Unpacking GA SB 133 for Chap. 9 Presentation

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Unpacking GA SB 133 for Chap. 9 Presentation by Mind Map: Unpacking GA SB 133 for Chap. 9 Presentation

1. The Ballot

1.1. Ballot Question Reads: (as amended by SB 287)

1.1.1. Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow an appointee of the Governor to take over local school operation, buildings, and control of all federal, state, and local funding if a school has low scores on standardized tests or for any other reason a future legislature may allow?[10]

1.2. The Georgia Authorization of the State Government to Intervene in Failing Local Schools, Amendment 1 is on the November 8, 2016 ballot in Georgia as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment.[1]

1.3. Ballot summary The ballot summary is as follows:[9]  • This proposal authorizes the General Assembly to provide for the creation of an Opportunity School District and authorizes the state to assume the supervision, management, and operation of failing public elementary and secondary schools, including the power to receive, control, and expend appropriated funds for such purposes. •  It amends Article VIII, Section V of the Georgia Constitution by adding a new Paragraph VIII. A copy of this entire proposed amendment is on file in the office of the judge of the probate court and is available for public inspection.[10]

1.4. WHY "AMENDMENT" AND NOT A STATUTE

1.4.1. As a law it would violate a provision of the GA Constitution, and would be considered UNCONSTITUTIONAL. For this reason it had to iterate through Georgia's constitutional amendment process.  The last step of that process is a popular vote.

1.5. "REACH" OF LAW

1.5.1. Currently only 4% to 6% of Ga public schools are considered "FAILING" by the criteria set by SB 133,

2. Vote "yes"

2.1. A "yes" vote supports authorizing the state to form an Opportunity School District that would govern certain elementary and secondary schools determined to be "chronically failing."

2.2. Law's "Success" Examples

2.2.1. NOLA

2.2.1.1. Claims vs Reality

2.2.1.1.1. Statistics are skewed.

2.2.1.1.2. THEIR MISSION:      The RSD fulfills the core governmental functions necessary to achieve excellence and equity in a decentralized systems of schools: We build the unified policies and systems that allow for the success of all students, We are good stewards of our physical infrastructure, and We harness the energy of educators and entrepreneurs to create the programs, schools, and systems necessary to serve all students at the highest level.

2.2.1.1.3. FROM  2004 TO 2015 only 28 of the 54 (52%)  schools in the "recovery school districts' were eligible to return to their LEA.  Given the downside of the Recov Sch District, did it really do any better than the LEA itself could have done?  Was this percentage "acceptab;e" given the huge amount of funds funneled into NOLA post-Katrina?

2.2.2. Cinncinati

2.2.2.1. Claims vs. Reality

2.2.2.1.1. All schools were made community schools with access to strong academics AND ACCESS to health, social, and emotional needs (harkens back to 30's)

2.2.3. Michigan

2.2.3.1. Claims vs. Reality

2.3. DEAL'S GENERAL ARGUMENT

2.3.1. While Georgia boasts many schools that achieve academic excellence every year, we still have too many schools where students have little hope of attaining the skills they need to succeed in the workforce or in higher education. We have a moral duty to do everything we can to help these children. Failing schools keep the cycle of poverty spinning from one generation to the next. Education provides the only chance for breaking that cycle. When we talk about helping failing schools, we’re talking about rescuing children. I stand firm on the principle that every child can learn, and I stand equally firm in the belief that the status quo isn’t working.[10] ” —Gov. Nathan Deal[11

2.4. THREAT OF TAKEOVER ALREADY IMPROVING SCHOOLS

2.4.1. The PolicyBest editorial board published an article supporting the measure because it was already working to change the status quo for failing schools. An excerpt is below:[21] “ Until now, local systems could continue to apply a one size fits all approach and hide behind bureaucratic excuses for failure. Now, with the direct threat of someone else fixing the problem, districts across the state are getting serious about finding solutions that work down to the school and even the student level. The schools that are hoping success will show that the constitutional amendment isn’t needed should be encouraged to show results. Their new sense of urgency, however, proves not only that the Opportunity School District is needed but is also already working.[10

2.5. An "outsider perspective" would be more successful.

2.6. REASON # 4

3. The Status Quo of Georgia Public Schools

3.1. De-Facto Public School Segregation

3.1.1. Student Success

3.1.1.1. How Measured?

3.1.1.1.1. By Graduation Rates

3.1.1.1.2. By "High Stakes (HS)" Testing

3.1.1.1.3. By College Attendance

3.1.1.1.4. By Post-High School Employment

3.1.1.2. In "Wealthy" or "Middle-Class" Areas

3.1.1.3. In "High-Poverty" Areas

3.1.1.4. BY "Diversity"

3.2. "Model" & Goals

3.2.1. "Sorting Machine"?

3.2.2. "High-Stakes Testing" ?

3.2.2.1. Tests Used in past

3.2.2.1.1. Pros ?

3.2.2.1.2. Cons ?

3.2.2.2. Current testing model

3.2.2.2.1. Pros ?

3.2.2.2.2. Cons ?

3.3. FAILING SCHOOLS

3.3.1. According to Georgia Leads on Education, 127 Georgia schools are considered to be "failing" by the Governor's Office of Student Achievement. Schools are marked as "failing" if they received a College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) score that was below 60 in 2013, 2014, and 2015.                           Currently, the state has 181 school districts with over 2,200 schools. Below is a table showing the official failing schools and their respective districts:[7][13][14]

4. The Law's Goals

4.1. Goal # 1:  RESCUE Students from "Failing Schools"

4.1.1. How To Rescue

4.1.1.1. See "Features" under "The Law" Heading

4.2. Goal # 3

5. Vote "No"

5.1. A "no" vote opposes authorizing the state to form an Opportunity School District that would govern certain elementary and secondary schools determined to be "chronically failing," thereby continuing to have school boards/districts supervise respective schools.[2]

5.2. The Committee to Keep Georgia Schools Local is leading the opposition campaign for Amendment

5.3. Laws "Unsuccessful" Examples

5.3.1. NOLA

5.3.1.1. Claims vs Reality

5.3.1.1.1. FROM 2004 TO 2015 only 28 of the 54 (52%) schools in the "recovery school districts' were eligible to return to their LEA. Given the downside of the Recov Sch District, did it really do any better than the LEA itself could have done? Was this percentage "acceptab;e" given the huge amount of funds funneled into NOLA post-Katrina?

5.3.1.1.2. Money:  Unlike the GA law - which is revenue neutral - the NOLA law had a huge post-Katrina infusion of money.

5.3.1.2. Let’s look at New Orleans, the highly touted supposed miracle on the Gulf on which Deal’s proposal is based. Practically every public school there has become a charter school since Hurricane Katrina. Here are the facts. No doubt about it, New Orleans public schools were struggling before Hurricane Katrina, but the main reason is that they were starved for resources. Yet, research has found that test scores for New Orleans public schools were rising before Katrina hit. Today, after the drastic privatization changes, student achievement in New Orleans schools continues to be near the bottom of all the parishes in the state of Louisiana...[10]

5.4. Cinn.

5.4.1. different system was successful

5.4.1.1. In Cincinnati, every school was turned into a community school, providing students with access to strong academics and programs and services addressing kids’ health, social and emotional needs. Cincinnati is now the highest-performing urban school district in Ohio.

5.5. MICH

5.5.1. Claims vs Reality

5.6. GA FED OF TEACHERS:  HYPE,  SHOULD USE ALREADY PROVEN PROGRAMS

5.6.1. Rev. Frank Brown, president of Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta, and Verdaillia Turner, president of the Georgia Federation of Teachers, deemed the amendment "hype," saying, "Our kids deserve a great, high-quality public education that is based on proven strategies, not hype."

5.6.2. Gov. Nathan Deal is promoting legislation to create a so-called Opportunity School District that would turn over control of struggling schools to the state or to private companies that operate charter schools. Deal is basing his design on other state takeovers, especially Louisiana’s takeover of New Orleans schools... The only thing that is trapping kids in low-performing schools is a resistance to using proven programs that will help turn around schools and give all kids a great, high-quality public education. Let’s fix struggling schools with proven programs, not close them, farm them out or privatize them.

5.7. GA: No funds (except for spurious philanthropic donations) for:

5.7.1. From 2010 to 2014 GA's education budget was $1 Bill short each year.  So many of the poorer school districts are still catching up.

5.8. OSD Super. can appropriate local school district funds & facilities to help a failing school school, even if it is a Charter School

5.8.1. Could take $ away from other schools fro go to failing schools.

5.9. Could lose some excellent teachers who are trapped in a failing school district.

5.10. Would lose local control to an outside entity, that does not know the community,, and is FOR PROFIT.

5.11. DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF PROBLEMS outside  THE SCHOOL.

5.11.1. POVERTY

5.11.2. Disfunctional Families

5.11.3. Uneducated Parents

5.11.4. Language difficulties

5.12. AUSTIN TX

5.12.1. different system was successful

5.12.2. Instead of closing the community rebelled and used 1.  wrap around system, college level courses

5.12.2.1. Improved Grad rate from 48% to 85 %

5.13. NYC

5.13.1. different system was successful

5.13.2. CHANCELLOR DISTRICTS IMPROVED OUTCOME A LOT

5.13.2.1. REDUCED CLASS SIZES & INCREASED INSTRUCTIONAL TIME

5.13.2.2. AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

5.13.2.3. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

5.13.3. BLOOMBERG CANCELLED PROGRAM, ALL CHARTER SCHOOLS, MASS CLOSINGS, FIXATION ON TESTING

5.13.3.1. FAILED TO IMPROVE SCHOOLS

5.14. chatham co WSAV TV.... Published on Sep 8, 2016 Courtney Cole reporting. Proposed Georgia Constitutional Amendment would allow a political appointee to fire teachers and school administrators without cause and without opportunity for appeal. "Listen to our ideas...What may work here in Chatham County may not work in Hinesville." - Theresa Watson, Savannah Federation of Teachers. Instead of silencing parents and teachers, GA government should be LISTENING to their ideas and funding the strategies and solutions that are tailored to their needs. Local Georgia teachers and parents know what's best for our schools, not some out-of-state, for-profit corporation.

5.15. Published on Sep 13, 2016 Paid for by the Committee to Keep Georgia Schools Local. On-Air date: Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Ad Script: “Here’s the truth about the school takeover amendment. The cost will be huge. Amendment 1 robs struggling schools of desperately needed funds and takes away $13 million from education statewide. Instead of investing in smaller class sizes, good teachers, and more resources for learning, Amendment 1 cuts money from local schools to make us pay for a whole new set of bureaucrats and an unaccountable political appointee. We just can’t afford this costly school takeover. Vote No on Amendment 1.”

5.16. Published on Sep 8, 2016 Savannah-Chatham Co. the latest of many local Georgia school boards to formally pass a resolution opposing Amendment 1, the state takeover of public schools. "This type of system has not produced positive results in other parts of the country." "It's very important to us to keep local control of our schools. We know what our students need." - Jolene Byrne, School Board President. "Don't be fooled by the [ballot] language! This is not the type of help that we need." - Theresa Watson, Savannah Federation of Teachers

5.17. Published on Sep 7, 2016 Report by Doug Richards.On November 8, 2016, Georgia voters will be faced with a deceptive ballot question that is intentionally misleading. "It is a lie" - Sid Chapman. Read the fine print: this constitutional amendment will silence parents and teachers and gut local control of public schools.

5.18. FOX 24 BIBB CO...Published on Sep 13, 2016 9/13/16 Thelma Dillard, of the Bibb Co. School Board, says "when local control is taken away from schools, parents can't hold Bibb County leaders accountable."

6. The "Future" of Public Education in Georgia

6.1. Control by What?

6.1.1. Federal

6.1.2. State

6.1.3. Local (LEA)

6.1.4. Local (Parents & Community)

6.2. Goals

6.2.1. Traditional ?

6.2.2. Innovative ?

6.3. Technology

6.3.1. In Classroom

6.3.2. In the Job Market

6.4. Student Success

6.4.1. Middle Class

6.4.2. In Poverty

7. The Law

7.1. Simplified Text of the Law

7.1.1. What Amendment 1 will add to GA Constitution:                                                                Amendment 1 would add a Paragraph VIII to the end of Section 5 of Article VIII of the Georgia Constitution.                                                                                                                                      The following text would be added by the proposed measure's approval:[1][9]Paragraph VIII. Opportunity School District. Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph II of this section, the General Assembly may provide by general law for the creation of an Opportunity School District and authorize the state to assume the supervision, management, and operation of public elementary and secondary schools which have been determined to be failing through any governance model allowed by law. Such authorization shall include the power to receive, control, and expend state, federal, and local funds appropriated for schools under the current or prior supervision, management, or operation of the Opportunity School District, all in the manner provided by and in accordance with general law.[10]a

7.2. Senate Bill 133 (SB133) is an act dependent upon voter approval of the Georgia State Intervention in Failing Public Schools Amendment.

7.3. FEATURES OF LAW

7.3.1. Since the proposed constitutional amendment would allow the state to govern failing schools"through any governance model allowed by law," SB 133 was designed to provide three different governance models.                                                        The following four intervention plans, the first three of which may be classified as governance models, would be allowed

7.3.1.1. The models would be housed under the authority of an "Opportunity School District" (OSD)agency. The Georgia Governor would appoint a superintendent to head the OSD agency, and the superintendent would report directly to the governor.

7.3.1.1.1. The OSD Superintendent can appropriate local school district funds & facilities to help a failing school school, even if it is a Charter School

7.3.1.2. Direct management of the school by the OSD

7.3.1.3. Shared government of the school by the OSD and the local board of education pursuant to a contract in which the board of education operates the school and the OS superintendent has the power to direct changes to be made at the school.

7.3.1.4. Transformation of the school into an OSD charter school in which the OSD agency works with the State Charter Schools Commission to establish the school as a charter school.c

7.3.1.5. Closure of the school if the school is not enrolled at full capacity. This would be the "intervention     of last resort."

7.3.2. The OSD superintendent would be authorized to waive State Board of Education rules, regulations, policies, procedures and provisions forOSD schools, but not federal, state or local government rules or court orders. The OSD would be able to select, approve or remove the OSD schools' principals, transfer teachers, control the schools' budgets and modify education content.

7.3.3. The OSD would be authorized to add 20 schools to the OSD program in any single school year and would have no more than 100 schools under its supervision at any given time. The selection of schools to be added to the OSD program would be based on "an analysis of performance over the three-year period with emphasis on student growth and progress and other considerations."

7.3.4. The OSD superintendent would implement a process for gaining community feedback to inform his or her decision regarding the most appropriate intervention model for a particular school.

7.3.5. The OSD would be authorized to add 20 schools to the OSD program in any single school year and would have no more than 100 schools under itssupervision at any given time. The selection of schools to be added to the OSD program would be based on "an analysis of performance over the three-year period with emphasis on student growth and progress and other considerations."[3]

8. d

9. PRESENTATION PLAN

9.1. QUESTION TO DISCUSS:                           WHY DO YOU BELIEVE GEORGIA VOTERS SHOULD PASS THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CALLING FOR THE CREATION OF A STATE CONTROLLED "OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT"?

9.1.1. THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE WILL APPEAR ON YOUR BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER.

9.1.1.1. Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow an appointee of the Governor to take over local school operation, buildings, and control of all federal, state, and local funding if a school has low scores on standardized tests or for any other reason a future legislature may allow?[10]

9.1.1.2. THE BALLOT SUMMARY WILL EXPLAIN: Ballot summary The ballot summary is as follows:[9] • This proposal authorizes the General Assembly to provide for the creation of an Opportunity School District and authorizes the state to assume the supervision, management, and operation of failing public elementary and secondary schools, including the power to receive, control, and expend appropriated funds for such purposes. • It amends Article VIII, Section V of the Georgia Constitution by adding a new Paragraph VIII. A copy of this entire proposed amendment is on file in the office of the judge of the probate court and is available for public inspection.[10]

9.2. WHY DO YOU NOT BELIEVE GEORGIA VOTERS SHOULD PASS THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT CALLING FOR THE CREATION OF A STATE CONTROLLED "OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT"?

9.3. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT "CIVIL RIGHTS" IN AMERICA WOULD BE AS THEY ARE NOW, IN 2016, IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAD NOT INTERVENED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS?  WHY?

9.4. PREPARE A FACT SHEET WITH THE LAW'S PROVISIONS SPELLED OUT: (Distribute to class) maybe email to all students to study before the class) include info from the topics above:  The ballot, and the Law.