The Cherokee County Board of Education will consider the resolution requesting Georgia voters to vote against a constitutional amendment that will be on the November ballot as a result of the passage of House Bill 1162.
“I think there’s a responsibility for us as a board to take a position on that,” said School Board Chairman Mike Chapman.
Both Chapman and Vice Chairwoman Janet Read said they have received many questions and concerns from constituents about the board’s position on the bill and hope to clarify the board’s stance with the resolution.
Chapman added the resolution will be open for discussion by the board members and the document “may need to be wordsmithed.”
The resolution, which is listed as item B-1 in the meeting agenda on the district’s website, notes “the lack of support for public education by those advocating school vouchers, state-approved charter schools, and other programs that allow public school funds to be redirected to private schools and for-profit charter schools” as reasoning to denounce the measure.
“The Cherokee County Board of Education believes that it should remain unconstitutional for the state to take and redirect local school tax dollars for the aforementioned purposes,” the proposed resolution states, noting the constitutional amendment “threatens the integrity of the existing statewide system of providing for and properly funding quality public education.”
Read said it was important for the board to “have an informed discussion so we can go ahead and take action on this.”
“All of us [board members] are voted on by every voter,” Read said. “We owe it to our constituents and to our 38,000 students to take our stance as a board so that people can make informed decisions. They do look to us as to how it affects their students.”
Also on the agenda:
* CrossRoads Middle/High School will be renamed upon approvals as ACE Academy, with the acronym “ACE” representing Alternative Choices in Education. “We believe ACE Academy better reflects the uniqueness of this excellent program, the opportunities provided to CCSD students … and its potential position within the concepts postulated for the Cherokee Academy Initiative,” said Principal Richard J. Londolt Jr. in a letter to Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo.
* The board will consider revisions to the personnel leaves and absences policy, allowing for personal leave to be requested and granted to employees who are duly elected to a public office.
* The board will consider adjusting the status of Polaris Evening School from that of a school to a program. Much like at Crossroads Middle/High School, this would allow for student academic achievement and graduation data to be reported back to the students’ “home” school (the school the student would be attending if not enrolled in the program). If the change is implemented, Polaris would no longer be treated as a school for College and Career Ready Performance Index purposes.
* School calendars for the next three calendar years will be considered.
If the traditional public schools were helping every child there would be no need for charter schools but even in a county that has a great school system like Cherokee there are still lots of parents that feel their child was not getting the best education. CCA has over 800 students in it's first year. that says a lot.
Do you happen to know what an IAP is? Did you know that by law they have to be written every 12 months by a qualified teacher? The charter school in Cherokee county has not been doing their IAPs. If a child wants to leave the charter school, then the charter school doctors the paperwork, but don't have anyone qualified to actually sit down and formulate an IAP. I was told recently that when a child left the charter school and went back to their public school that the IAP they took to the charter school was copied verbatim. If a child has multiple modifications in their IAP, then the charter school gets rid of the modifications or the student, because they don't do Special Ed.
If a charter school is not educating the child then THEY WILL LEAVE. That's more accountability than any teacher or Dr. P. I trust parents to make the right decision and that's more local control than any local school board.
It's obvious you are a teacher that has been brainwashed by your administration.
Cherokee county school system gets paid per student. They get a state portion and a local portion. If a student decides to go to the charter school all they take with them is the state portion. So actually, the local school system could potentially make more money per student.
You made the comment about the school is paid by number of students. Well the students that come back to the public school don't bring their money with them half way through the year. The charter school keeps the money for students they couldn't teach.
A charter school gives students and parents options.
Really on the school? 2 years ago their were 9 cherokee county schools that didn't make ayp. As good as the Cherokee County School system is there are schools that are not top notch in the county. All 30 schools are not even close to being high performing.
Just like they would have to lay off teachers if the charter school opened right? DIdn't happen, in fact there are more public school teachers in Cherokee County now than there was before the charter school.
For you to say that the majority of people didn't want it is in no way accurate. Please provide the link to that poll? Just because some of your teacher friends were brainwashed by the school administration into thinking charter schools are evil doesn't mean the majority of the county didn't want it.
If the bill has been read then this comment is mute. It clearly states in the bill that NO local funds will be taken for any state approved charter schools!
Second Comment - the lack of support for public education by those advocating school vouchers, state-approved charter schools, and other programs that allow public school funds to be redirected to private schools and for-profit charter schools
This is a highly manipulated statement by the board in order to get people angry and mislead the public. There is a HUGE amount of support for school choice advocates. And I ask this question, if the support for school choice is so lacking why address the situation? It seems they are worried that the bill may be passed at election and are planning a defense against this. If you are going to inform the public, do so with the proper facts!
You sound like Mike Chapman. How dare the delegation try to find an alternative option for parents who already pay taxes for their kids to go to school.
How incompetent Rogers is? I guess 36 republican Senators missed it to since he is elected Majority Leader. Chip Rogers has done more for this state and Cherokee County in one week than you have probably done your whole life.