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Published Friday, February 20, 2009 in Local
Charter company planning Coweta school
The Newnan Times-Herald
The Southeast's biggest charter school management company is making its moves in Georgia.
Ernest Taylor, a Newnan resident and a board member with the recently established Georgia Charter Foundation, announced the nonprofit organization's plans to establish charter schools in counties across Georgia -- including Coweta -- along with its for-profit partner, Florida-based Charter Schools USA.
Taylor, president of an Atlanta executive search firm, spoke about the companies' plans at the Newnan Rotary Club luncheon Friday at Newnan Country Club.
Fort Lauderdale-based Charter Schools USA, established in 1997, operates 19 charter schools on 14 campuses in Florida, according to its Web site.
Taylor said the company plans to establish new schools in four to five districts in Georgia by the fall of 2010 and is in discussion with eight other counties to also manage and start new charter schools. He expects Georgia Charter Foundation and Charter Schools USA to open 10 new charter schools in Georgia within the next two years.
The districts which will "break ground in the next 90 days with schools open in the fall of 2010" include Atlanta, Cherokee, Coweta and Forsyth, he said.
In Coweta, Taylor said the company is considering a K-8 Charter Academy between Sharpsburg and Senoia, the county's fastest growing area.
Community input meetings have been under way as part of the company's efforts. Charter Schools USA is holding meetings in Cobb County, and Taylor mentioned meetings were already held in the SummerGrove subdivision and area churches in the Coweta area. Another meeting is scheduled in Senoia on March 10 at 6 p.m. at the Freeman-Sasser Building, according to an online flyer.
Taylor projected the Coweta campus to be built for 1,500 students, but would begin with a 750-800 student body for the elementary and middle grades. Taylor explained Charter Schools USA typically builds K-8, then adds a grade each year "so it'll take us five years to get to the K-12 school." Of its charter schools in Florida, four are K-12.
In response to questions, Taylor said the schools' initial construction would be funded by investors. Maintenance and operational funding would come from the county school district. Taylor said the initial application for the charter would be made with the local school district. Georgia charter school law also allows for organizations to apply with the state if the local school district denies the application.
Taylor offered Rotarians an overview of charter schools and outlined how Charter Schools USA has been able to achieve its success in Florida. He cited Charter Schools USA's performance-based pay system for teachers, the parent-based governing councils, freedom to expel students with chronic discipline problems, lower student teacher ratios, the ability to operate leaner and more efficiently and its practice of hiring teachers who have majors in the subject they teach.
"We basically run like a private school, with uniforms," he said, but with public funding and more freedom from state regulations.
Rotarians asked questions ranging from whether the investor-owned buildings would be exempt from property taxes to whether charter schools would deplete the public schools of high-quality teachers. Taylor deferred most of the finance questions to Charter Schools USA representatives who'll attend the community input meetings and noted charter schools' "goal is not to take the créme de la créme of a county."
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Obviously it is hard for you to pick up on sarcasm, and a sense of reality!
Posted by Joe Schmoe at 1:39 AM
I am finally glad you agree with me Joe.
Posted by tom at 7:47 PM
Keep living in fantasy land Tom, as you say Coweta has "some of the best schools in the Nation!" We in reality already know what is true.
Posted by Joe Schmoe at 7:42 PM
You can look up anything on a website. You can look up the top speed of a F-16 jet fighter. It will be a lot less then what the aircraft can really do. In other words the web will tell you what you want to hear and not tell you the reality what the jet can do. Just like Ga web is not going to tell you the reality of being out there in the trenches teaching. Truth I knew you were talking about me. Lets put it this way truth. I do know for a fact about the minority teachers in fulton county. There more worried about O J Simpson then there students.
Posted by tom at 7:07 PM
No I don't teach but I have a close relative that does. As far as my grammer goes if thats your best comeback then you know I am right about what I said.
Posted by tom at 4:37 PM
Truth, I believe your comments were intended for a reply to Tom, and not to me. Just trying to clarify. As for Tom, you have brought no facts, I have facts, which can be accessed at Georgia Dept. of Educations web site. Stating them as fact does not inturn make them facts SIR!
Posted by Joe Schmoe at 4:36 PM
Joe says: "First off a lot of parents spoil their brats which in turn makes it more difficult for the teacher." Why is it that for any of Coweta's poor performing schools it must be because "parents spoil their brats," but you don't afford the same excuse to Fulton schools? Based on your comments about "minority" teachers, I'm pretty sure how you come up with your opinions.
Posted by Truth at 1:57 PM
Tom, I had to clarify a couple of things. It is "accept" not except. Also, at least twice you meant "their" not there. Their is possessive; there means a place. You keep saying that obviously we don't teach in Fulton County. Based on your grammar, I hope you don't either.
Posted by Anon at 1:00 PM
You just can't except the facts. Like I said before when is the last time you have taught in fulton county or any other county. Facts are facts.
Posted by tom at 11:24 AM
Tom, seriously that excuse is old. They were using that excuse when I was in high school in the late 90's even though school counselors were changing the rules, and having requirements to take the SAT/ACT. So, you blame Fulton county now for overall GA test scores? Thats insane seeing how north Fulton balances the horrid south Fulton schools. Please give me the stuff you have been smoking that Coweta county has some of the best schools in the nation! I also have traveled across the nation in the military, and I can assure you Coweta does not have the best schools.I transferred from a Gwinnette county school to a Coweta county school, and it was like a time warp backward.
Posted by Joe Schmoe at 2:10 AM
The reason Ga is in the bottom of all school systems nation wide is because all of there students are required to take the SAT tests. In the top 5 states in the nation the students are not required to take the SAT tests unless they are going to college As far as the Atlanta Sytem they were at the very bottom and brought there scores up a few points. Thats how they got the award. Our local Charter school CRCT scores were no better then the rest of Coweta public school system. Testing is regulated by the state. Also when is the last time you taught in Atlanta. I have a close relative that taught there for 20 years before transfering.
Posted by tom at 7:59 PM
Has anyone seen that the super for the Atlanta Schools is up for some kind of award due to the system is producing. This whole minority thing needs to stop,students do not learn because the system does not let them learn. I have taught and I have seen it first hand. Parents are one of the biggest issues in public schools, next is the school board and all the politics. If kids could go to school and learn and not have all the pressures they have to pass a stupid test that has no bearing on their future, things would be different.
Posted by Coweta Co Resident at 6:42 PM
If you read the article and knew about charters, you the tax payer pay for these schools. The difference is the accountability process they have. Imagine a school where students who are discipline problems get expelled or in trouble (like the old days of school) and teachers can teach subjects not tests. I am all for it, anything to help this generation learn to read and write.
Posted by Coweta Co Resident at 12:55 PM
G.C., Do what many private christian schools do, which is form their own athletic leauges. It has already worked. As far as special needs, if I am not mistaken they already have vouchers for these kids.
Posted by Joe Schmoe at 12:33 PM
When is the last time you taught in Ga public school system. What brings down the system in Ga is Fulton county. You can't get rid of the teachers there because they are minority. To the person that said if parents complain enough about the teacher they will be fired. First off a lot of parents spoil their brats which in turn makes it more difficult for the teacher. The Charter system should go to Atlanta thats where they could be used. Coweta has some of the best schools in the nation. I know I have lived all over the nation. Like I said the Atlanta area is what brings down the whole state.
Posted by tom at 11:53 AM
Most Charters run by a private company have to turn a profit so they control costs in supplies/texts/maintenance/special programs etc. Don't look for athletics or help for students with special needs or learning disabilities because they cost to much. I don't think that will fly around here.
Posted by G.C. at 8:50 PM
That a real joke Tom, as every one knows that Georgia ranks close to last in the nation in education, so what does that say about our current GA government schools? Don't give me this crap that Coweta is the exception, we all know that is not true. Coweta is a midlevel GA government school at best, and you can access this info on the georgia dept. of educations website yourself.
Posted by Joe Schmoe at 7:08 PM
Like you can get rid of bad teachers in a regular public school. If someone really wants to teach, it doesn't matter how much one will make, they will do it because they want too.
Posted by pah at 12:37 PM
The biggest advantage to a charter school I see is that teachers become accountable to the parents unlike public school where you cant get rid of the bad apples and the good teachers rarely get rewarded. We attended Odyssey School and when parents continually complained about a teachers ability she was let go. No school is perfect but even public school teachers will tell you they are bound by too many rules.
Posted by Watchful Eye at 12:13 PM
The charter schools are a joke. How are you going to judge the performance of the teacher? If they do what is required then how will you determine there pay ? The only teachers that will take those jobs are the ones who need a job. This is just another way for some company to make money.
Posted by Tom at 8:27 AM
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Sarcasm
2/25/2009
Link To This Comment
Wow didn't realize you were being sarcastic. lol
Posted by tom at 10:17 PM