Politics & Government

Governor Supports Charter School Amendment

Deal urges voters to pass the amendment when it appears on the ballot in November. Ivy Preparatory Academy in Peachtree Corners would be impacted.

 

After its final legislative passage Monday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal urged voters to support the constitutional amendment allowing the state to create charter schools. The amendment will appear on the General Election ballot in November.

“The General Assembly has acted wisely and courageously to give Georgians the choice to implement true local control: parental choice,” Deal stated in an announcement issued by his office. “We must encourage innovation and the pursuit of excellence in our schools.

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“Starting a state-chartered school is not done easily or without lots of hard work, but we need a system that allows for this option. State-chartered 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 simply restore the process for creating state-charted schools that existed before the state Supreme Court struck down the state’s system for granting charters, and I hope Georgians will cast their vote for protecting and promoting schools that have a strong record of student achievement,” he said.

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The state Senate passed the amendment (House Resolution 1162) on March 19.

Only local school districts currently have the authority to approve or deny charter school requests.

The Georgia Charter School Commission had been approving and funding charter schools denied by local school districts until the court declared the commission unconstitutional.

, an all-girls charter school in Peachtree Corners on Spalding Drive, was among a number of schools impacted by the court ruling last year. The school attracts students from DeKalb County as well as nearby towns including Dulluth.


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