As Gov. Nathan Deal's school takeover bid nears a crucial vote in the Georgia House, an influential voice is giving it his qualified endorsement.
Michael Thurmond, the former Democratic labor commissioner and current leader of DeKalb's school system, spoke to members of the Legislative Black Caucus on Tuesday hours after House Democrats took a position against Deal's proposal to give the state broad new powers to intervene in persistently distressed schools.
With the 40-day session's end looming next week, this is a precarious time for Deal's signature legislative initiative. And when Thurmond uttered the following words to a room packed with critics, you could hear a pin drop.
"It has focused attention on disadvantaged under-performing students," said Thurmond. "I for one will not defend what are failing schools. And I do not think anyone else in this room should either. There are failing schools. It's just a fact."
But he added a major caveat: The governor and his allies need to change what schools are defined as failing. In DeKalb, 25 of the 137 schools meet the bill's definition: They have scored less than 60 on the state's school performance index for three years in a row.
"If you look at the data, you'll find that 23 of those 25 schools have shown significant improvement and growth over the last two years," he said. "I've said consistently that improving and growing school is not a failing one. And our only responsibility is to grow those students so that over a period of time they're able to catch up."
That would leave two schools in his district, the state's third-largest, with no signs of progress, thus fitting the "failing" category. And Thurmond indicated he had no problem with those two being eligible for Deal's program.
The governor's aides have resisted such a change, saying that the state's complex formula already factors score growth as a top priority.
In an interview after his remarks, Thurmond said the takeover proposal, combined with Deal's plan to overhaul school funding in 2016, could change Georgia schools for the better.
"I honestly believe that this could be a HOPE scholarship moment for K-12 public education," he said. "This bill, in tandem with the finance commission's work, can transform public education - properly structured and constituted."
And that means, he said, "recognizing, acknowledging and celebrating growth."
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