New legislation targets “unacceptable” public schools
New legislation proposes a state takeover of struggling Georgia schools, in a reaction to the constitutional amendment for “chronically failing” schools that was rejected by voters in November.
House Bill 338, introduced Friday, had been anticipated since last year, when Gov. Nathan Deal vowed to push a "plan B" after his proposed Opportunity School District failed at the polls.
Like that measure, HB 338 would create a new position for a state official to oversee schools with low ratings on various state measures, but in this case the official would not answer directly to the governor. The chief turnaround officer would instead report to the state board of education, whose members are appointed by the governor.
The allowable interventions range from replacing school staff to taking over schools and handing them to a “successful” school district or to a private nonprofit.
Read more about the proposal at myAJC.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
