Affluent North Fulton Backs State Charter Schools Amendment

Amendment One gained plenty of support in the communiy for its eventual passage.

More than 1,000 people who voted last Tuesday said "No" to state charter schools. But 1,777 voted "Yes," giving the amendment an edge it held in all Alpharetta and Milton precincts. Nowhere in the two cities was the vote even close. But head south into Atlanta, and away from Buckhead, and the story is quite different. In precincts such as Dunbar Neighborhood Center and Virginia Highland Church, voters overwhelmingly rejected the amendment. That gives credence to those who say the vote was divided along socio-eonomic lines.

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Georgia Charter Schools Amendment: What Will My Vote Mean?

Tuesday's ballot includes a Georgia constitutional amendment to re-establish a state commission to approve charter schools. Your job is to decide if that's a good idea.

There aren't a lot of statewide issues on the ballot Nov. 6, but one has the potential to affect school districts, parents and children throughout Georgia. It's Amendment 1, and the ballot will say it "Provides for improving student achievement and parental involvement through more public charter school options." The question voters will answer yes or no to is, "Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?" So what does a yes vote mean? If the amendment passes, the state will create a commission that can approve charter schools in local communities, even if local school boards oppose them. Supporters of the amendment believe this is necessary …

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Charter School Amendment is All About Money and Control

Kelly Cadman, the vice president of School Services at The Georgia Charter Schools Association, and a former founder of a charter school, says districts are spending big bucks in central offices.

By Kelly Cadman There has been an awful lot of energy expended by opponents of the Charter Amendment. The opposition to the Amendment claim that the state can “already” act as an appeals body for charter schools. Those supporting the Amendment wonder, if the state can already approve charters, why is the Education Establishment fighting THIS hard against affirming that on the ballot on November 6?  Most of the arguments posed against the Amendment are related to the enabling legislation, which establishes a Commission. The ballot question, however, ONLY reaffirms the state’s role in K-12 general education, so why the nasty battle against the Amendment? At the heart of the argument employed by the school districts and affiliate associations…

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Charter Schools Give Students Opportunities

Speaker Pro Tem says she trusts parents more than government to make the best decisions for children.

By Jan Jones As a mother of four children currently enrolled in or graduates of Fulton County Schools, I care deeply about public education in my community and Georgia. I know public education changes lives by giving young people opportunities to fulfill their potential and achieve the American dream. In this regard, I support Amendment One on the Nov. 6 election ballot to give Georgia's students more educational options through public charter schools. I support all the ways that our young people can get a leg up, including charter schools, traditional schools, dual enrollment at technical schools and colleges, virtual schooling, homeschooling, and private schools. I trust parents more than I trust government to make the best decisions for…

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Monty Brewster

6:04 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

You're about to see a lot of innovation from teachers... as they look elsewhere for employment. Good luck, Georgia. Monty out.   more ›

Letter to the Editor

Charter School Parent Wants Voters to Educate Themselves

Local control is required by Georgia Code, amendment supporter says.

Dear Editor, I feel that it is time to speak up for Amendment One as a parent and citizen of Georgia. My child attends Pataula Charter Academy in Edison, GA and, I fully support the amendment to the constitution for charter schools. I hate that outright lies are being spread to make people vote no for this amendment.  This is my child’s education on the line and I don’t want to stand by anymore without pointing out specific facts and addressing these lies. I find it very interesting that the opposition has NEVER mentioned the children or had a student speak out in favor of their traditional public school. The opposition continues to focus their campaign on money, power and control. The proponents continue to focus our campaign on parents, …

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Charter School Advocate and Mom Will Vote No

North Fulton mother says she found local control was critical after finding problems while her son attended Fulton Science Academy.

  Georgia is in the midst of an intense debate over a proposed charter school amendment that will be on the ballot in November. Whatever your position, you need to read my story. The polls predict this amendment will pass with flying colors, thanks to a misleading ballot question and a majority of funding from outside the state. If this amendment passes, politics and corporations will shape our schools. Groups with multi-faceted objectives are lining up to grab their market share. If a state controlled charter school comes to town, you will have no recourse if there is a problem. Why Local Control is Critical The problems I encountered at Fulton Science Academy were not anticipated by our local and state board of education or by educators …

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Local School Districts Taken to Court Over Charter Schools

The five plaintiffs want a Fulton Superior Court judge to order all Georgia school districts to stop using public funds and resources to campaign against the state charter school amendment.

Fulton and Gwinnett County school districts have been sued by a group of Georgia taxpayers who accuse them of using taxpayers' funds and resources to campaign against the state charter schools amendment that is on the General Election ballot, WABE's Michelle Wirth reported online and on air late Monday afternoon. The five plaintiffs, who are seeking class action status to represent all Georgia taxpayers, want an injunction barring the defendants to continue engaging in political activity in opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment on charter schools authorized by the Georgia General Assembly with HR 1162. The two school systems were chosen to represent all 180 school districts in the state. The five plaintiffs and their attorney…

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