2010 Charter Schools Conference Opens This Week

The 2010 Georgia Charter Schools Conference is expected to attract nearly 500 participants this year, including key note speakers Dr. Harry Wong and Kevin Chavous. The event begins Wednesday evening.

Charter Schools, GCSA Featured on TV

Several GCSA member charter schools have been featured on television news programs recently, here in Atlanta, as well as in Alabama. Brighten Academy, KIPP STRIVE and Tech High were featured on WSFA-TV in Montgomery. Ivy Prep and Unversity Community Academy were featured on ABC 33/40 in Birmingham, and The Elite Scholars Academy was featured on CBS46 in Atlanta.

Charter Commission Decisions Upheld On Seven New Schools

The State Board of Education decided to take no action on appeals filed by several school districts attempting to block the opening of new charter schools in the fall. Officials from the Coweta, Early and Randolph County School Systems had asked the Board to overturn the Georgia Charter Schools Commission’s approval of the schools’ charters.

“We are pleased that the State Board of Education, after carefull deliberation, saw fit to allow the Commission’s decisions to move forward,” said Tony Roberts, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the Georgia Charter Schools Association.

Q&A with Dr. Harry Wong, GCSA Conference Keynote Speaker

Renowned education reform expert Dr. Harry Wong will be a keynote speaker at the 8th Annual GCSA Charter Schools Conference, March 10-12. Dr. Wong recently detailed his thoughts on a number of topics, including common mistakes made by young educators and what administrators should look for in teachers.

Georgia’s Charter School Laws Rank Fourth in U.S.

According to an extensive report released by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Georgia ranks No. 4 when evaluated on its commitment to the full range of values in the public charter school movement: quality and accountability, funding equity, facilities support, autonomy, and growth and choice. Click on this story to read more about the report, plus statements from Georgia House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones (R-Milton) and GCSA CEO Tony Roberts, Ph. D.

State Charter Schools Commission Approves Seven Petitions

The Georgia Charter Schools Commission announced Monday the approval of seven petitions for charter schools that will begin operating in the fall of 2010: Atlanta Heights Charter School in Atlanta; Coweta Charter Academy at Senoia in Coweta County; Fulton Leadership Academy in south Fulton County; Heron Bay Academy in Henry County; The Museum School of Avondale Estates and Peachtree Hope Charter School in DeKalb County; and Pataula Charter Academy in southwest Georgia.

Crowd of 2,000 Rallies at the Capitol for Charter Schools

An enthusiastic crowd of an estimated 2,000 students, teachers, administrators, parents and charter school supporters participated in the “Rally at the Capitol for Charter Schools” event, Nov. 6.

AJC Op-Ed: Charter Schools Under False Attack

Georgia Charter Schools Association Chief Executive Officer Tony Roberts, Ph.D., explains why the school districts that have chosen to sue the State Department of Education, State Board of Education, State Superintendent and the Charter Commission are wrong.

Georgia’s Charter Schools are Financially Sound

A study released last week by the Fiscal Research Center at Georgia State University found that the financial health of the state’s charter schools is mixed, contrary to headlines that appeared in media reports about the study.
Click here to read a response from GCSA CEO Dr. Tony Roberts, and click here to read the GCSA [...]

Gwinnett Schools Lawsuit is About Stifling Choice

The GCSA takes great exception to decision to sue a high-achieving, all-girls charter middle school solely for the purpose of maintaining control of the educational choice options of parents and students in the county.