It looks like the state is not one bit intimidated by the lawsuit filed by Gwinnett and DeKalb fighting the state's approval of the charter school, "Ivy Prep Academy".
As reported in The Weekly online,
The Georgia Charter Schools Commission announced Thursday that it has recommended five charter petitions for approval.
Charter petitions for the following schools were recommended for approval when the Commission holds its regularly scheduled meeting, Monday, Dec. 14, at 10 a.m.:
· Atlanta Heights Charter School. Originally denied a charter by the Atlanta Public Schools, the proposed school would serve students in grades K-8, and is backed by National Heritage Academies, Inc.
· Fulton Leadership Academy. Originally denied a charter by the Fulton County Public Schools, the proposed school will serve students in grades 6-12, and would be the nation’s first all-boys school with a curriculum based around aeronautics and science.
· The Museum School of Avondale Estates. Originally denied a charter by the DeKalb County Public Schools, it would serve students in grades K-8.
· Pataula Charter Academy would serve students in grades K-8, living in Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Early and Randolph Counties in southwest Georgia.
· Peachtree Hope Charter School. Originally denied by the DeKalb County Public Schools, the proposed school would serve students in grades K-12, and is backed by SABIS Educational Systems, Inc.
I am very happy to see that the Museum School is being supported by the state's commission on charter schools. I was very impressed with the detailed, exciting plans presented by this very hard-working group of parents and educators dedicated to creating an excellent school for their community. Hopefully, DeKalb will support them in their efforts.
DeKalb has already made it clear that it will NOT support the Museum school or any other state charter school. The current lawsuit isn't limited to Ivy Prep - it attacks the state charter commission. If Gwinnett and DeKalb succeed in this lawsuit, Ivy Prep and the 5 schools that just received their charters will lose any hope of equitable funding.
ReplyDeleteThis whole charter school issue is going to become quite a battle. Especially since Obama and Duncan have come up with the Race to the Top - the money being "won" by states for innovative, sweeping changes. One thing Obama and Duncan seem to really love is charter schools. If states hamper the creation of charters, they may lose out on the Race money.
ReplyDeleteCrawford Lewis, Marcus Turk, Gloria Talley, Bob Moseley and Ron Ramsey view charter schools as a threat to their fiefdown, a fiefdom where they get great salaries, and bestow administrative jobs with great salaries to those willing to pledge them undying loyalty (mainly ex-principals).
ReplyDeleteAnyone who wants a charter school in DeKalb needs to make friends with your state rep's and state senators.
Oh I forgot on Ramsey is the one state senator who will never support a charter school, since DCSS pays him $130,000 a year while his misses almost three months of work and while his Internal Affairs staff investigates nothing and winks when it comes to all the non-county resident students in our schools.
ReplyDeleteThings seem to be rockin' and rollin' for this group of charter schools!
ReplyDeleteSeven new charter schools approved by state commission
The latest additions are: Atlanta Heights Charter School, which will draw Atlanta Public Schools students; Fulton Leadership Academy, which will tap Fulton County Schools students; The Museum School of Avondale Estates and Peachtree Hope Charter School, both in the DeKalb County Schools' boundaries; Coweta Charter Academy at Senoia, which will tap Coweta County students; Heron Bay Academy, which will draw students from Henry and Spalding counties; and Pataula Charter Academy, which will attract students in Calhoun, Clay, Early, Randolph and Baker counties in southwest Georgia.
For Laura Leckband, founder of Museum School, the vote marked the end of a grassroots community effort that started with a town hall meeting in July 2008 and ended with a plan supported by the mayor and backed by 160 volunteers.
"This has been a huge team effort," Leckband said. "We felt like the level of education we had available to us was not what we had hoped it would be. We had people who were leaving our community to obtain better public education."
Avondale Estates commissioner David Milliron said, "What they have pulled off in this city, is history."
Congratulations everyone!
I am glad that charter schools and the virtual schools are becoming part of the education program in Georgia. Competition is important. Currently DCSS isn't doing an effective job. Maybe this will change if more parents leave via charter schools and the virtual schools.
ReplyDeleteCompetition is a great thing!