Charter Schools Vote (Atlanta, Dunwoody, White: real estate, apartment complexes, to buy)
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FWIW, I have an equal distrust of government or businesses. But in regards to educations, charters are a way to get the dysfunctional school district mess out of the reach of children. Like LovelySummer said, traditional schools in this state are not successful on a grand scale.
I would not support a charter that has a partnership with a corporation that I deem unsavory. There are specific charter organizations I have in mind, but I won't go there right now. But I would not send my kid to those schools.
I also understand the idea that some kids may be pushed out of a charter school. I think that most of those would be expelled due to poor classroom behavior and I do think that is an adequate way of dealing with disrespectful students who have no underlying medical conditions that require special education services via an IEP.
When I was a kid we had the place that us kids called "the bad kid school." Kids knew that if they weren't a special ed kid and they cursed out a teacher or tried to hit a teacher or was just extremely disruptive for no reason at all, that they would be kicked out of school after a specific amount of infractions and their only option would be "the bad kid school." Classrooms didn't have as many interruptions and I do remember 2 kids getting sent to that school when I was in jr. high. They eventually got reinstated in high school into our zoned high school but they didn't act like they used to and were glad to be back to a regular school, in an way, they learned their lesson. If kids are in a classroom and don't want to learn and their parents are working in any way with teachers to remedy behavior issues, then they don't need to be there.
I am curious about the race thing too and I wish someone would explain.
How are charter schools going to bring seggregation back?
I do not really get that either when the same people are talking about making town school systems. Town schools would be more segregated. If Dunwoody had their own school system their tax rate would be much lower than say if Lithonia had a school system. That would create a much more economically segregated system.
Dunwoody is not segregated. I can't speak for Lithonia. At least three of the elementary schools are VERY diverse. Vanderlyn and Austin are less so, but Kingsley, Chesnut and Dunwoody Elementary are. And again, the difference is those schools would truly be under local control. Not under the auspices of an unelected board appointed by a governor with legislation written by a group that has repeatedly made it clear that it cannot be trusted.
Actually I answered the segregation question twice. Lets go for a third, shall we? There is something called the southern strategy employed by everyone from politicians to realtors to appeal to white southern fears for votes and profit. ALEC, which cares about nothing but profit, is using said southern strategy to appeal to those whites in metro Atlanta who dislike living with a nonwhite majority. Having used such fears to get said amendment passed they'll have to deliver the schools that these people demand, otherwise no profit for them. Thus, the schools will be drawn in such a way where they will be all, or nearly all white.
As for the economic disparity between Lithonia and Dunwoody, then Lithonia might choose to stay in the county system, or maybe join with another area to offset the cost. The issue is still about choice, and it seems far more reasonable to me to give local entities MORE control as opposed to passing it to the governor and a bunch of unsavory outsiders looking for a profit.
Actually I answered the segregation question twice. Lets go for a third, shall we? There is something called the southern strategy employed by everyone from politicians to realtors to appeal to white southern fears for votes and profit. ALEC, which cares about nothing but profit, is using said southern strategy to appeal to those whites in metro Atlanta who dislike living with a nonwhite majority. Having used such fears to get said amendment passed they'll have to deliver the schools that these people demand, otherwise no profit for them. Thus, the schools will be drawn in such a way where they will be all, or nearly all white.
To me this sounds like some far fetched conspiracy theory.
Where are you getting this information?
From what I have read about this amendment is that, for one, the state already funds at least 50% of all public schools. Second, when local school boards did not approve a charter, those involved in the creation of a charter school had to appeal to the state for approval or denial. A recent court decision stated that this was unconstitutional in the state of GA. This law was put on the table to bring back the charter option when local school districts don't approve of said charter school.
How does this whole scenario play into the southern strategy and all white schools?
Like I mentioned before, most charter school attendees are black or hispanic, not white. White people, at least here in the city of Atlanta, who have the money or don't mind struggling to do so, will move into a traditional school district in order for their kids to go to a "good" school. Maybe if they had the option of creating a new school in a more affordable neighborhood, we could have growth city-wide instead of in a few particular areas of the city. I also don't have such a poor view of our white residents of metro Atlanta, as I don't feel that the majority of them don't want to have black or hispanic children attend school with their own children. I know too many, decent, non-racist white people here in Atlanta to believe this, some who live in my own crime ridden neighborhood and quite a few families whose white children attend the charter school my son goes to where they - the white children - are in the minority. So I just don't buy it that there are swaths of racist white metro-Atlantans out there waiting for the opportunity to re-segregate.
I don't mean to offend but it really does sound like this is some info passed on by some group totally opposed to charter schools and are using ALEC's unsavory reputation with liberally minded people to put an unfounded fear of the re-institution of forced segregation. The information backing up this amendment and the wording of the law are available for people to read. Contrary to what some have said, I don't see the issue with the way the actual law is worded, it reads strangely IMO on the ballot but the law itself is pretty straight forward and doesn't include any references to corporations or the necessity of future charter schools being sponsored by ALEC or any corporations associated with that group.
The info I read in opposition to the amendment, appears to be backed primarily by teachers unions and also district officials and this, IMO should be a warning to those opposing the bill. The educational system they are working for is not working, yet they want to continue to get their money, many do not want to have any sort of evaluation criteria for teachers, and of course they are afraid their cush, lifelong jobs will be in jeopardy if charter schools become a huge phenomenon here like they have in other states. It is a fact that most charter schools do not hire union teachers, also many of them work much longer hours than their traditional counterparts. Even though I am not adamantly against unions, I know that many teachers unions care more about money than the children they teach, this is evidenced in not wanting evaluation criteria based on performance and the fact that many "bad" teachers cannot be fired and have to be kept on the books being paid, even if they are not working (please see CRCT cheating scandal results).
The opposition to the amendment is afraid that schools will be put into the hands of an independent board made up of people involved in the running of that specific school instead of politicians looking to have some extra income via their BOE position or teachers who don't want to be held accountable for the failures they have in teaching our children basic skills. They do not want their power or money or jobs taken away. This has nothing to do with corporations and not even ALEC after it is passed, it has to do with parents wanting more input in the running of the schools our children attend and not having to fight the bureaucracy that is the public school system who know that we, as parents have little choices when it comes to the education of our children and so they take it for granted that we will put up with their BS because we have no other educational options. This law will provide more options, simple as that.
Of course unions care about teachers, they're a teacher's organization. What I don't understand is how changing that out for corporations that don't give a damn about anything but profit is any better. Makes no sense to me, but then I've only watched these games play out for decades.
ALEC has an unsavory reputation with EVERYBODY, not just liberals. Which is why lots of corporations have left.
White people have not used charter schools here because they couldn't start a charter school. They could only convert previously public school. With this amendment they can do just that. But, like I said, I'm sure this law will pass, ALEC is good t that. It is only inthe aftermath that people will realize that they've bought a pig in a poke. Carry on.
Actually I answered the segregation question twice. Lets go for a third, shall we? There is something called the southern strategy employed by everyone from politicians to realtors to appeal to white southern fears for votes and profit. ALEC, which cares about nothing but profit, is using said southern strategy to appeal to those whites in metro Atlanta who dislike living with a nonwhite majority. Having used such fears to get said amendment passed they'll have to deliver the schools that these people demand, otherwise no profit for them. Thus, the schools will be drawn in such a way where they will be all, or nearly all white.
Of course unions care about teachers, they're a teacher's organization. What I don't understand is how changing that out for corporations that don't give a damn about anything but profit is any better. Makes no sense to me, but then I've only watched these games play out for decades.
ALEC has an unsavory reputation with EVERYBODY, not just liberals. Which is why lots of corporations have left.
White people have not used charter schools here because they couldn't start a charter school. They could only convert previously public school. With this amendment they can do just that. But, like I said, I'm sure this law will pass, ALEC is good t that. It is only inthe aftermath that people will realize that they've bought a pig in a poke. Carry on.
The school my son goes to was started by white people. We have white students but the school is predominately black and is in a predominately black neighborhood. It is also not run by a corporation, it is run by the board - a governing body of our particular school.
Unions have their place and I am actually pro-union in most instances but even liberally minded people should be able to see that some of the things the larger teacher unions do are not always in the best interest of the schools, communities, or children that are served via the public school system. Charters are a way of getting unions and corporations out of schools as the board is usually made up of parents or invested citizens from the neighborhood/community that the school is serving, not corporations. Some traditional public schools have corporate sponsors you know.
Do you really think there are huge amounts of whites here in metro Atlanta who will do whatever it takes to get their kids away from black people?
I am not one who believes that racism is dead or there are no prejudices in the world, but I don't think that large amounts of white flight from traditional public schools will occur like it did in the past. But this probably has to do with the fact that at our charter school, I am seeing more and more white families coming to our school, where they don't seem to mind that they are in the minority, probably because we have something at our school (extremely low class sizes) that they think will benefit their kids.
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