Why did governor’s Opportunity School District fail?

Gov. Nathan Deal saw six out of 10 Georgians reject his passionate plea to allow him to take over failing schools.

Why?

Voters did not accept the governor’s insistence the best hope for failing Georgia schools rested with proposed his Opportunity School District, patterned after similar state takeover districts in New Orleans and Tennessee.

The marketing plan for Amendment 1 never seemed to coalesce. Besides Deal, few big GOP names got behind the Opportunity School District, perhaps payback for the governor’s veto of the religious liberties and guns-on-campus laws. Many Georgians complained about the overtly racial mailers from the pro OSD campaign.

But at the heart of the defeat was likely the public’s support of local control of their schools. They just did not believe the governor could better run their schools from Atlanta.

To read more, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.

About the Author

Blank Foundation to give $6 million to sports programs in metro Atlanta schools

The foundation, in partnership with Atlanta United, the Atlanta Falcons and the PGA Tour Superstore, will provide the funding to six school districts over three years.

Effort to overhaul ‘woke’ college accreditation system raises questions. Here’s what it means.

The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized accreditors. Its desire for new ones raises questions.

Two Georgia universities joining new, controversial accreditor

Columbus State and Georgia Southern are among the 10 schools joining a new accreditation agency, the Commission for Public Higher Education.

The Latest

Credit: Daniel Varnado/For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Blank Foundation to give $6 million to sports programs in metro Atlanta schools

Effort to overhaul ‘woke’ college accreditation system raises questions. Here’s what it means.

Two Georgia universities joining new, controversial accreditor

Featured

Credit: Miguel Martinez

Metro Atlanta’s worst times, days for traffic this holiday season

If you must travel on one of the busy days, consider leaving outside peak traffic hours.

Leader of Alpharetta firm accused in $300M Ponzi scheme pleads guilty

The former chief operating officer of an Alpharetta company at the center of an alleged $300 million Ponzi scheme has pleaded guilty to an associated fraud charge.

Georgia mom may sue state patrol after chase killed her teen son

A 19-year-old was killed when a driver fleeing a state trooper smashed into his vehicle in Atlanta. His family braces for a holiday season without their beloved son.