S.R. 287 & S.B. 133 Opportunity
School District & OSD School Superintendent “Each school system shall be
under the management and control of a board of education, the members of which
shall be elected as provided by law.”
– The Constitution of the State of Georgia, Article VIII, Section V, Paragraph II “There shall be a State School Superintendent, who shall be the executive officer of the State Board of Education, elected at the same time and in the same manner for the same term as that of the Governor.”
– The Constitution of the State of Georgia, Article VIII, Section III, Paragraph 1 S.B. 133 introduced February 19th by Senator Butch Miller (R), the governor’s floor leader
from Gainesville, would establish within the Office of Student Achievement the Opportunity School District (OSD) that would be authorized “to assume the supervision, management, and operation of public elementary and secondary schools which have been determined to be
failing pursuant to this article.” OSD is defined as “the state-wide district” and, as such, could assume control of 20 public elementary or secondary schools annually, up to a total of 100. OSD Superintendent: The governor would appoint an OSD superintendent to serve as the OSD executive officer, whose salary the governor would set. An OSD superintendent (a) could waive certain State Board of Education rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; (b) could not waive federal, state, and local rules, regulations, court orders and laws; (c) could intervene and directly manage selected schools or share control with the local board of education via a contract; (d) could retain or reconstitute school councils; (d) could direct changes to the school; (e) could direct decisions of school principals; and (f) hire/fire school teachers and principals.
Teachers: “Any teacher … who is not given the option to continue as an employee for the opportunity school shall remain an employee of the local board of education [that] may determine whether or not to continue the employment of any teacher who is not given the option to continue as an employee for the opportunity school, subject to [this Code Section].”
Conclusion: OSD would be controlled by the governor’s appointees. Schools and personnel of OSD schools would be controlled by OSD. An appointed state school superintendent would assume authority currently held by the elected state school superintendent, thereby reducing the
authority of voters, as well as the duly elected state school superintendent.
ACTION – Oppose. This passed the Senate 38-17 on March 5th and is in the House Education Committee.
Please contact House Education Committee Representatives Coleman, Ch., 404 656-9210; Dudgeon, V-Ch., 656-0298; Benton, Sec., 463-3793; Belton, 656-0152; Beskin, 656-0254; Cantrell, 656-0202; Carter, 463-2248; Casas, 656-0254; Chandler, 656-0254; Clark, 656-0325; Dickerson*, 656-0314; Dickson, 463-2246; Glanton*, 657-1803; Howard*, 656-6373; Jones, 656-5072; Kaiser, 656-0265; Maxwell, 656-5143; Mayo*, 656-6372; Setzler, 656-7857; Stovall*, 656-0314; Tanner, 656-0152; and Teasley, 656-5146. (*denotes Democrat)
S.R. 287, introduced by Senator Butch Miller (R) February 19th, is a proposed constitutional amendment to (a) create an Opportunity School District and (b) allow the state to assume the supervision, management, and operation of public elementary and secondary schools deemed to be failing through any governance model allowed by law.
If S.R. 287 receives a two-thirds majority of votes in the House, as it did in the Senate, voters would decide the following question on the 2016 General Election Ballot:
“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance?”
ACTION – Oppose. This passed the Senate 38-17 on March 5th and is in the House Education Committee. Call
House Education Committee Representatives listed above. This greatly reduces voters’ power over education.
– The Constitution of the State of Georgia, Article VIII, Section V, Paragraph II “There shall be a State School Superintendent, who shall be the executive officer of the State Board of Education, elected at the same time and in the same manner for the same term as that of the Governor.”
– The Constitution of the State of Georgia, Article VIII, Section III, Paragraph 1 S.B. 133 introduced February 19th by Senator Butch Miller (R), the governor’s floor leader
from Gainesville, would establish within the Office of Student Achievement the Opportunity School District (OSD) that would be authorized “to assume the supervision, management, and operation of public elementary and secondary schools which have been determined to be
failing pursuant to this article.” OSD is defined as “the state-wide district” and, as such, could assume control of 20 public elementary or secondary schools annually, up to a total of 100. OSD Superintendent: The governor would appoint an OSD superintendent to serve as the OSD executive officer, whose salary the governor would set. An OSD superintendent (a) could waive certain State Board of Education rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; (b) could not waive federal, state, and local rules, regulations, court orders and laws; (c) could intervene and directly manage selected schools or share control with the local board of education via a contract; (d) could retain or reconstitute school councils; (d) could direct changes to the school; (e) could direct decisions of school principals; and (f) hire/fire school teachers and principals.
Teachers: “Any teacher … who is not given the option to continue as an employee for the opportunity school shall remain an employee of the local board of education [that] may determine whether or not to continue the employment of any teacher who is not given the option to continue as an employee for the opportunity school, subject to [this Code Section].”
Conclusion: OSD would be controlled by the governor’s appointees. Schools and personnel of OSD schools would be controlled by OSD. An appointed state school superintendent would assume authority currently held by the elected state school superintendent, thereby reducing the
authority of voters, as well as the duly elected state school superintendent.
ACTION – Oppose. This passed the Senate 38-17 on March 5th and is in the House Education Committee.
Please contact House Education Committee Representatives Coleman, Ch., 404 656-9210; Dudgeon, V-Ch., 656-0298; Benton, Sec., 463-3793; Belton, 656-0152; Beskin, 656-0254; Cantrell, 656-0202; Carter, 463-2248; Casas, 656-0254; Chandler, 656-0254; Clark, 656-0325; Dickerson*, 656-0314; Dickson, 463-2246; Glanton*, 657-1803; Howard*, 656-6373; Jones, 656-5072; Kaiser, 656-0265; Maxwell, 656-5143; Mayo*, 656-6372; Setzler, 656-7857; Stovall*, 656-0314; Tanner, 656-0152; and Teasley, 656-5146. (*denotes Democrat)
S.R. 287, introduced by Senator Butch Miller (R) February 19th, is a proposed constitutional amendment to (a) create an Opportunity School District and (b) allow the state to assume the supervision, management, and operation of public elementary and secondary schools deemed to be failing through any governance model allowed by law.
If S.R. 287 receives a two-thirds majority of votes in the House, as it did in the Senate, voters would decide the following question on the 2016 General Election Ballot:
“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance?”
ACTION – Oppose. This passed the Senate 38-17 on March 5th and is in the House Education Committee. Call
House Education Committee Representatives listed above. This greatly reduces voters’ power over education.
Source: Educational Freedom Coalition
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