[NewsJunky]

Some systems are suing to stop money from going to Charter schools. I want to see more choice not less. I also think Home Schooling parents should be able to keep the dollars they pay into the system. Gwinnett County, DeKalb County, Bulloch, and Candler school districts have all filed suit

By D. Aileen Dodd


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The growing pains of Georgia charter schools will be discussed Friday at an annual address tracking the school choice movement.
Gains in student achievement and an increase in charter school startups have made the state a competitive player in the education enterprise industry, say state administrators and leaders of the Georgia Charter Schools Association. Charter officials will detail how students are faring and share proposals on the horizon at the "State of the Charter" meeting from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta.

The talk comes as the DeKalb County School District becomes the fourth system to sue the state over the local control of public education and the dollars allocated for students.

Approximately 65,000 students attend charter schools statewide.

Despite that growth, recent standardized test scores show that charter school students appear to be achieving at higher levels than their peers on traditional campuses. A GCSA analysis found that 81.1 percent of all charter schools met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals for student achievement in 2009 compared with 79.1 percent of all traditional public schools in the state.

Students at startup charter schools -- charters run independently of local districts -- fared even better. Nearly 83 percent of independent charter schools made AYP, according to the analysis.

The legal challenges allege that the Charter Schools Commission is illegally funding and authorizing new schools outside the mandates of the state constitution. It also scolds the state for giving charter school campuses money meant for public school districts.

[Troublet]

I have no problem with Charter schools or magnet schools. If run properly, they do produce the results i.e. high test scores.

I do have a problem if the money that was slated to go to the public schools is being "reallocated" to the Charters. Now, that is wrong.

[NewsJunky]

I have no problem with Charter schools or magnet schools. If run properly, they do produce the results i.e. high test scores.

I do have a problem if the money that was slated to go to the public schools is being "reallocated" to the Charters. Now, that is wrong.

Some public schools have asked to become Charter Schools and that is legal in Georgia. How is it reallocation of money just because they are now called Charter Schools?

[SOLO]

If home school people get to keep the money they pay in because their kids do not use the state school systems then I should get to keep mine because I have no kids in school.

[NewsJunky]

If home school people get to keep the money they pay in because their kids do not use the state school systems then I should get to keep mine because I have no kids in school.

But you are not educating a child. If you homeschool it still costs.