Watch this VIdeo:  Signing Ceremony, May 3, 2012, Cherokee Charter Academy

Gov. Nathan Deal today signed into law legislation that will provide additional educational opportunities for Georgia students through state charter schools. The bill, HB 797, was signed at Cherokee Charter Academy in Canton.

“By observing high-performing charter schools throughout Georgia, it’s clear these institutions promote competition, innovation and creativity while encouraging strong parental involvement,” said Deal. “We must empower citizens with public school options and true local flexibility if we want to improve student achievement.”

HB 797 creates a state level approval mechanism for charter schools when communities request them. Under current law, charter schools approved by the state are forced to operate on approximately half of the funds of other public schools. HB 797 sets forth a new funding mechanism for these schools and establishes a State Charter Schools Commission to conduct the review process for charter school petitions and ensure that charter schools are consistent with state educational goals. Moreover, the bill spells out how HR 1162 would be implemented if Georgia voters approve the constitutional amendment in November, an amendment that has the governor’s full support.

“Georgia’s parents want more options, and it is my duty as governor to see that they have them. These schools help students trapped in underperforming schools and aid communities that want to invest in new and imaginative ways of learning for their children.

“Approving this amendment will restore the process for creating state-charted schools that existed before the state Supreme Court struck down the state’s system for granting charters. I am confident Georgia voters will take advantage of the opportunity this fall to support charter schools in our state.”

At the bill signing ceremony, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools presented Deal with the Champion for Charters Award for supporting high-quality public charter schools. Annually, the Champions for Charters awards recognize public officials for leading a major public charter issue or initiative, serving as a highly visible public charter school advocate, and consistently supporting charters as a high-quality public school choice option.

The full text of HB 797 can be found here.

Charter Schools Rock showcases the strength of the charter school movement in Georgia and the tremendous achievements of our students. The high spirited program will feature student performances from some of metro Atlanta’s best charter schools, some special guests, and information about public charter school options.

The event will also be an important opportunity to educate the general public Constitutional Amendment supporting charter schools that will be on the 2012 ballot in November.

Charter Schools Rock will feature:

• Exuberant performances by student groups from Georgia’s high-achieving public charter schools
• Special Guests
• Information about Georgia’s high performing public charter schools
• Information about the GA Constitutional Amendment
• Meet leaders from the Georgia Charter School Movement and educate your parents on the importance of passing the Charter School Amendment in November
• Special appearance by “The King of Pops” – Atlanta’s fresh fruit popsical vendor

Last year, the Georgia Supreme Court closed the Georgia Charter Schools Commission and gave local school boards “exclusive” control over public education in Georgia. Now legislators are debating whether the state should be able to authorize start-up charter schools and whether the state should have any role in education other than writing checks to school boards.

Georgia parents clearly want start-up charter schools: Last year more than 5,000 students were on waiting lists to attend the state’s few start-up charter schools. This may be why an overwhelming majority of the Legislature wants to change the state Constitution to make these start-up charter schools a viable option for Georgia families.
At the height of this debate over charter schools, the Georgia Department of Education is highlighting its 2010-11 Charter School report. While the report made a big splash in the news and at the state Capitol, many of its statistics need correcting.

The report listed eight Commission-approved charter schools that were open in 2010-11. Six of those eight schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). That’s 75 percent of the Commission-approved schools. Of the two that did not make AYP, one was closed by the DeKalb County School Board after negative information about the school was revealed. By that time, the Georgia Charter Schools Commission had already been closed by the Supreme Court. The Commission was never shy about closing schools; in fact, it shut down two underperforming charter schools that had been open for several years and had been previously approved by local school boards.
Georgians would be hard-pressed to name a single traditional public school closed for underperformance, even in this so-called era of school accountability. Several start-up charters have been held accountable for underperformance, however, and no longer are in operation.

Leaving aside the fact that there are far more appropriate ways to grade schools than AYP, Commission-approved schools did well. The AYP performance of Commission-approved charter schools was above or well above that of traditional public schools, and that is what is relevant in the current debate.

Reporting separate data for the various types of schools would facilitate policy-makers’ understanding and decisions. For example, the report indicates that traditional public schools controlled by school boards that converted to charter status serve disproportionately white and higher-income students, while start-up charter schools – governed by parents and other community members – are more likely to serve minority and lower-income students. But it does not allow readers to easily make this comparison.

Then, there are numbers that can’t be reconciled. More discrepancies are noted at http://georgiapolicy.org/pub/Education/CharterReportAnalysis120217.pdf, but here are just two examples:
In at least two places, the report states there were 71 start-up charter schools in 2010-11, of which 19 did not make AYP. Nineteen out of 71 equals 26.76 percent. Yet the report says 33.9 percent of start-up charter schools did not make AYP in 2010-11. (A footnote in the report says that some schools were not evaluated for AYP. Even if all of those schools were start-up charters, the total does not reach 33.9 percent.)

The report cites a percentage of low-income students at Amana Academy, a start-up, that is well below the percentage reported by the state on public Web sites. That was the only school we checked. The source referenced for the data is inappropriately vague, and its results do match any commonly used public state data source. This makes it impossible to completely verify much of the information in the report.

It would require more data and time than we have to verify every single number, and time is of the essence. Pointing out these errors is in no way an attempt to point fingers, but the debate over charter schools and discussion over school choice is too important to be undermined by faulty information. To arm our legislators with the best possible information as they decide the future of Georgia’s children, it behooves the Georgia Department of Education to review its report, reconsider its numbers and report all errors.

Parents paying dues to PTA are not being polled about these positions. See their ludicrous action alert at http://lnkd.in/2yMZTf

The General Assembly is out of session Monday and Tuesday of this week. While we don’t think HR1162 will come up for a vote on Wednesday when the session resumes, we are asking G-PAN members to be a presence at the Capitol on Wednesday. We will visit House members in their offices and speak with them face-to-face “at the ropes” to urge support for HR1162.

There is a small chance of a vote on Thursday, but the situation is dynamic and changing hour to hour. Friday is unlikely as many members of the General Assembly cannot be counted on for their vote the day before the weekend.

Below, please find a list of 26 House members with their contact information. We are focused on changing “no” votes into “yes” votes. Or have Representatives who did not vote for the first time on this issue, vote “yes.” We only 10 more votes for the bill to go on to the Senate.

Also on Wednesday, House Democrats will hold a public hearing at 3:45-4:45 in room 341 of the Capitol to propose changes to HR 1162 and to promote their version of the bill, HR 1335. G-PAN members and other supporters of HR1162 and the growth of Georgia’s charter sector should feel free to attend the public hearing and provide their input.

• HR1162 is a bipartisan effort with consistent support from both House Republicans and Democrats
• At the suggestion of Democrats who sit on the House Education Committee (Margaret Kaiser, Alisha Morgan, Rahn Mayo) HR1162 has been amended on three separate occasions to strengthen the bill.
• House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams said at a DeKalb County Town Hall meeting on January 26^th that she would not support any effort to change the Georgia Constitution to remedy the May 16^th Supreme Court 4-3 ruling declaring the Georgia Charter Schools Commission Act “unconstitutional.” Last week Representative Abrams contradicted herself as she now leads the effort to seek the passage of HR1335, the partisan bill opposing a constitutional amendment.
• HR1335 has been since its introduction last week, a partisan effort to destroy HR1162.
• Those House members who support HR1335 do NOT support the quality growth of Georgia’s charter sector. Their efforts are to defeat HR1162.
• If the General Assembly passes HR1162 with a two-thirds majority, it will simply allow the citizens of Georgia to vote on the issue in November of this year.

Please distribute this message among your supporters and ask them to share with 10 other supporters and/or friends. These 26 House members need to hear from you soon and often. Plan to join us on Wednesday. Contact Nina Rubin 404-835-8903 if you are coming. Students (with excused absences) are welcome to come too!

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural Charter Schools Rock event, the Georgia Charter Schools Association will return to Atlantic Station on Sunday, May 6, 2-5 pm,  for another celebration.  Charter Schools Rock will showcase the strength of the charter school movement and the achievements of our students. The high spirited program will feature performances from some of metro Atlanta’s best charter schools, and other family friendly activities.

Charter Schools Rock is an afternoon of community building, information, awareness and fun for Metro Atlanta’s growing public charter school community.  The event takes place on a prime shopping Sunday, one week before Mother’s Day.  300+ charter school parents and advocates are expected to attend in addition to usual weekend traffic at Atlantic Station.

For information on exhibiting, sponsoring, or performing at Charter Schools Rock, contact Nina Rubin, 404-835-8903. Or email nrubin@gacharters.org

We invite you to screen Making the Grade in Georgia at your home, in your schools, houses of worship and other community settings. GCSA and G-PAN will be happy to help you arrange a screening and lead a Q&A on school choice after the film. Contact Nina Rubin, 404-835-8903 for more information.

Thompson, an Atlanta resident, has enrolled his two daughters in a charter school. But for him, it’s not enough.

“I am for all forms for school choice, and I want more choices,” Thompson said. “If a charter school is good for a child, a parent should get that choice. But if it is a private school, a faith-based school, a special needs school—whatever the school—they should have that option, too.”

Throughout most of America, most children only have the option of attending their neighborhood public school. Their school is assigned to them based on their parents’ address. Only those who are most fortunate and can afford a private or religious school can obtain another form of education.

That’s why National School Choice Week launched in January 2011 and will occur again this year during the week of January 22—to raise awareness that most children cannot decide where they want to attend school, even if they have a particular need or interest.

In 2011, more than 200 organizations partnered to host events large and small. Some hosted rallies, town hall meetings, movie screenings, concerts, expos, book clubs, cookouts and even a grandmas’ coffeehouse for charters—all to mark National School Choice Week.

“Parents truly know what type of education is best for their kids,” Thompson added. “And school choice is not about a particular demographic but helping all kids. It’s about raising the bar. In my social circle, the traditional schools aren’t pushing kids where they need to go. They need to be challenged more.”

In 2011, National School Choice Week made headlines throughout the country, including recognition by Al Roker on NBC’s Today Show, coverage on Fox News and an address from actor Bill Cosby. There were rallies and events in almost every state, in­cluding as far away as Hawaii and Alaska, as the message for more educational options reached 24 million Americans.

During the week of January 22–28, similar events are planned throughout the country as parents and advocates come together to strategize about ways to get more educational options for our children.

To find out where there will be National School Choice Week events from January 22­–28 or to plan an event of your own, go to www.schoolchoiceweek.com.