Georgia school districts sue over charter school funding.

[Slartibartfast]

Charter school lawsuit hearing Tuesday - The Times-Herald

This is an issue very near and dear to my heart. I have not seen conclusive evidence that charter schools do anything to bring down the cost or increase educational results (except in limited circumstances that are not always reproducible in other states), so I see no justification for the state to divert funding away from the local boards to charter schools.

 

[RosieS]

It really depends on what kind of charter school it is or the quality of it if it's a magnet school. A Montessori charter school that carefully selects kids from a diverse pool would be ok....a charter that eliminates the teaching of art, music and social studies would not be. Neither would a charter that ends up being effectively segregationist.

The magnet schools also must be of high quality and not be a cover for segregation or religious based curricula.

There are a whole LOT of charter schools that have fallen by the wayside in the US because parents want religious based or segregated schooling from the charter schools and soon find out they can't have that. As a generalization, if a charter school lasts more than 3 years it is typically of the same quality or better than the surrounding public schools. Many don't make it a full 2 years, and they should not.

Regards from Rosie

 

[Slartibartfast]

It really depends on what kind of charter school it is or the quality of it if it's a magnet school. A Montessori charter school that carefully selects kids from a diverse pool would be ok....a charter that eliminates the teaching of art, music and social studies would not be. Neither would a charter that ends up being effectively segregationist.

Magnet schools are great and I highly support them. However, this case involves multiple charter schools of varying quality.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Charter school lawsuit hearing Tuesday - The Times-Herald

This is an issue very near and dear to my heart. I have not seen conclusive evidence that charter schools do anything to bring down the cost or increase educational results (except in limited circumstances that are not always reproducible in other states), so I see no justification for the state to divert funding away from the local boards to charter schools.

Most charter schools are usually cheaper, just because the funds diverted per student, are less than the funds given to regular schools.
Performance wise, they're like public schools, where it can vary but taken into the context that, cheaper = same results, I have no problem.

I wish they would divert funds to my kids homeschooling.
We could do a lot more with it than the school does. :?

 

[Slartibartfast]

Most charter schools are usually cheaper, just because the funds diverted per student, are less than the funds given to regular schools.
Performance wise, they're like public schools, where it can vary but taken into the context that, cheaper = same results, I have no problem.

I wish they would divert funds to my kids homeschooling.
We could do a lot more with it than the school does. :?

If the school performs better than great, but it is something that the local districts should decide for themselves. The state did an end run around them.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

If the school performs better than great, but it is something that the local districts should decide for themselves. The state did an end run around them.

That's how it's funded though, from all three levels.

If the local area wants to make all the decisions, they need to fund their school systems in total.
That's what really sucks about state and federal control over things, localities lose the authority to decide this stuff.

 

[Slartibartfast]

That's how it's funded though, from all three levels.

If the local area wants to make all the decisions, they need to fund their school systems in total.
That's what really sucks about state and federal control over things, localities lose the authority to decide this stuff.

The case is about the state pulling funding out of the district for these schools after the local school boards voted them down.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

The case is about the state pulling funding out of the district for these schools after the local school boards voted them down.

A local school board can't vote down the state, that's how the supremacy of laws and legality work.
Feds, rule over states, rule over localities.

 

[Slartibartfast]

A local school board can't vote down the state, that's how the supremacy of laws and legality work.
Feds, rule over states, rule over localities.

Generally yes. The question is whether the state broke its own laws in doing what it did though.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Generally yes. The question is whether the state broke its own laws in doing what it did though.

I don't think they did because if I'm not mistaken, they already cut funding to schools this year (or was it last year?) and the localities don't vote, to approve those cuts.

The court already said that the state has the authority to establish "special schools" too.
Doesn't look good for the Coweta school system.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I don't think they did because if I'm not mistaken, they already cut funding to schools this year (or was it last year?) and the localities don't vote, to approve those cuts.

The court already said that the state has the authority to establish "special schools" too.
Doesn't look good for the Coweta school system.

Yep. And its another reason Purdue was a sucky governer. I hope Barnes gets back in as he has a history of prioritizing education over less important state functions (more was taken out than due to budget cuts)

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Yep. And its another reason Purdue was a sucky governer. I hope Barnes gets back in as he has a history of prioritizing education over less important state functions (more was taken out than due to budget cuts)

For what it's worth, Purdue has largely let things be and he did help set up the rainy day fund, for recessions.
To me, that's just awesome financial responsibility.

Education is one of the largest parts of the state budget, it has to be cut when revenue is down.

 

[Slartibartfast]

For what it's worth, Purdue has largely let things be and he did help set up the rainy day fund, for recessions.
To me, that's just awesome financial responsibility.

Education is one of the largest parts of the state budget, it has to be cut when revenue is down.

Cutting based on revenue is unfortunate, but fine. What he did though was cut the education fund and lend some of it towards company development (read companies pocketing the money and still not hiring people).

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Cutting based on revenue is unfortunate, but fine. What he did though was cut the education fund and lend some of it towards company development (read companies pocketing the money and still not hiring people).

Honestly it doesn't bother me to cut education, it could afford to be cut some more if you ask me.

Yea handing money to businesses, for no reason, is stupid.
I don't agree with that at all.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Just an update after watching the GPB governors debate.

Roy Barnes plan is flaccid.
Most of what he wants, has been proven in many instances, to be ineffectual.
Pre-K, class sizes, increased funding don't work.