Several influential education groups voiced opposition Monday to legislation that would allow Gov. Nathan Deal take over failing schools and place them in a new "opportunity" district.
Leaders from the Georgia Association of Educators, the Georgia School Boards Association and Georgia Association of Educational Leaders spoke out against Senate Bill 133 and its companion piece, Senate Resolution 287, which would give the governor unprecedented powers to intervene in failing schools. If passed, the legislation would create a new school district and allow the governor to run schools, close them, partner with local school districts to run them or convert them into charter schools.
The groups voiced concerns to a Senate committee, saying the proposal obliterates local control and is unnecessary because current law allows the state to intervene in failing schools, an option that hasn’t really been used.
“There’s a good reason people haven’t taken over schools,” said Jimmy Stokes, executive director of Georgia Association of Educational Leaders. “It’s like dogs chasing cars: Once you catch it, what in the world are you going to do with it?”
Members from Professional Association of Georgia Educators, the state’s largest educator advocacy organization, also raised concerns about the bill, and what it would mean for teachers in failing schools.
The governor’s proposal creates a new school district, which would require voters to approve a change to the Georgia Constitution. The state would have total authority over the schools put into the special district, and it could remove principals and teachers, change what students are learning, and control the schools’ budgets.
Deal's office estimates 141 schools would be eligible, including more than 60 in metro Atlanta. The special district would be overseen by a new superintendent who would report directly to the governor.
The Senate committee will reconvene Wednesday to discuss the issue.
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