A parent at Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School has started a petition that urges Atlanta Public Schools to restore nearly $3 million in funding that the district is withholding from public charters.
Vine City's Atlanta Preparatory Academy is one of Georgia’s worst performing schools on annual exams, with students in all grades scoring in the bottom 20% statewide.
On Nov. 6, voters will decide if the state of Georgia can create charter schools, or will those decisions remain at the local levels.
In less than two weeks, voters will decide if Georgia can create a state commission authorizing charter schools. The issue has stirred controversy all across metro Atlanta. Some Democratic leaders are calling the ballot biased and misleading. Others, however, are reaching across political aisles to support the amendment. On Saturday, Oct. 27, two state lawmakers - one Republican, the other a Democrat - are headlining a rally in support of the amendment. State Sen. Jason Carter, who represents some of Decatur under the Gold Dome, is outspoken in his opposition to the measure. Some parents who support charter schools are running into opposition in their respective PTAs. One DeKalb County mom said national PTA leaders support charter schools…
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Cascade lawmaker criticizes GOP 'arm-twisting,' 'power plays.'
State Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) had sharp criticism for Republican leadership in their handling of House Resolution 1162, the Charter Schools Amendment. "I have served in the state Senate for 16 years," said Fort, whose district includes part of southwest Atlanta. "And never have I seen the arm-twisting and power plays made by Republicans and their lobbyists that I have seen on this charter schools amendment." On Monday, in a bipartisan vote of 40-16, the state Senate passed HR 1162 , a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to create charter schools. The amendment will be sent to voters this fall. Currently, only local school districts have the authority to approve or reject charter school petitions. Last year, the state…
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9:22 am on Monday, April 16, 2012
This is someone whose opinion we should trust? From the AJC: Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, also declined to comment on his latest federal tax liens. The IRS filed a lien in September for $5,715 on back taxes for 2006 and 2009. On the federal liens, he told the AJC last fall that he has an “arrangement with the federal government,” but he wouldn’t describe the terms of the arrangement or say … more ›
Senate tables proposed constitutional amendment pushed by Edward Lindsey
From Patch Reports The State Senate Wednesday afternoon tabled a proposed constitional amendment to give the state more power in funding and authorizing charter schools, The Atlanta Journal-Consitution reported. The legislation was co-sponsored in the House by House Majority Whip Edward Lindsey, who represents Buckhead. In the Senate, the leglslation failed to receive the two-thirds approva needed to pass a proposed constitutional amendent. However, the legislation could still be reconsidered this legislative session. State Sen. Vincent Fort, a Democrat who represents Buckhead, opposed the legislation. Buckhead public school advocates closely followed the bill. Opponents said it would lead to less local control over schools. Proponents …
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The contentious issue of charter schools could impact five such southwest Atlanta educational institutions.
The most hard-fought piece of legislation to come through the state Capitol this year has split Cascade's delegates to the gold dome. House Resolution 1162 could give charter school boards the option to bypass local school boards and get their permission to operate those from the state of Georgia. But both supporters and opponents of the resolution paint it as almost a life-and-death struggle for the charter school movement. Resolution "1162 continues to be much broader than it needs to be," said opponent state Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta), for giving the Legislature the power to exclude local officials from chartering decisions. Charter schools are public schools, receive state and local public money, and must follow federal school laws …
APS Board Member Byron Amos held a forum for teachers on Saturday.
Teachers in the Washington and Douglass High School clusters want to know what will happen to their schools and funding as charters gain ground and redistrictring may send students elsewhere, according to comments made at a forum held by Atlanta Public Schools Board Member Byron Amos. About ten teachers, active or retired, came to the Saturday morning meeting at Washington High School, which Amos billed as a safe place for them to speak frankly about their employer. He guaranteed them anonymity if they wanted it. Amos' District 2 will start the next school year with four charters, while some of the middle and elementary schools in the community have vacant seats. "Charters get public dollars but voters don't elect the board," noted one …
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12:49 pm on Sunday, February 12, 2012
I dont know why they worried, I cant get my way and remove every Black baby out their reach. more ›
"The end result of most charter and voucher movements is the separation of motivated parents and students from those who don’t have the support system or wherewithal to take advantage of a lottery or application process."—Brockington-Shaw
At a recent Atlanta Board of Education meeting, my inner alarm bell rang as I listened to a school board member ask Karen Waldon, Deputy Superintendent for Instruction, and Steve Smith, Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Staff, questions regarding how to handle public schools that fail to meet AYP. The school board member stated that we need to take drastic measures to correct our problems and asked if APS would be willing to work with lawmakers to hand over control of Atlanta Public Schools to some sort of charter/privatization/voucher organization. I consider this request both un-American and a betrayal of public trust. The school board has been entrusted with the job of providing quality education to all students, not to hand off that …
9:22 am on Sunday, December 11, 2011
The quote that heads this article includes a thought that I really want my coworkers, parents, and anyone who will listen to understand. Our public schools can look and feel the same as any high achieving charter school, if we all understood the power of working together to make a difference. I am an educator that wants my parents feedback and ideas. However there are several educators that are … more ›
Decision came during Monday’s Atlanta Board of Education meeting.
Southwest Atlanta will have a new charter school in the 2011-12 school year, as the Atlanta Board of Education Monday evening approved a petition from the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) Charter Schools. The decision came during the board’s legislative session, as speculation continued regarding board chairman Khaatim Sherrer El’s resignation. “Though open to students from the entire district, the petitioner's primary targeted enrollment is for students residing in southwest Atlanta, primarily in the West End, Westview and Beecher-Donnelly neighborhoods and surrounding communities,” said outgoing school superintendent Dr. Beverly Hall. Sherrer El also said KIPP has been well received within the community. The new school, operated by KIPP…
Monty Brewster
8:50 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The status quo is over spending. Where are all these funds coming from to pay for new charters? more ›