State board vote could have national reach

By D. Aileen Dodd

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A state Board of Education vote this week could have national implications in showing whether Georgia is fertile ground for new charter schools.

At a time when Georgia has been lauded nationally for its charter school law, the measure could reveal some of its flaws. For the first time, the state school board has been asked to reverse decisions made by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission.

Local district administrators and rejected charter school petitioners have appealed to the state board to exert its power. The commission could be overruled and face legal issues not covered by the charter schools law.

The state board will hold hearings on Wednesday and vote on Thursday, with seven schools and four appeals given consideration in the 8:30 a.m. opening meeting at Atlanta's  state Department of Education building.

“I think we will see a huge turnout,” said Andrew Broy, the associate state superintendent who oversees charter schools.

The state's possible precedent-setting action will be monitored by officials in the national charter schools movement. Some question whether Georgia actually has an independent authority over its charter schools.

The Center for Education Reform has criticized Georgia’s system of checks and balances as counter-productive. On a national report card, the group gave Georgia a "C" and ranked it 14th in the country for  effectiveness in its charter schools' law.

“The Georgia Charter School Commission is not entirely independent,” said Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform.

The state school board vote comes as Georgia competes for part of a $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” federal grant that will be split among states with a track record for closing the achievement gap and supporting innovation.

“I think the legislative intent is the state should only take action to overturn in an extraordinary case," Broy said.

Seven new schools have received commission approval -- Atlanta Heights Charter School, Fulton Leadership Academy, Museum School of Avondale Estates, Peachtree Hope Charter School, Coweta Charter Academy at Senoia, Heron Bay Academy and Pataula Charter Academy -- and the state board must decide whetherto let those approvals stand.

Coweta and Pataula charter schools face appeals from local school districts. Schools rejected by the commission, Lewis Academy of Excellence and Alpha Academy of Science, Art and Technology, will ask the board to overturn those denials.