Rep. Rashad Taylor to Oppose New Charter School Amendment

ATLANTA – State Representative Rashad Taylor (D-Atlanta) announced today his intention to oppose a revision of the charter school amendment that was recently announced. Rep. Taylor plans to introduce an alternative version that could preserve local control while still recognizing the necessity for alternate authorizers of charter schools.

“After reviewing the latest version of the charter amendment I have decided to continue to oppose HR 1162,” said Rep. Taylor. “I do not believe our state government should be in the business of circumventing local control. My amendment gives local voters the option of having an alternate authorizer in their local school system.”

Representative Rashad Taylor represents the citizens of District 55, which includes portions of Fulton County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2008, and currently serves on the Education, Regulated Industries, and Ways & Means Committees. Rep. Taylor also currently serves as Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

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Rep. Karla Drenner Comments on Charter School Amendment

ATLANTA – State Representative Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) issued the following statement today regarding her vote on House Resolution 1162, a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would clarify the constitutional meaning of “special schools” by expressly stating that the term “special schools” includes charter schools and that the term “special schools” only refers to public schools:

“Given the success of the several charter schools located in my district and the feedback I’ve received from concerned parents who support charter schools, I chose to vote in favor of HR 1162.

“I first and foremost I support public schools and public school teachers, which is why I support amending our state constitution so that it is absolutely clear and indisputable that charter schools are in fact public schools.

“The resolution would allow voters in my district to voice their opinion at the ballot box in November as to whether or not the state should be able to authorize and fund high quality charter schools. I believe this to be a positive step toward improving public education in our state.”

Representative Karla Drenner represents the citizens of District 86, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2000, and currently serves on the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Health & Human Services, Natural Resources & Environment, and Rules committees. She also serves on the Special Committee on Small Business Development and Job Creation.

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Clergy Attempts to Bring Parties Together in Support of Charter School Amendment: Urges Legislators to Put Kids First

ATLANTA – State Representatives Alisha Morgan (D-Austell), Margaret Kaiser (D-Atlanta) and Rahn Mayo (D-Decatur) will meet today with metro Atlanta clergy and the Brighter Georgia Education Coalition in supporting HR 1162, a constitutional amendment to help charter schools in Georgia. The group of clergy hopes to bring political parties together on the issue of education at a time when political differences threaten to dominate the discussion.

“When it comes to educating our kids, one size does not fit all. That’s why we need as many high-quality educational options as possible for our children,” said Bishop Brian Hodges from Gathering of Champions Church. “We say we want parental involvement, so we must put politics aside and give parents options in the public school system.”

“And yet, if local boards had exclusive control, as the Supreme Court has ruled, we’d be without such high quality options as Ivy Preparatory Academy and Fulton Science Academy,” said Tony Roberts, president of the Georgia Charter Schools Association, which is a member of the Brighter Georgia Education Coalition. “Which is why we need an appeals process for these schools that are too often wrongly denied at the local level. And why we need this amendment.”

“This is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. It’s not about black or white. It’s about coming together to close the achievement gap and give every child in Georgia an opportunity to learn. Until every child has a chance, every option is on the table,” said Pastor Wilbur Purvis of Destiny World Church.

For more information, visit brightergeorgia.org.

Since 2003, Alisha Thomas Morgan has represented Georgia’s 39th House District, serving Cobb County. She is the first African-American to serve in the Georgia House of Representatives from Cobb County and currently serves on the Children & Youth, Education, Governmental Affairs, and Health & Human Services committees. Rep. Morgan may be reached at 404-656-0109 or by e-mail at Alisha.Morgan@house.ga.gov.

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Guest Editorial: Constitutional Amendment Gives Parents Education Control

Most people agree local school boards play a critical role in Georgia public education. Most people also agree, however, that local school boards should not have exclusive control over public education.

Businesses considering relocating to Georgia place a top priority on an overall educated workforce. Clearly, we have a state education brand to foster and protect in attracting jobs.

Our ability to do so was jeopardized in a controversial 4-3 Georgia Supreme Court decision last May striking down a 2008 state law.

The problem with the state supreme court’s decision is that it explicitly stated that school boards have exclusive control over general K-12 public education. The decision calls into question whether state government has any meaningful role, except, perhaps, for putting a check in the mail.

The broad court decision deviated sharply from the state’s historically significant role in public education, including funding half its costs, establishing graduation standards and providing a teacher pay scale.

Thanks primarily to these state policies, when adjusted for cost of living, Georgia ranks first nationally in teacher salary and benefits.

With that in mind, House Resolution 1162 would re-assert the state’s partnership role in public education through a constitutional amendment. The legislation says, “the General Assembly may…provide for the establishment of education policies for such public education.”

HR 1162 would clarify the Constitution in the way most people thought existed prior to the Court’s action.

The headline-grabbing issue, though, is that the Court decision also invalidated the state’s general ability to authorize public charter schools, a practice exercised prudently for over 10 years. Since 2008, only 12 state charter schools opened.

The legislation would allow existing charter schools approved and fully funded by the state to continue teaching students.

The state could also approve additional charter schools as do other states. Georgia would have another tool to give students learning opportunities, which sometimes cannot be offered within attendance lines.

For example, a technical college covering several counties, as is typically the case in rural Georgia, could partner with a charter school to offer vocational certification while students are still in high school.

Charter schools, in some instances, could place added focus on science and math, vocational or International Baccalaureate certification, or the arts. They could even offer a longer day and extra tutoring.

Parents, though, would choose whether their children attend optional public charter schools. If HR 1162 passes, the voters of the state can decide to put “local control” where it counts the most – with parents.

History has shown that charter schools are better performing and more apt to grow if school districts are not the sole authorizer allowed by law.

To find a middle ground, the Education Committee omitted from the resolution a narrow reference to charter school funding as lobbyists for school boards and superintendents requested. This allows the legislature to reconsider a better method to fund charter schools.

HR 1162 recognizes public education policy has been and should be a shared effort by the state and school boards to deliver the best educational opportunities to students.

Speaker Pro-Tempore Jan Jones represents the citizens of District 46. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2003, and currently serves on the Appropriations, Education, Ethics, and Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment committees. Speaker Pro-Temp Jones also serves as a member of the Special Joint Committee on Georgia Revenue Structure and as an ex-officio member on the Rules Committee.

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