NACSA
NACSA Issues Statement on Georgia Supreme Court Ruling on Charter Schools Commission
Contact: Erica Jones, 773.771.6543,
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Chicago, Ill. (May 16, 2011) - Today, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled to strike down the Georgia Charter Schools Commission. The ruling is in response to an appeal to the state's court over local school board objections to direct funding to charter schools approved by the commission. Greg Richmond, President and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), issued the following statement in response to the ruling.
"We live in a world where virtually all information is available to anyone, anywhere at any time. So it's unfortunate that the Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that the state constitution gives "exclusive control" of public education to local school boards. Georgia should be expanding educational opportunities for children, not constricting them."
This decision rests on unique provisions in the Georgia Constitution and a reading of these provisions earned a vigorous dissent from three members of the Court. NACSA believes that other states with established or newly created commissions, or those considering establishing them, can continue to turn to this strategy for charter school growth with confidence. NACSA urges the Georgia State Legislature to craft a solution that will allow these schools adequate funding and eliminate any doubt that this option will remain open for the creators of great schools for Georgia's children.
The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is the trusted resource and innovative leader working with public officials and education leaders to increase the number of high-quality charter schools in cities and states across the nation. NACSA provides training, consulting, and policy guidance to authorizers and education leaders interested in increasing the number of high-quality schools and improving student outcomes.
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