Category Archives: Charter Schools Commission

Georgia School Takeover Plan Passes despite Protests

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With additional reporting Allie McCullen, Special to Atlanta Progressive News   (APN) ATLANTA — In 2016, Georgia voters will be asked whether to amend the state constitution “to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance.”   That’s the ballot language codified by SR 287, one of two pieces of legislation that […]

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Teachers, Parents Challenge Deal’s School Takeover Plan Ahead of House Committee Vote

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(APN) ATLANTA — The House Education Committee will soon decide whether to advance Gov. Nathan Deal’s controversial proposal to allow the state to take over and privatize struggling schools.   At a hearing on Wednesday March 18, 2015, State Representatives and members of the public expressed both deep concern and some enthusiasm over the proposal, which, as Atlanta Progressive News […]

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(IPS) ALEC-Backed Laws Promote Controversial Charter Schools

This article first appeared on the Inter-Press Service website at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/02/alec-backed-laws-promote-controversial-charter-schools/   ATLANTA, Georgia, Feb 27 2013 (IPS) – The right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and private education management firms are pushing for new “parent trigger” laws in states across the U.S. by lobbying many Republican and some Democratic legislators to make it easier to convert more traditional public […]

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Parent Trigger Act Another Threat to Public Education in Georgia (UPDATE 1)

(APN) ATLANTA — HB 123, the Parent and Teacher Empowerment Act, also known as the Parent Trigger Act, is the latest effort by some, mostly Republican, legislators, to promote charter schools in Georgia and continue to undermine the public education system and public schools. The Act was introduced on January 28, 2013 by State Reps. Edward Lindsey (R-Atlanta), Brooks Coleman […]

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Charter School Amendment Passes, Faces Court Battle

(APN) ATLANTA — A controversial ballot measure that would create a new State agency to approve of charter schools that are rejected by their local school boards and by the State Board of Education, was approved by Georgia voters during Tuesday’s General Election, with 58.57 percent in favor. However, as Atlanta Progressive News reported numerous times in depth, the ballot […]

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Out-of-State Corporate Interests Fund Charter School Amendment Push

(APN) ATLANTA — Out-of-state corporate interests have spent millions of dollars to fund the campaign in favor of the constitutional amendment referendum related to charter schools that appears on the November 06, 2012 General Election ballot. Overall, some of the groups that have been in support of the amendment include Families for Better Public Schools, Georgia Parent Advocacy Network, Georgia […]

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Charter School Referendum about Local Control, State Funding

With additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale. (APN) ATLANTA — During the November 06, 2012 General Election, Georgia voters will be presented with a referendum over whether to allow a Georgia Charter School Commission (GCSC) to override the decisions of local school boards to approve and create charter schools in Georgia. If approved, the Commission–which was found unconstitutional in a […]

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