Board Of Education
On November 8, 2016, the people of Georgia will vote on Amendment 1: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance?” A “yes” vote supports authorizing the state to form an Opportunity School District (OSD) that would govern certain elementary and secondary schools determined to be “chronically failing.”
1. Does the state have any responsibility for the performance of local school districts?
2. If the state does not abdicate all responsibility to local school districts, then what is the alternative to OSD?
This Monday, the DeKalb County Board of Education will meet, discuss and vote on this DRAFT “Statement Opposing OSD.” What are your thoughts?
After careful consideration, the DeKalb County Board of Education urges voters to vote NO on the proposed Constitutional Amendment #1, the Opportunity School District amendment.
Local control of education is a bedrock American principle. We strongly believe that citizens whose taxes pay for a majority of the cost of educating our children should exercise control over decisions relating to that education. We believe it is not only wrong but risky to give up local control to a new state bureaucracy; this approach failed to improve education for children when introduced in school districts in New Orleans, Memphis, Normandy (MO) and elsewhere.
The Board strongly believes that the answer to improved academic outcomes and achievement is in the classroom and the schoolhouse, with motivated, well-trained teachers; engaged, challenged students; and involved, supportive parents, caregivers, and communities.
To accomplish our goals of restoring DeKalb’s national reputation for academic excellence and for providing world-class services to our students, staff, and communities, DeKalb County Schools will continue to invest in our children and our teachers. We have demonstrated our commitment over the last year by eliminating all teacher furlough days and granting multiple pay increases for our teachers and staff. We are transforming our schools through rigor, relevance, and relationships. Voting NO to a state takeover of our local schools will allow DeKalb to continue its progress for all our children.
Opportunity School District – In The News
School boards defy Gov. Nathan Deal on state schools takeover
Sept. 2, 2016 – The Cherokee County school board joined about a half dozen of Georgia’s 180 school districts in a rebellion against Gov. Nathan Deal’s plan to take over “failing” schools across the state, and more boards may stand beside them this week. The Cherokee board, in a GOP stronghold of the state, voted 7-0 for a symbolic resolution that says the proposed statewide district, with a superintendent answering only to the governor, would erode local control over education and tax dollars.
Gov. Deal comes out swinging today against opponents of his Opportunity School District
Sept. 8, 2016 – Governor Deal had special venom for school leaders who repeatedly failed to pass along budget increases to teachers in the form of raises and reduced furlough days over the past three years, saying he and lawmakers would make such raises mandatory in future budgets. Deal unleashed his sharpest words on critics of his proposed constitutional amendment to create an “Opportunity School District.”
Note to governor: Opposing state takeover doesn’t mean you support failing schools
Failing schools are typically located in impoverished communities dealing with high crime, low employment and families in crisis. Those communities lack the safety nets and comprehensive social services needed to address all of these problems, so we turn to the schools and ask them to change the trajectories of the children. And schools do, for some of the kids. But the schools alone cannot revive economically desolate Main Streets, conquer crime, get parents good-paying jobs and help them to guide their children to better choices than they made.
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”