Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Atlanta Public Schools must give charter schools $2.8 million in funding they were due to receive this year.
Atlanta Public Schools violated state law when it withheld $2.8 million in funding from a group of Atlanta charter schools and put it toward its unfunded pension liability obligations, a judge ruled Wednesday. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Wendy L. Shoob ruled that APS give the money to the affected schools and that the district must follow state funding guidelines as outlined for charter schools in the future. "I think the direct and clear message is that they have to comply with the law, which is a good thing for everyone," Rocco E. Testani, the attorney representing the charter schools told East Atlanta Patch. "That’s all the charter schools wanted out of this." (The ruling affects eight start-up charter school groups, not schools …
Saturday, November 10, 2012
The controversial ballot measure passed on Tuesday with 58.5 percent of Georgia voters supporting the constitutional amendment giving the state final authority on approving charter schools, some of which could be operated privately.
Georgia voters gave the state more authority over charter schools this past week in supporting Amendment 1 on Election Day. In Fulton County, there were 244,714 votes cast for and 127,281 votes cast against the amendment. Fill in your precinct code or name to see how your Midtown precinct voted. After several days delay, Fulton County's final, certified election results were updated on the Fulton county website on Saturday and are attached with this story. Before the election, opponents filed a lawsuit to prevent the amendment from taking effect, arguing that the ballot language misled voters about the proposal's intentions. Come join the rest of the Midtown Patch fans on Facebook! It's Patch and Facebook together. Doesn't get much better…
Thursday, October 25, 2012
On Nov. 6, voters will decide if the state of Georgia can create charter schools, or will those decisions remain at the local levels.
In less than two weeks, voters will decide if Georgia can create a state commission authorizing charter schools. The issue has stirred controversy all across metro Atlanta. Some Democratic leaders are calling the ballot biased and misleading. Others, however, are reaching across political aisles to support the amendment. On Saturday, Oct. 27, two state lawmakers - one Republican, the other a Democrat - are headlining a rally in support of the amendment. State Sen. Jason Carter, who represents some of Decatur under the Gold Dome, is outspoken in his opposition to the measure. Some parents who support charter schools are running into opposition in their respective PTAs. One DeKalb County mom said national PTA leaders support charter schools…
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
"Voters see the economy, job creation and public education as top priorities, lawmakers have filled their calendar with fringe issues that receive public support from a minority of voters.” - statement from Better Georgia
House Bill 981, which made it through Crossover Day last week at the Georgia General Assembly, would allow Georgians to carry concealed weapons in public schools, college campuses and other locations such as bars and most government buildings. In Georgia, you must be at least 21 to get a concealed weapon permit and no training is required. The new proposal would allow 18, 19 and 20-year-olds to obtain a gun permit provided they take training and go through classroom instruction. Georgia Tech students were victimized by armed assailants many times in 2011, and the crime trend has continued this year, including a pair of students being robbed at gunpoint last week. The school’s chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus has continued …
Monty Brewster
8:50 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The status quo is over spending. Where are all these funds coming from to pay for new charters? more ›