Letter to the Editor

To the Editor: Vote “NO” in the coming election! As a part of the General Election on November 8, 2016, the citizens of Georgia will be asked to consider proposed Constitutional Amendment No.1 that reads as follows:

Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance? ____YES ____NO

If one reviews all of the proposed legislation that would become effective should this Constitutional Amendment be approved by the people, the referendum SHOULD read as follows:

Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow an appointee of the Governor to take over local school operation, buildings, and control of all federal, state, and local school funding if a school funding if a school has low scores on standardized tests or for any other reason a future legislature may allow?

Should Amendment 1 be passed, the takeover of the selected schools could occur as early as January 2017. Up to as many as 20 schools could be taken over immediately, and ultimately 100 schools could become a part of what the Governor is calling the Opportunity School District (OSD). Once schools become a part of the Opportunity School District, they would be controlled by a superintendent, appointed by and responsible to, the Governor. While there could be some cooperative work between the OSD and the local authorities, the state would have ultimate control and authority over these schools. Teacher and administrators could be hired and fired at will, and parental and community involvement would be at a minimum.

The question arises as to whether or not there are other programs provided by the state to assist schools and school systems to improve. Currently, the Georgia Department of Education ( DOE) has a number of programs to assist students and schools that may be struggling. For example, the DOE’s Division of School and District Effectiveness provides great help to schools and students through Title 1 and numerous other programs focused upon individual and targeted groups of students. Additionally, the Regional Education Service Agencies provide a wide range of assistance and support for member school systems. After studying Georgia Constitutional Amendment No. 1, the Calhoun/Gordon County Retired Educators Association is convinced of the following:

Referendum 1 would allow state takeover of schools on the basis of standardized tests, a very incompetent way to base an entire program of improvement for schools and systems.

There is no proof that the takeover plan will solve the problems of struggling schools and school systems.

Similar efforts in Louisiana, Michigan, and Tennessee have borne no fruit in the effort to improve schools and school systems.

The state’s takeover plan provides NO increased funding for resources for struggling schools.

In conclusion, it is our belief that school and school system improvement is achieved by parent and community involvement working diligently with local and state authorities. Effective teachers, supported by strong administrators and provided the necessary resources, supplemented by parent involvement will move education farther down the road to higher achievement. The primary force NOT needed is bureaucratic burdening by politicians.

The Calhoun/ Gordon County Retired Educators Association recommends a NO vote on Amendment 1 in the November 8th General Election For the association, I remain Sincerely, Mary Nell Podgorny, President Calhoun/Gordon County Retired Educators Asociation