Posts by:
Michelle Wirth

On November 8th, Georgians will vote on a proposed constitutional amendment related to how “chronically failing public schools” are governed. Governor Deal’s “Opportunity School District” (OSD), which passed out of the Georgia General Assembly in 2015 by the required two-thirds majority, is currently receiving a great deal of media attention across the state.

Georgia Charter Schools Association (GCSA) has prepared this document for charter school supporters to better understand the intent of the policy.

First and foremost, while the OSD is a significant piece of K-12 education policy, if passed, it will have little to no impact on current charter schools. At the same time, much of the media attention being given to OSD incorrectly attempts to link OSD with existing charter schools. For this reason, we recommend you know the facts about OSD.

  For Immediate Release: Aug. 19, 2016 ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia Charter Schools Association (GCSA) supports the Georgia Board of Education’s decision to close Macon Charter Academy (MCA). Charter schools […]

New Schools for Georgia, Georgia’s Charter School Incubator, is seeking applications from mission-driven teams to develop and expand rigorous, innovative, and high-quality school options in Georgia.

Through the Incubator, New Schools for Georgia works with five new or replicating charter school teams each year to provide highly-focused, personally-tailored training and support for school leaders and governing boards. New Schools for Georgia works with school founding teams in three distinct phases: Incubation, Year Zero Support, and Ongoing Support.

Georgia Charter Schools Association disagrees with conclusions that have been drawn by the Atlanta Journal Constitution regarding theft that reportedly occurred at Latin Academy in Atlanta. GCSA also opposes editorials that have been written based upon the AJC’s misleading framing of the matter.

CharterStart is a two-day, comprehensive training program that provides founding teams with the resources, best practices, and support necessary for the development of a strong educational and operational school model that promotes the academic achievement of all students.

CharterStart participants will also receive priority consideration for the New Schools for Georgia Incubator. The Incubator is a competitive three-year turnkey charter school development program with a dual focus on building strong, sustainable boards and developing outstanding school leaders. There is no cost for the Incubator, which includes a paid one-year, school-based internship for school leaders. Incubator participants will be primarily selected from teams that successfully complete CharterStart.

Georgia Charter Schools Association (GCSA) recently sent a survey to all Georgia House and Senate candidates ahead of the upcoming election in November and before the start of the 2017 legislative session. Democratic and Republican candidates who have responded prior to the May primary have expressed overwhelming support for charter schools as a public school option. They have also shown strong support for funding charter schools at the same level as traditional schools, which is one of the recommendations made by Gov. Nathan Deal’s Education Reform Commission.

Georgia Charter Schools Association (GCSA) is pleased Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed HB 895, sponsored by Rep. Rahn Mayo, D-Decatur, into law on Tuesday, May 3, 2015. GCSA believes the new law will bring more accountability to charter school finances and the directors who oversee them

ATLANTA – Lake Oconee Academy high school students received a College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) score that places them among the top ten schools in Georgia under new school ratings released by the Georgia Department of Education on Tuesday. Lake Oconee High School students received an overall CCRPI score of 104.1, the tenth highest CCRPI score in the state. The public charter school’s other students also performed well: Lake Oconee’s middle school students received a 97.3 on the state’s College and Career Ready Performance index and the public charter school’s elementary students received a 92.

Georgia Charter Schools Association is proud to announce the site for the fourteenth annual Georgia Charter Schools Conference. Mark your calendars now. The 2017 conference will be held at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & […]

Learn the skills required to start, lead and replicate high-quality charter schools. If you’re a new charter school leader or want to improve your leadership skills, GCSA’s Summer Bootcamp will give you the tools necessary for success. This year’s bootcamp will take place on Monday, June 13 through Thursday, June 16, 2016.

A new study by researchers at Georgia State University finds graduates of charter high schools are more likely to stay in college and earn more than graduates of traditional schools.
Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School received some recognition for its sustainability efforts.

Brookhaven Innovation Academy plans to open in Norcross.

Georgia Charter Schools Association invites you to Innovations in Public Education Today. Those attending the first of three dynamic education forums will view the critically acclaimed film “Most Likely to Succeed” […]