Conversion charter schools in Georgia reverting to district control

The rule requiring a secret ballot by parents to continue conversion charter schools, traditional public schools that made the switch to charters, is going by the wayside.

It was part of the original charter law in 1998, intended to ensure everyone had a say in the way a school was functioning and that once renewal was on the table, teachers and parents had a say in where the school was headed.

But the number of conversion charters is shrinking, mostly due to changes that give local school districts more freedom from state mandates on pay scales, teacher certification and in-seat time for students in return for higher student performance. That kind of freedom was what parents sought in turning traditional school into charter schools. Now, schools can maintain more individuality of their teaching practices while under district control.