Calendar and Charter Schools - It's Called a Balance Sheet

Parent Roundtables

Dr. Atkinson will be hosting a series of discussions with parents. Please see the schedule below:

October 15, 2012
7:00pm @ McNair High

October 16, 2012
7:00pm @ Tucker High

October 23, 2012
7:00pm @ Redan High

October 25, 2012
7:00pm @ Lithonia High

October 29, 2012
7:00pm @ Dunwoody High

Calendar

The board approved a new calendar, which I opposed, for the 2013-14 school year. Click here for the AJC report on the calendar . Cobb County recently discussed their calendar at a meeting. I was struck by something that their Superintendent, Dr. Hinojosa said:

"What happens during the school day is what makes the big difference," he told board members. "There is no empirical causal data that shows one calendar is better than another. It's a community preference and that's what it is."

Click here to read the entire article.

Charter Schools Amendment

I just posted a new blog: It's Called a Balance Sheet. Click on the title to read and comment. If you haven't already read my last blog on the subject, please check out The Myth of Local Control.

For all the hyperbole out there about charter schools, here's my top five facts to remember:

1. Charter Schools are public schools that must admit students using a blind lottery (if there are more students than spaces). They can't pick and choose.

2. Charter Schools are run by a local group of parents and community members. Charter schools are NOT run by "outside corporations". A board can choose "a la carte" to purchase goods and services (curriculum, financial management, texbooks, etc.) from companies. This is exactly how all districts work. School districts across the state purchase goods and services everyday from a variety of vendors.

3. Charter schools that fail to meet their metrics (academically or financially), are shut down. Failing schools in our school districts can exist in perpetuity. There is no mechanism that automatically shuts down a failing traditional school. If a district doesn't manage your tax dollars well, the district isn't shut down either. In fact, the district can raise your taxes. When districts are failing, the footprint of their failure is much larger than that of one charter school.

4. Competition creates innovations. Even the threat of competition from charter schools can incentivize local districts to create a better, more responsive product. If school districts compete for the business of parents who might choose a charter school, there will be no need for one to open.

5. This argument isn't about money. It's about control. The current establishment has produced an abysmal rate of return on your taxes spent on education. Because they can't "run on their record", they are attempting to distract the public.

A picture's worth a thousand words, right? This one is worth 162.5 pieces of Candy Corn. Here's how the dollars stack up - we're talking 1/2 of a Candy Corn!:   The state's total FY2012 appropriations: $15.9 billion. Appropriations for Education: $9.97 billion (62% of all appropriations for the state.) Amount of money spent on charters commissioned by the state: $56.1 million (0.56% of total amount spent on education in Georgia.)

Please note....

Regarding all of the hullabaloo about advocacy and public officials: I support everyone's right to speak out about the amendment and advocate their viewpoint. I do not think it is appropriate to use taxpayer funded distribution methods or assets owned by the public. My website, email list and social media channels, are all owned and maintained by me privately.

--Nancy