ATLANTA — The Georgia House of Representatives passed House Bill 123, the Parent and Teacher Empowerment Act, by a vote of 97-74, on Tuesday, March 5, 2013. Introduced by State Representative Edward Lindsey (R-Atlanta), this legislation would allow parents of any traditional public school to petition their local school board to convert their school into a public charter school. This bill is intended to engage students, inspire teachers, and involve parents in their children’s education.
“As I have said in the past, charter schools are not the silver bullet to fix Georgia’s education problems—there is no silver bullet,” said Rep. Lindsey. “I believe that options must exist so children across the state may live up to their full potential. This bill will further the viability of options for parents and teachers across the state. House Bill 123 reflects my approach to not only serve the constituents in State House District 54, but the state of Georgia as a whole.”
House Bill 123 began in the House Education Committee and has undergone an extensive and collaborative drafting process throughout this session. The legislation now outlines several turnaround procedures for a low-achieving school’s administration and the parents or teachers who wish to undertake such measures. If any petition, conversion or turnaround, is supported by more than sixty percent of parents or teachers, the board must have a two-thirds vote to reject the petition. The board must act within sixty days of receiving said petition.
“With this bill, I hope we can continue to work together as a state to provide our children with options so they may receive the best education available,” added Rep. Lindsey.
For more information about HB 123, please click here.
Representative Edward Lindsey represents the citizens of District 54, which includes portions of Fulton County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2004, and currently serves on the Appropriations, Education, Ethics, Industry and Labor, Judiciary, and Rules committees.
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