Letters to the Editor

Thoughts on the Charter Amendment

In the wake of the charter schools controversy, this local voice hopes that both sides of the issue can resolve their differences and work towards a better future for our children.

Dear Editor, With election season finally at its end, I’d like to share my take on what has been one of the most heated debates locally and statewide: the charter amendment. From my perspective, and I know some may disagree, this was solely a vote to give parents more options than they have now regarding their children’s education.  That’s it.  Nothing more.  I am familiar with all of the arguments for and against it, and both sides had some very valid things to say.  But when all of the arguments were made, for me, it boiled down to just one issue: will my vote give parents more choices or less?  I voted for what I believe to be more. I know some believe that it is not possible to support the charter amendment and also support public …

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Georgia Charter Schools Amendment Appears to Pass

The constitutional amendment grants the state authority to approve charter schools, whether local school boards want them or not.

Georgia voters gave the state more authority over charter schools on Tuesday, passing a constitutional amendment empowering a commission to overrule local school districts that reject charter school petitions. With all counties fully reporting, the hotly contested amendment had support of 58.5 percent of voters. See selected county results below. It was an emotionally charged issue that in some ways united Georgians across political and demographic lines. A Peach Pundit poll from late October had found "no significant difference [in support] based on whether a voter is a Republican or a Democrat, a male or a female, or based on race." Camille Cottrell, an Emory University instructor and card-carrying Democrat, is an example of the …

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Georgia Charter Schools Amendment: What Will My Vote Mean?

Tuesday's ballot includes a Georgia constitutional amendment to re-establish a state commission to approve charter schools. Your job is to decide if that's a good idea.

  There aren't a lot of statewide issues on the ballot Nov. 6, but one has the potential to affect school districts, parents and children throughout Georgia. It's Amendment 1, and the ballot will say it "Provides for improving student achievement and parental involvement through more public charter school options." The question voters will answer yes or no to is, "Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?" So what does a yes vote mean? If the amendment passes, the state will create a commission that can approve charter schools in local communities, even if local school boards oppose them. Supporters of the amendment believe this is …

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Judge: Fulton Schools Charter School Amendment FAQ Isn't Campaigning

A lawsuit filed against Fulton County Schools was dismissed.

A Superior Court judge threw out a lawsuit against Fulton County Schools that claimed the district was using public funds to campaign against the state charter schools amendment. Judge Wendy Shoob agreed with the school district's contention that its web page devoted to the amendment was purely information as an FAQ, reported Christopher King of CBSAtlanta.com. Five plaintiffs brought the suit this week and sought an injunction against Fulton and Gwinnett Count's school districts.

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