fact, Abramson Science and Technology was taken over by the RSD (Recovery School District) because of many of the same reasons the related school in Fulton County (Fulton Science Academy) was denied a renewal. Abramson also had self serving contracts with their Pelican Educational Foundation and many questionable money transactions like $1.7 million in "travel expenses" for 1 year. Vouchers is not the answer it is just another way around public schools like the charter system and diverting public funds to private "interests"
Fulton Science Academy has a 10 year history of troubles, lack of transparency and never assuming responsibility for wrong doing. I am sure they are thinking of ways to blame their $19 million default on Wells Fargo or the County of Fulton. Seriously, don't think most Americans would have cared about their involvement with the Gulen Movement had they been up front, instead of concealing the obvious and the financial mismanagement. They all need to tell the truth.
I worked hard my whole life so I could afford to live in a good school district for my children. If others cannot do this, why are they trying to sponge off of the government? It is not a right or entitlement. But supporting your public school and making it a better place is a responsibliity of all Americans. With these types of attitudes the American public school system will dismantle and erode because of privitization of education ...by 3rd world countries. When it becomes privitized you will see you have NO CHOICE at all.