There is already a casualty in the take-no-prisoners battle over the governor’s Opportunity School District: His relationship with Georgia’s teachers.
Opposition to his Opportunity School District by teachers and school boards has aggravated Gov. Nathan Deal and it shows. In recent speeches, Deal assailed school boards — more than 40 of which passed anti-OSD resolutions — as monopolies more interested in retaining power than revitalizing schools. Voters will decide the measure on Nov. 8 as it requires a constitutional amendment to allow state takeover of local schools.
He's alarmed teachers with what many regard as a blatant intimidation tactic. On Friday, Deal's chief of staff sent out an Open Records request to every school district in Georgia for how they use payroll deductions for dues in teacher groups, which may be the foundation of legislation banning such deductions with the aim of driving down membership rolls.
In taking aim at locally elected officials and educators, Deal has risked the opportunity to win over the very groups necessary for his OSD to succeed. The first rule of effective school reform: Get teachers and communities on board.
To read more and see what teachers are saying, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.
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