More Georgia school districts are choosing a management model that offers less flexibility than full charter system status, as a June 30 deadline approaches to take a position.
Georgia is warning districts that they will lose waivers from rules that require costly things like smaller class sizes if they stick with their “status quo” management model. Districts were given blanket waivers during the recession, but the state will eliminate those waivers for districts that do not embrace increased “flexibility,” by choosing to become charter systems or adopting a model called “Investing in Educational Excellence” (IE2), which is somewhere between the traditional way of doing things and the charter system model.
As of Wednesday, 76 systems had sent letters of intent to pursue IE2 status, versus 16 opting for charter system status, Lou Erste, an associate superintendent at the Georgia Department of Education, told members of the state board of education at a work session. Two school districts — Burke and Webster county schools — want the status quo option, he added.
This seemed to surprise Brian Burdette, the state school board member who chairs the committee handling this issue.
“So they understood the repercussions?” he asked.
“They do,” Erste responded.
The letters of intent precede an actual application. So far, 31 of Georgia’s 180 districts have been approved as charter systems, including Decatur, Marietta and Fulton County in the metro area. Four have been approved as IE2 districts: Cobb, Gwinnett, Forsyth and Rabun counties.
In the metro area, Atlanta and DeKalb are seeking charter status while Clayton, Douglas and Rockdale counties are choosing the IE2 route.
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