Votes by charter school parents such as one holding up Peachtree Charter Middle School’s charter renewal are becoming less frequent, as the type of school where those votes are needed disappear.
Friday will be the third time parents will have voted whether to renew Peachtree Charter Middle’s charter since August, when fewer than two dozen took part. A second vote was wiped off the record books after a parent said the ballot box wasn’t always secure during voting earlier this month.
The rule requiring a secret ballot by parents applies to conversion charter schools, traditional public schools that made the switch to charters. 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.
“It was a good idea back then,” said Louis Erste, associate state superintendent for policy, charter schools, district flexibility and governmental affairs for the Georgia Department of Education, of the shifts to charters. And there was federal money available to assist in planning for the conversion schools, a financial incentive for creating an alternative program.
Now, “There’s a general trend toward conversion charter schools not seeking renewals,” Erste said.
Erste said he could recall several charters denied renewal through a parent vote in recent years, including one in Cobb County and two in DeKalb County.
At the height of the conversion charter school movement, dozens existed across the state. Just 18 remain, with five of those — Chamblee Charter High School, Peachtree, Chesnut Charter Elementary School, Kingley Charter Elementary School and Smoke Rise Elementary School — in DeKalb County.
Peachtree parent Tim O’Connor, whose complaint about possible ballot-box tampering led to the new parent vote, said he appreciates the parents having a voice in the process.
O’Connor, who has two children at the school, said he and his wife volunteer often, sometimes performing administrative work, or helping out with a tennis team, as he did this week.
He said when he was made aware of possible improprieties during the last vote, he went to take a look. Among other things, the ballot box, an unlocked container covered in green and purple construction paper with the word “vote” written on the side, was being taken around on a media cart. Ballots had been removed from the box and were sorted and stacked on it during the voting. O’Connor took pictures of it all.
“It’s like the people voting in a general election, but the Republican party is allowed access and to count the votes,” he said.
DeKalb County School District officials acknowledge the upcoming revote, suggesting their investigation into the second vote ended when a third vote was planned.
O’Connor said he’s happy rules allow him and other parents to be active participants in how their children are being educated.
“I would love for there to be even more independence from the school district,” O’Connor said, adding that the voting debacle was “indicative of some of the management issues at the school.”
“And we want the school to continue, which is sort of ironic.”
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