Opinion
by Jim Geiser
Athens Banner-Herald
October 1, 2012
On Nov. 6, Georgia voters will be asked to decide on the following question: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?”
As an advocate of public education reform, I will be voting “yes” for several reasons, the main one being that it’s the right thing to do for kids. In short, the amendment will allow the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that well-run charter schools can bring — innovation that also can infuse traditional public schools with energy.
Why is the amendment needed? Because groups in Georgia communities wishing to start a public independent charter school — not a school-district-run charter — currently have no options for approval but their local school board, the very group that views independent charters as competition funneling away “their” money. This amendment would allow a state commission to authorize charter schools, thus allowing multiple authorizers, a practice in 16 other states as of 2011.
Not coincidentally, 78 percent of the nation’s charter schools are in states with multiple authorizers, or a strong appeals process, according to the Center for Education Reform. The 16 multiple-authorizer states also have the highest-quality charter schools, based on test scores, research studies and ongoing observation.
In a Sept. 23 commentary headlined “Do the math on charter amendment,” local columnist Myra Blackmon writes that she supports charter schools. Her commentary, though, doesn’t support the independent charter schools the proposed amendment seeks to allow. Those schools are governed by independent community boards of directors comprising parents, teachers and community representatives. These independent charter schools take the same standardized tests and are accountable to the state, or to the local school board, if approved locally.
But unlike traditional public schools, charter schools are subject to closure if they don’t perform, and will go out of business if parents don’t choose them.
The financial numbers obviously are important in this conversation, but the bigger issue is why independent charter schools are necessary. First, public charter schools are needed because traditional public schools aren’t adequately serving all children, and many parents are looking for options. Yes, there are some great things happening at some of our schools. My son is at Clarke Central High School, and I am expecting a high-quality education. But the reality is that 1-in-3 kids in Georgia drop out of school, and in Clarke County the numbers are even worse. I think charter schools can serve as a model for raising standards and expectations.
In a hypothetical scenario in her column, Blackmon asks readers to consider a “local board of education (that) denies the (charter) proposal on legitimate — not political or personal — grounds.” The truth is that school boards do reject charter schools for personal and political reasons. School boards are unwilling to relinquish the control and the educational dollars, even when groups propose high-quality, accountable charter schools.
The vast majority of charter schools in Georgia (and the two in Clarke County) are district charter schools — and yes, school districts fully support these schools because they are run by the school districts. They use the term “charter” for effect, not substance.
But I most disagree with Blackmon’s view that traditional public schools are entitled to all the K-12 education dollars and that public charter schools will deprive traditional schools of their money. Public schools do not create money, they operate on our tax dollars. As a parent, if I choose to put my child in a public charter school rather than a traditional public school, that’s my choice — true local control — and the money should follow that child. Incidentally, the amendment allows local school boards to keep their share of the money, even though they aren’t educating the student. The state will provide a percentage of the local dollars.
And, charter schools don’t have the large bureaucracy that characterizes many traditional schools. The governance structure of charter schools allows them to be innovative and to implement decisions quickly.
In Georgia, charter schools serve higher percentages of minority or economically disadvantaged students than the traditional public schools and have consistently outperformed traditional public schools.
I think it is important that we continue to expand public educational options for all students. I encourage a “yes” vote on the amendment.
• Jim Geiser coordinates a high school internship program at the University of Georgia. He served as principal of Children’s Charter School in Baton Rouge, La., and as executive director of the Louisiana Charter Schools Association.