Bill would usurp local control on charter schools

Thu, 04/03/2008 - 9:42am
By: The Citizen

Time running out for House to vote on amended bill from Senate

A bill that would drastically change how charter schools are approved in Georgia may still have some life as the legislature approaches its final day tomorrow.

The bill would also allow such schools to receive all federal, state and local funding that otherwise would have been attributed to that student.

The bill would create a charter school commission that would authorize or deny charter school applications. Currently such powers are relegated expressly to local boards of education.

The current version of House Bill 881 is an amendment offered by the Senate, which means the House will have to vote on the measure again. It’s not clear if that will happen tomorrow, though, as it’s not on the current calendar of bills to be considered. The bill possibly could be added onto the House calendar by the Rules committee, which meets later today.

The current version of the bill has commission members being appointed by the state BoE, with three appointees recommended by Gov. Sonny Perdue, two appointees recommended by the President of the Senate and two appointees recommended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In an email to a constituent, Rep. Matt Ramsey said the bill is meant to allow charter schools to be approved particularly in failing school districts, which have over the past few years rebuffed efforts to create charter schools by denying such applications.

Ramsey also noted that due to the high quality of Fayette County schools he doesn’t think there will be a need for another public school, as all charter schools are also public schools where no tuition can be charged.

The bill allows the commission to preliminarily approve a charter school petition even if the petitioner hasn’t secured space, equipment or personnel if such is needed “for the petitioner to raise working capital.”

Although the state Board of Education would have the power to overrule the commission’s decisions with a two-thirds vote. But a petitioner whose application is denied in that manner can reapply to the commission for approval after “remedying any deficiencies cited by the State Board of Education.”

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sniffles5's picture
Submitted by sniffles5 on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 10:32am.

It's interesting that the AJC's Cro-Magnon-in-Residence, Jim Wooten, said last Friday that only 4 bills mattered this year in the legislature. Two of them were SB 458 which caused such a ruckus here last week, and HB 881, the bill that removes local control from charter schools.

Conservatism is dying, and bills like these are the reason why.


Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 11:53am.

Conservatism is dying because formerly conservative ideas and bills have been altered and morphed into ridiculous compromises in an effort to try to git-a-long and reach out to the Democrats with the ludicrous assumption that bi-partisanship compromises and trumps conservative sensibilities and principles. Republicans do this as an effort to reach out across the aisle pretending like the hand shake they thought they were going to get really wasn't the case and what they were actually getting was their hand bit off. Examples: Ramsey, Little Ronnie, Traitor Seabaugh and our wannabe VP - Georgia Governor Silly Purdue.

Conservatism is dying because Republicans are failing to fight the cancer of liberalism that has permeated conservatism's once solid principles and ideas.

________

The Sissy And The Word Defined


NUK_1's picture
Submitted by NUK_1 on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 12:41pm.

I agree with you, Git. Somewhere along the way, people who were conservative got a taste of power and wealth that can be obtained by being on the inside of government instead of on the outside. A lot suddenly liked the view much better on the inside and the lifetime income possibilities.

The real dearth of true conservatives is due to the lack of people with firm principles being involved in politics these days. You cannot be a conservative without having a fairly uncompromising political view and the spineless,egomaniacs, and power-hungry pols need not apply. It's easier to not be a conservative and just go along with whatever you think we'll keep you getting re-elected. Hey, why agonize and grapple with tough issues that have not-so-simple solutions when you can just mouth whatever BS will make enough of the masses and your loser colleagues happy and content?


Paul Perkins's picture
Submitted by Paul Perkins on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 12:58pm.

over a generation ago.

CS Lewis on the power of The Inner Ring

It explains the same things you referred to above.

I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born. ~Ronald Reagan, quoted in New York Times, 22 September 1980

This is the way to blog!


Steve Brown's picture
Submitted by Steve Brown on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 10:19am.

I agree with Newt Gingrich, the Republicans are running off the cliff.

HB 881 is another attempt by the State Republican leadership to centralize local government at the state level. They want to tell the local jurisdictions how to run their business.

Matt Ramsey's excuse about Fayette not needing another public school is feeble at best. If Ramsey is supposedly acting on conservative principles (based on his campaign material) then it really should not matter what Fayette County needs of does not need - follow the conservative principles of local control is best.

Faux conservatism will be the death of the Republican Party because they cannot be differentiated from the Democrats.

"Government is best which remains closest to the people." - President Ronald Reagan


Submitted by John M on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 10:39am.

Robert W. Morgan and his buddies are watching their guy, Rep. Matt Ramsey, run around the capitol with his pants on fire.

The guy says the state is going to force expensive schools on counties who don't want them, how crazy is that?

Rep. Ramsey is a little boy let loose in the candy store doing whatever he wants. That and the Citizen survey about New Kids on the Block make me want to barf.

"I'm NOT John Munford"

Git Real's picture
Submitted by Git Real on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 11:59am.

Just kidding man!

Wipe Brown's district voting fetish off of his agenda and I think we've go a fighting chance of ridding ourselves of this Ramsey character during the primaries.

And an even bigger AMEN to you on that idiotic and mindless New Kids survey.

HEY CAL! Turn that survey over to ole Git and I'll stir it up for you we'll get some discussions flowing on subjects that matter? How in the world did you allow Kevin Wandra get a hold of the passwords to the Survey Module?

Just kiddin' KW. Smiling

________

The Sissy And The Word Defined


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