Note (6/15/2015 @ 8pm): Policy IBB changes were just removed from the June 17 agenda.
In light of the Druid Hills Charter Cluster petition and the various other conversion charters up for renewal this year, the administration has rewritten DeKalb School’s charter policies. The board will be discussing these policies at a called meeting Wednesday June 17. Let me know your thoughts.
The autonomy of conversion charters was optional until June 2014 when the state released this memo saying,
Charter School Autonomy is No Longer Optional
Charter renewal applicants – including conversion charter school applicants – that are not granted full autonomy by their school districts will be recommended for denial.
Full autonomy means that the charter school’s Governing Board must have the final authority in personnel decisions, financial decisions, curriculum and instruction, resource allocation, establishing and monitoring the achievement of school improvement goals, and school operations.
Supporting Documents
Current Board Policy IBB- Board Regulation IBB-R(4) – to be eliminated
- Board Regulation IBB-R(5) – to be eliminated
- Board Regulation IBB-R(6) – to be renamed IBB-R(2)
- Proposed – Board Policy IBB
- Proposed – Board Regulation IBB-R
Georgia Department of Education Rules
- 160-4-9-.04 Charter Schools and Charter Systems Definitions
- 160-4-9-.05 Charter Schools Petition Process
- 160-4-9-.06 Charter Authorizers, Financing, Management, and Governance Training
- 160-4-9-.07 Charter Systems
Related Links and Documents
OCGA § 20-2-2060 – CHARTER SCHOOLS ACT OF 1998
06/01/2015 Agenda Item – Charter Policy Update
Druid Hills Charter Cluster Petition Saga
State Memo – charters must be autonomous- McNair Conversion Charter Petition – Autonomous personnel and financial decisions – Page 33 – “The school will implement a rigorous interview process to select and hire highly qualified teachers”
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”