| Poll: Voters in Georgia Support Charter Amendment |
| posted by: Cindy Omlin | July 11, 2012, 12:08 AM |
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Based on the results of a poll conducted March 29-30 by the Georgia Charter Schools Association, 58% of those surveyed said they would support the amendment when a pollster read them its current wording. Additionally, just 23% said they would vote no, while 19% were undecided at the time. The poll of 600 likely voters has a margin of error of 4 percent. Voters will ultimately decide the fate of the amendment during the general election in November.
"We think more public-school options are something parents want to see so we're excited about the initial outcome," said Mark Peevy, campaign manager for the pro-amendment group Families for Better Public Schools.
Based on the highs stakes outcome for the public charter school movement in Georgia, coalitions have formed to campaign for and against the amendment. Pushing passage are charter school advocates, parents, and educators in support of expanding options. Working against it is Vote Smart Georgia, made up of the groups of union leaders who are in favor of curtailing charter school growth in the state.
The ultimate decision over the charter controversy in Georgia will undoubtedly affect the 65,000 students enrolled in charter schools across the state. The status of the 16+ schools whose applications were denied by school boards and allowed by the state commission is now questionable, as they, too, have been deemed unconstitutional under the May decision.
Reflecting national trends, thousands of students in Georgia are currently on waiting lists to attend public charter schools across the state. According to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, last year more than 5,000 students in Georgia were on waiting lists to attend the state's few start-up charter schools.
"Most parents in Georgia are not waiting for a seat to come open for their child in a charter school. They are waiting for a charter school to open," said Dr. Tony Roberts, CEO of The Georgia Charter Schools Association (GCSA). "The vast majority of Georgia's 180 school districts do not offer any public charter school options to their parents and students. So, we really don't have anywhere near an accurate count of the true waiting list for charter schools in Georgia."
What do you think about the Georgia charter school amendment? Originally posted by Alix at AAE.
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