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Published Sunday, February 07, 2010 in Local
Schools puzzled by charter approval
By Jeff Bishop
The Newnan Times-Herald
Although community support for a charter school in Senoia appears to be strong -- and a public forum is planned for Monday night at the Freeman-Sasser Building -- the Coweta County School System has a number of questions about the proposed school that underlie its ongoing appeal.
A Georgia Charter School Commission review committee initially recommended denial for Charter Schools USA applications in Coweta and Cherokee counties, but the Georgia Charter School Commission's full board ultimately decided not to take that advice when it came to the Senoia application.
The Coweta school system wants to know why.
"The two petitions and appeals were basically identical, as indicated in the committee's report," said Dean Jackson, spokesman for the Coweta County School System.
"The committee recommended denial for both. The commission received the reports, and voted to not award the Cherokee petition's appeal, but awarded the Coweta petition's appeal," he said. "There was no comment about why."
In its Summary of Findings, the committee noted that the "Cherokee Charter Academy Petition is substantially identical to the petition submitted by Charter Schools USA for a similar school in Coweta County."
So for what reason, then, did the full commission turn down the Cherokee County charter school application but approve the application for the school in Senoia? No answers or explanations were given, Jackson noted.
The review committee also stated that "while the petitioning group expressed its desire to provide an educational program that would 'raise the bar' in Coweta County, the application suggests otherwise by setting an accountability framework that can be met by simply maintaining the same levels of achievement as the traditional public schools in Coweta County."
In light of the fact that 100 percent of Coweta County schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in the 2008-2009 academic school year, enrolling a planned 860 K-8 students in a district with a total enrollment of 21,525 students and six existing middle schools "could prove difficult," the committee members stated in their report.
"Without sufficient enrollment and related funding, there may be a substantial impediment to the successful opening of the school," according to the committee's report.
Richard Page, vice president of operations for Charter Schools USA, remains undaunted and said he is looking forward both to Monday's 7 p.m. community meeting at Senoia's Freeman-Sasser Building and to the state board's final decision on Coweta County's appeal.
"We're going to have a community forum to talk about the status of the school and what's happening with it and how the community can continue to be involved," said Page.
Meanwhile, the Georgia Board of Education meets next week, "and is the last word on the appeals process," Jackson said.
"Coweta County's position is that we stand by the Charter School professional committee's summary recommendation," he said.
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Maybe you meant principal as in the person who is over a school as opposed to principle as in guiding belief, moral truth, etc...
Posted by pragmaticrepublican at 12:50 AM
I am just trying to make people realize how ridiculous and cowardly it is to post negative comments here. I really want to listen. I'm no bully but I am tired of the BOE & CCSS being attacked in this childish manner. I am just telling it like it is Lily.
Posted by Frank at 12:17 PM
Frank, it was nice when you first posted your contact info. In your last post you sound like a bully! No wonder your phone isn't ringing off the hook. They'll just vote you out later.
Posted by lily at 7:52 PM
Mary and DC. I still have not heard from either of you. I guess you don't want to talk to
me. If that is the case, please don't continue to take anonymous cheap shots.
Frank Farmer
Posted by Frank at 12:28 PM
The problem is not every parent can do the higher math etc. Also allot of people cannot afford private schools.
Posted by Joe Cool at 7:44 AM
Instead of whining about the public school system how about you sit junior down when you get home from work and teach him what he needs to know. Cant you see the absolute ridiculousness of sending your kid to a place that is run by a board to teach them. Heres another idea... if you don't like the schools put your kid in private school. Isn't junior worth it?
Posted by not a socialist at 7:08 PM
DC, You only get 3 minutes to speak at a Board meeting. If you call me, I will listen to your concerns as long as you wish. To bash people in a vent solves nothing. Be a bigger man or woman and pick up the phone.
my name is in the phone book and the Board office has my contact numbers too. Mary, I have not heard from you yet.
Frank Farmer - BOE
Posted by Frank at 1:05 PM
Hey Brenden, can you show one canceled check, or other document where the local BOE has had to provide funding for any school not under its control - i.e. the Odessy Charter School? Check your facts before you write so boldly that someone else is wrong... I now will raise a legal question: How is it equal protection for all Coweta Children and their parents that the local BOE will contribute funding to the Central Education Charter School they founded and control but deny the same for Odesy, or the proposed Senoia CS?
Posted by pragmaticrepublican at 9:30 AM
Why would we attend a meeting when most of us had these same board members as teachers and know we need CHANGE!!!
Posted by DC at 9:32 PM
Did you complain to the principle or just complain to everyone else. I know for a fact willis rd is one of the top schools.
Posted by Joe Cool at 6:40 PM
I have read a couple comments regarding "county" funding of charter schools. The "state" funds charter schools per student, not the county. That's one reason the "county" school board doesn't want them. If the county school board did fund them there would be no reason to try to deny them! And your comment re: Eastside Elementary. That's a pretty bold statement. Check your facts per class/teacher, not the overall school numbers. Hopefully it has improved with the new admin and retired teacher(s)this year!
Posted by charter school supporter at 6:36 PM
What is so wrong with having a choice? Are you scared an outside source may have better ideas and plan? I learned how important that choice is this yr with the unfortunate event that my daughter got the worst teacher at Willis Rd. Even local elected officials who think the seats belongs to them and not the people will quickly find there way out. Thank goodness people are finally waking up.
Posted by Alan Marshall at 2:00 PM
Hey Get Involved: Just because I like Home Depot as a choice to shop does not mean I think Lowe's does a bad job or that they are not "positive". And coming to a Board Meeting at BOE as you suggest is not our only way to express our concerns, ask questions, give input and get involved anymore than the citizens of Mass. had to go to Washington.... In case you forgot, we don't have to do it the BOE or your way.
Posted by eugene at 9:10 AM
I am a teacher in this county. I teach at Eastside Elementary in Senoia. All this whining about choice is pretty annoying. This county, and Eastside in particular, consistently out-performs most schools in the state. Coweta County already has high quality schools and anybody who thinks otherwise didn't do their research. Also, pragmaticrepblican, charter schools do receive funding from the local board. They are funded, the same as public schools, based on student enrollment. So the only thing they accomplish in a place like Coweta with already high-performing schools is to further divide up the ever-decreasing pot of money.
Posted by Brendan at 12:23 AM
I tried the the school system here in Coweta and it was a sad experience. I then chose to home school my children and they both now hold college degrees. I would have used charter schools had they been available to me.
Posted by A product of Coweta Schools at 12:05 AM
I wish some of you would come to a regularly scheduled school board meeting and publicly state your concerns, ask questions, give input, and get involved. I think more of you would see that this is a positive school system with positive leadership. (Tuesday, February 9, 2010 7:15pm for public comment)
Posted by Get Involved at 11:00 PM
Why shouldn't the parents and students of Coweta County be given a choice in the education of our children? If the charter school does not deliver a quality education for it's students, it will not survive! In that sense, it is 100%accountable to the local residents! This is in sharp contrast to the current system where there is no incentive for schools to improve what they do because there is no significant threat of losing students or money. I say, let them compete for the priviledge of educating our kids and watch the quality of public education rise like a rocket!
Posted by Concerned Resident at 8:11 PM
As a member of the board of the Georgia Charter Educational Foundation that has received the state charter certificate for Senoia, let me assure you that this school is answerable to the local charter board in Senoia, and as well as to our Georgia Charter Educational Foundation board.
Posted by Ernest Taylor at 7:58 PM
None of the Board members are afraid to speak with "the people". How can a Board member address a concern through an anonymous posting? Negative anonymous comments are cowardly.
I'm willing to listen to anyone that contacts me but I give no credibility to any anonymous comment.
Posted by Frank at 5:41 PM
Good for you Frank! We need more board members that are not afraid to speak with 'the people'! Way to be proactive! I hope something productive results from it.
Posted by school system employee at 3:06 PM
Mary,
Please contact me about your issue(s)with the "top brass". My name is in the phone book and you can call the school board office to get my number or email address. Thanks Frank Farmer
Posted by Frank at 1:23 PM
charter schools are no better then the public schools. You are just not smart enough to know that.
Posted by Bubba B Bad at 12:00 AM
The school will be accountable to the parents of its students, who will not leave their children in a school that doesn't deliver. I know this form of customer feedback is foreign to the public-school establishment, but educated people should know how to speak a foreign language.
Posted by exasperated at 9:08 PM
A charter school is most certainly answerable to local people - the parents who send their kids to it. If no parents want to send their kids there, it will shut down. This is unlike the local public schools which stay in business by forcing kids through compulsory education laws to come.
Posted by CDog at 7:24 PM
I think "d's" response is what the top brass would say, i.e. we need to maintain control. However, who is to say that this charter school will or will not maintain standards? You say the application "suggests"- you don't know. There are many people in this county who disagree with local decisions made at the BOE/Superintendent's level. They should have an option to the existing status quo- education reform is all about parent choice. Some of us who disagree with the current regime have no voice or input into decisions...especially if we are transplants into the area. Some of us are even coming from states that have better education programs than GA!
Posted by Mary at 4:52 PM
The (Charter Commission's)review committee said that "while the petitioning group expressed its desire to provide an educational program that would 'raise the bar' in Coweta County, the application suggests otherwise by setting an accountability framework that can be met by simply maintaining the same levels of achievement as the traditional public schools in Coweta County.""
This school would be paid for by taxpayers' dollars, at a time when there are already cuts in education funds. It would be run by an out-of-state company and would not be answerable to any local people. And the state charter school committee that reviewed it thinks it would be performing at the same level as county schools... at best.
So how is this school so great? Does anyone writing in here really know anything about it?
Posted by d at 3:54 PM
For every child in a charter school (as well as private and home schools) that is one less child the Public School BOE has to worry about funding, including the very long term capital expense of buildings. It also takes the pressure off the long term retirement costs of the State Department of Education. So, why would the BOE in any county care if they had less students given the amount of money they get from State and Federal Govt to pay for such costs is less than what they have to spend per child?
Posted by pragmaticrepublican at 3:04 PM
Indeed, there are people in the public school establishment who would rather have total control over mediocre public schools (and anything close to the national average is no better than mediocre) than see schools over which they have no control, excel.
Posted by exasperated at 1:45 PM
Any threat to union control of anything will be met with 100%resistance. Having begun with textiles, steel and autos, will our education system be one of the last victims of union influence?
Posted by JtS at 1:43 PM
local boards do not want charter schools unless they have control. the issue for Coweta's BOE and other local boards across the state is that they are not in control of the process and the money. they need to wake up and understand that charters are providing parents with other opportunties and if the charter is not doing what it is suppose to do, they can be closed down.
Posted by Drew at 1:11 PM
Maybe the charter was approved because of public support and the dissatisfaction with the top brass in Coweta.
Posted by Mary at 10:17 AM
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Frank - come on now....
2/14/2010
Link To This Comment
Frank: you call people names, chide, and then tell them how to communicate and then tell them you want to listen. Your last email really said it all "I am just trying to make..." What it appears to me you want is for people to see it your way yet you, one who complains of negative insults, uses them. Why not just address the points being made in a fact based non-emotional way and let those listening decide whether to come over to your way of thinking?
Posted by pragmaticrepublican at 9:51 AM