The State Power Grab Amendment: What Educators should know about a Constitutional Amendment Squeezing Local Public Schools
Transcript
1. The State PowerGrabAmendment: What Educators should know
about a Constitutional Amendment Squeezing Local Public
Schools
2. The Vote is November 6 Superintendents and others are not
telling educatorshow they must vote on the proposed
constitutionalamendment. However, members of your communities will
look toyou for information and for your opinions about
theconstitutional amendment. You must understand theamendments
implications on you, your students, and thepublic at large and be
ready to convey that information tothose who ask.
3. Background Last year, the GA Click to edit Master text
styles Supreme Court struck Second level down a 2008 law that Third
level allowed the state to Fourth level create and fund state Fifth
level charter schools against the wishes of local school boards and
local communities.
4. Why did the court do this? Because the GA constitution says
that local school boards and local communities have exclusive
authority to decide if they want charter schools in their
communities. And, because the 2008 law allowed the state to take
local school funds without the consent of local communities and
give that money to state charter schools.
5. WE believe the court was right!! However, since thecourt
said the stateconstitution prevents thestate from creating
andfunding state charterschools.. ..supporters of the 2008 law say
we should rewrite the GA constitution to allow the state to do
so.
6. How will the GA constitution be changed?Through House
Resolution 1162 and itsenabling legislation, House Bill 797 Click
to edit Master text sty Second level Third level Fourth level Fifth
level
7. HR 1162 Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to
allow state or localapproval of public charter schools upon the
request of localcommunities?( )YES(X) NO
8. HR 1162 Misleads Voters It confusingly (and, purposefully)
restates the legally-settled premise that LOCAL communities can
approve charter schools and DOES NOT make clear that voters are
really voting on whether the STATE can APPROVE and FUND A PARALLEL
STATE SCHOOL SYSTEM. Because of inclusion of the phrase at the
request of local communities, the ballot question obscures the fact
that local school boards and communities will have no recourse if a
small group of parents or a for-profit charter management company
ignores the wishes of local voters and lobbies the state to create
and fund a charter school in a voters area.
9. Why is the ballot question misleading? Because it was
poll-tested and carefully crafted to confuse voters who then may
vote to approve it, thinking that they are helping their local
public schools. Repeated attempts by lobbyists and legislators to
amend the ballot question to make its purpose clear were rebuffed
by legislative leaders. Unlike other states, GA law does not allow
the clarity of ballot questions to be legally challenged.
10. More about Charter Schools Charter schools differ from
traditional public schools because charter schools can waive state
laws and local board policies that regular public schools must
follow. There are two types of charter schools approved by local
boards of education: Conversion charter schools Start-up charter
schools
11. More on Charter Schools Georgia also has charter school
systems, along with Special state schools for the deaf and blind,
plus State charter schools that were approved before the Supreme
Court ruling. Click to edit Master text styles Second level Third
level Fourth level Fifth level
12. Charter Schools: Do they Help Students? What do we Support?
Data from the Georgia Department of Education says that student
achievement at charter schools is mixed. Last year, AYP scores at
GA traditional public schools were 3 points higher than at charter
schools. We support high-quality charter schools approved by local
boards of education, which include: Start-up charter schools
Conversion charter schools Charter school systems All three of
these types of local charter schools and charter systems stand to
lose state funding as a result of passage of the charter
amendment
13. HB 797, Enabling Legislation to HR 1162: HB 797 lays out
the The bill recreates the GAparameters of how the state will
Charter Schoolscreate state charter schools and Commission that
wasthe funding formula the state outlawed by the statewill use to
fund those schools. Supreme Court decision. The commission will
have the authority to approve state charter schools and will be
composed of political appointees unaccountable to voters and local
communities.
14. Money, Money, Money (or the lack of it) HB 797 provides a
funding formula for state charter schools and says those schools
will receive funding equivalent to the per pupil funding that the
poorest five GA school systems receive. HB 797 is SILENT on WHERE
these state funds will come from without diversion of additional
state dollars from local charter schools and traditional public
schools already reeling from state budget cuts.
15. Effect of State Education Budget Cuts Shorter school years
Program elimination of athletics, art, music, Click to edit Master
text styles foreign language Larger class sizes Second level
Teacher layoffs Third level Fourth level Teacher furloughs Fifth
level
16. GA public education is funded by a combination of state and
local tax dollars The state only sends local Local communities are
schools about $.81 on every struggling to make up for $1 it says it
owes. the loss of state funds. Since 2009, the state has cut Local
education funds over $3 billion from public come primarily from
local education. property taxes. Local property values and tax
revenues are down due to the real estate meltdown.
17. Change in Proportional Funding Courtesy of the Georgia
Budget & Policy Institute www.gpbi.org Click to edit Master
text styles Second level Third level Fourth level Fifth level
18. State Education Funding Reduction 2001-2013 Courtesy of the
Georgia Budget & Policy Institute www.gpbi.org
19. Food for Thought: Georgia is not funding the local charter
schools and traditional public schools already in existence. Why
should we allow the state to create more schools? Click to edit
Master text styles Second level Third level Fourth level Fifth
level
20. Why Proponents of the Constitutional Amendment Say Its
Necessary Local school boards will not approve enough charter
schools, so the state must step in. [NOTE: The State Board of
Education already has an appeals process through which they can
approve charter schools originally denied by local boards.] Public
schools are failing, and charter schools provide an escape route.
The state must reestablish its role in public education in the wake
of the court case. Charter schools are cheaper to operate because
they can waive state laws regarding: Class size Teacher pay Teacher
contracts and dismissal Other state laws
21. Why these Proponents are Wrong: Local boards of education
should reject the charter applications of flawed charter
petitioners. Local boards have a responsibility to ensure that
taxpayers dollars are spent responsibly to improve educational
outcomes for local students. Public schools are not failing.
Outcomes would increase if more attention and resources were
focused on improving public schools and allowing educators more
input in policies aimed at increasing student achievement and
educator quality. The state already has an established role in
public education. Legislators pushing HR 1162 passed dozens of
education bills this Spring which the Governor signed. State
policymakers clearly feel they have authority to promulgate laws
related to public education, the Supreme Court decision
notwithstanding. Savings that charter schools may realize by
waiving state education laws like the teacher salary schedule
jeopardize teacher quality and student achievement. Education
policy decisions should not be based solely on cost savings.
22. Who Supports HR 1162? Brighter GA Coalitionk to edit Master
text stylesecond levelhird level Fourth level Fifth level
23. Who else supports HR 1162? The American Legislative
Exchange Council (ALEC) For-profit charter management companies
interested in lining their pockets Those who support school
vouchers and tuition tax credits to private schools Policy makers
who seek campaign contributions and votes from these groups Those
who believe that public education and public educators have
failed
24. Who Opposes HR 1162?Every major membership
grouprepresenting educators PAGE Who else? GAE Local Boards of PTA
Education Georgia School Boards Local Chambers of Association
(GSBA) Georgia School Commerce Superintendents Association Business
Leaders (GSSA) Elected Officials Georgia Retired Educators
Editorial Boards Association (GREA) Georgia Association of
Educational Leaders (GAEL)
25. Vote SMART! NO to State-Controlled Schools! Click to edit
Master text styles Second level Third level Fourth level Fifth
level Formal coalition comprised of State Power Grab opponents
Supports high quality education for Georgia students, with approval
of and accountability for charter schools at local level View the
website and look for media rollout soon.
26. Vote SMART! Consider Donating Today 1162 supporters and
their allies whosupport increased privatization of publiceducation
have a well-funded campaign. You can donate to the
oppositioncampaign by making your check to: Vote SMART! Committee
Mailing Address: PO Box 766 Lawrenceville, GA 30046 OR, by going
towww.votesmartgeorgia and donatingonline.
27. What can YOU do to Help Schools and Defeat the State Power
Grab? Be ready to discuss the merits and shortcomings of the
constitutional amendment with your colleagues, family, friends, and
at community gatherings like PTA meetings . Stay informed by
reading websites, news articles, editorials, and the like. Follow
the Vote SMART campaign on Facebook and Twitter. Consider donating
to the Vote SMART campaign and voting against the amendment in
November.
28. YOU can use these Talking Points! Why oppose the State
Power Grab Amendment? Your tax dollars: the amendment allows the
state to approve and divert funds to a parallel/dual state school
system. Control or no control: the amendment removes control from
local school boards and local voters and gives it to state
bureaucrats, the ultimate government power grab. Money for kids or
bureaucrats: the amendment will mean more state cuts to public
schools, resulting in larger classes, shortened school years, and
teacher furloughs and layoffs.
29. More Talking Points on the State Power Grab Amendment This
fight isnt about school choice. Its about who pays for other
peoples choices. This debate also isnt about charter schools. Its
about giving up local control, transparency, and accountability for
our local schools. This isnt a Democrat vs. Republican debate.
Legislators voted across party lines to put the constitutional
amendment on the ballot. Republican and Democrat voters must defeat
it together. If the ballot amendment is approved in November,
students and teachers will be hurt. Class sizes will increase,
school years will be shortened, more teachers will be laid off and
furloughed. Instead of local school boards accountable to local
voters, appointed partisan bureaucrats in Atlanta would create new
charter schools in local communities, creating a parallel/dual
state school system competing with local schools for already-scarce
resources. Lets work together to refocus energies and resources on
improving existing public schools and preparing Georgias children
for the 21st century!
30. What are the Coalition Members doing? Partnering with the
Vote SMART! campaign Educating ourselves and our members
Circulating correct information to the Visiting schools and other
forums to speak on the state power grab public and the press
Conducting grass-roots training in August & September Making
amendment information available at events between now and
November
31. We Can Work Together to Defeat HR 1162! Remember that a
vote AGAINST the constitutional amendment is a vote Click to edit
Master text styles FOR our public Second level schools Third level
Fourth level Fifth level Discussion? Questions?