Jeanie May Charter schools must perform to a high standard or they get shut down. If Traditional Public schools don't meet the requirements they usually just get MORE money. So yes Charter schools are held to a different standard-it is called ACCOUNTABILITY!

The training that took place in Orlando was not funded by the Tax Payers.

CCA students ONLY receive 40% OF THE TAX MONEY that is INTENDED for them. CCSD GETS THE REMAINING 60% (TECHNICALLY THAT MONEY SHOULD FOLLOW THE CCA STUDENT). If CCSD gets MORE money and an EMPTY SEAT---how is CCA causing ANY financial strain on CCSD?

A month after opening CCA something AMAZING happened! --- A new choice plan was proposed by the Cherokee Co. School Board!!! More educational choices for the children of Cherokee county! CCA brought great things to an already GREAT school district-WITHOUT COMPROMISING IT!

@Debbie

Drop out rate is not 25% and you know what? some kids go to jail, get pregnant, try drugs and are on welfare while they are IN school...so they take longer than 4 years to graduate.

When looking at the cost to educate students you have to compare apples to apples, look at CCSD Operating budget, not total budget. CCA doesnt have busing, nurses, special ed which are all expensive.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT WHO OR WHAT IS A BETTER WAY TO EDUCATE CHILDREN...IT IS ABOUT MAKING GOVERNMENT BIGGER AND WITH MORE POWER! not about parent control!!

The Traditional school system may work for some children but what about the others. Right now Georgia's standard Public Schools drop out rate is over 25% which is UNACCEPTABLE! So the 1 in 4 children that WE FAIL to educate what happens to them? Jail? Pregnant? Drugs? Welfare? Putting a child through college cost less that paying for that child to be incarcerated. This is a drain on Georgia's economy. Crime is up, property rates down, and the jobs are scarce because who wants to start a business in a state that ranks #47. This "One Size Fits All Students" attitude is dangerous to the future of our children as well as Georgia's economy!

IT COST'S $2,000-$3,000 LESS TO EDUCATE A CHARTER STUDENT!!!! 90% of Charter High School students graduate.

Obviously Charter School are a Taxpayer's friend. They cost less, give more and gives real local control-PARENT CONTROL!

"This is how Cherokee Charter Academy was approved and can be renewed for years to come. There is no need to recreate the Charter Commission."

This was overturned by the supreme court in ga.

"Amendment proponents want to do so because there likely is a better chance for charters run by for-profit entities to be approved by the Charter Commission than the State BOE"

Every public school is for profit, it they were not nobody would work there.

"What is truly galling is that the state is presently funding these “special” charter schools at two and one-half times the per pupil rate which traditional public school districts are funded."

This is factually incorrect, they are funded at 65% less then the other schools.

In addition the money they get at this moment is from STEM grants, which can not go to traditional schools.

Hummm, apparently you didn't pay attention when you went to the meetings and all the Math was done for you and given to you.Not only that but you didn't seem to pay attention to anything that was said. Yes, Cherokee Charter was approved as a special school but the courts have already ruled that our constitution only allows for the local BOE's to be able to approve Charter schools, so what will happen if the amendment isn't approved is then you will come after the state BOE saying it is unconstitional for them to put in special schools and then Cherokee Charter and all of the other special schools in the state will go away. So..... this is not an option. Also, the board that will be listening to the APPEAL for people wanting Charter Schools doesn't approve everyone. This board has been in action for a very very long time and no one seemed to have a problem with it until now. They are only an appeals process and like i said they do not approve all the schools, a lot more are denied than approved. you have to show and prove that there is a need in the community that you are wanting the school. Also why is it that Charter Schools can educate their children for 3000.00 a year less per child than traditional public schools and yes our CRCT scores rival yours and are even better, thank you. Why do you always need more and more money to educate and do not do a very good job. Tell me why do failing schools remail open and more and more money are thrown at these schools to see if they will improve while the children suffer with lose of education the local BOE's play god with their education. When Charter Schools fail they are closed! immediately! Charter School standards are higher than local traditional schools... why is that? The state is having to fund these schools more than the other schools because the traditional public schools kept all of our kids money, from the local money, to state money, to federal money. hummmm really. So CCSD is getting paid for my child but isn't having to teach my child. Seems like they are making out like bandits! The local traditional public schools are "under Funded" right now not because the state hasn't increased the money given to them. They are "under funded" because tax revenue has decreased due to housing prices falling and no one is buying anything. The state and federal governement can't be expected to supplement this shortfall. The local BOE's should have saved for a rainy day while everything was booming but instead they spent everything and now want to build Dr P's castle in hard times. We have also approved a .1 cent tax to add more money to the school budget and yet this still isn't enough. I don't think there ever will be enough! Our Criminals get an appeal so why don't our children? The local BOE is not end all to be all! everything has checks and balances and the Boe's of Ga need one due to power hunger!

A recent Gallup poll shows that Americans rate traditional public schools as the worst place to educate one's children. Tribune rules prevent me from providing a link but a google of 'Gallup Poll American Education' will show the article I am referring to.

Americans are rejecting the traditional public schooling model for a variety of reasons but mostly because it's been a complete failure for America, as evidenced by our nation's slide down global rankings. It's why only 5% of America finds traditional public schools to be an 'excellent' source of education. 95% of Americans think otherwise. Locally, why support an increase of funding to a GA school system mired at the bottom of numerous national rankings? Why not support an alternative to this continued below-average performance even as per-child spending has doubled the past 2 decades?

How exactly will more money fix the problems it hasn't fixed already? Repeating the same thing and expecting different results isn't good policy - it's insanity.

Passage of 1162 ensures that Georgian taxpayers will continue to have the alternative that charters provide.

Voting NO to 1162 ensures that the poor and minorities stay mired in their current, poor educational systems, like the corrupt joke that is the Atlanta Public School system.

Make no mistake: BOEs around the state will simply begin denying approvals and renewals of existing charter schools if 1162 is defeated. BOEs are more interested in funding than education of our children, as evidenced by the numerous complaints by various superintendents for more funding even as we trudge through this Recession.

OK ... from now on, you can only have an iPhone and ATT HAS to be your carrier. You can only have your trash picked up by Waste Management. You can only contract with Dish Network for your media needs. You can only shop at Kroger. This is how a lot of people feel about educational CHOICE. I SUPPORT the public school systems ... all of them. However, they didn't meet the needs of my child. Therefore, I was fortunate enough to be able to CHOOSE another public school for her to attend where she is flourishing. I regularly shop for the best bargains and best value at the grocery, for auto insurance, etc. Why should I not be able to do the same in regard to one of the things most important to me ... my CHILD'S education.....just sayin'.