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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Georgia: Putting all our eggs and hopes in charter school basket | Get Schooled

Georgia: Putting all our eggs and hopes in charter school basket | Get Schooled:


Georgia: Putting all our eggs and hopes in charter school basket

The battle in Georgia to win passage of a controversial charter school amendment turned out to be costly, divisive and polarizing.
Many might also argue it was unnecessary, given that charter schools were never in jeopardy and more continue to open every year in Georgia.
The state Board of Education already had the ability to approve them, and local school boards, despite the characterization that most were hostile toward charters, authorized nine out of 10 of the existing 108 charter schools now operating in Georgia.
It’s a futile exercise now to question the rationale for the amendment, which, in its most practical application, accords the state Legislature the power to appoint a commission that can approve and fund charter schools over