Press Releases

A recent study of Georgia’s independent, start-up charter schools has found that, in many cases, students and educators in those schools are forced to learn and work in inadequate facilities, due to their school districts’ failure to follow state law. 

Research for the study, titled “Shortchanged Charters: How Funding Disparities Hurt Georgia’s Charter Schools,” was sponsored by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, and conducted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools with assistance from the .

State officials announced that a plan forged by Governor Nathan Deal and members of the State legislature will forward fund the bricks-and-mortar state chartered special schools for an amount equal to the average local district share calculated as if locally approved charter schools.

Georgia Charter Schools Association President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Roberts said: “On behalf of the thousands of children and parents who will benefit from this, our deepest thanks go to Governor Nathan Deal, House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, and State Superintendent John Barge for acting quickly and meaningfully to make sure these charter school students could continue in their school of choice.”

The 2011 National Charter Schools Conference  was once again a success, as thousands involved in the charter world — from teachers, administrators, parents and board members to vendors and other […]

Eleven charter schools that had been approved by the now defunct Georgia Charter Schools Commission, have been approved Tuesday by the Georgia Board of Education.

GCSA President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Roberts said of the vote: “We are extremely pleased that the state acted as quickly as it did to address this issue. Superintendent John Barge, members of the State Board of Education, and the Charter Schools Division are to be commended for cutting through the government bureaucracy and other barriers to do what is right for the students and families impacted by the Supreme Court decision to disband the Georgia Charter Schools Commission.  Now we are hopeful the Governor and members of the State legislature are working to find a way to make the funding levels more viable for these schools.”

Former President Bill Clinton will be the keynote speaker during Day 2 of the National Alliance for Public Schools’ annual National Charter Schools Conference, scheduled for June 20-23 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Clinton, the 42^nd president of the United States, will deliver his remarks during the General Session at 11:30 a.m., June 21, after receiving the National Alliance’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Georgia Supreme Court announced Monday that it will not reconsider its decision earlier this month, declaring the Georgia Charter Schools Commission and the 2008 law which helped create it (HB881) unconstitutional. Said GCSA President and CEO Tony Roberts:  “The majority of The Georgia Supreme Court has just found 16,000 innocent children in Georgia guilty of choosing a better education…

The first meeting of the recently-created Special Education and Youth Sub-committee, also known as the Special Sub-committee on School Choice, was held Friday at the State Capitol. Nearly 300 students, parents, teachers and administrators packed the meeting room and spilled outside into the lobby…

Lawyers representing charter schools that were approved by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission formally asked the Georgia Supreme Court Thursday to reconsider its May 16 decision to declare the Commission unconstitutional. The motion explains that the previous ruling was erroneous and should be reversed…

In response to the Supreme Court ruling declaring the Georgia Charter Schools Commission “unconstitutional,” GCSA President/CEO Tony Roberts wrote an op-ed that is scheduled to be published in the May […]

Nearly 500 charter schools supporters rallied on the front steps of the Georgia State Capitol Building Tuesday, in support of the 16 charter schools approved by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, which was ruled unconstitutional by four of the seven judges on the Georgia Supreme Court on Monday. The event was highlighted by spirited remarks from influential politicians such as Georgia House Speaker Pro-Tem Jan Jones, Sen. Chip Rogers and Rep. Alisha Morgan, as well as Ivy Preparatory Head of School Nina Gilbert, Ivy Prep sixth grader Lauren Williams, Peachtree Hope Principal Kendra Shipman, Museum School mom Annemarie Eades and GCSA President/CEO Tony Roberts.

Thousands of charter school supporters will gather on the steps of the Georgia State Capitol Building on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., (Washington Street side) to protest Monday’s ruling by the state Supreme Court, declaring the Georgia Charter Schools Commission unconstitutional. Also, this afternoon at 5 p.m., there will be a rally and show of support for charter schools at Ivy Preparatory Academy (3705 Engineering Drive, Norcross), which was approved by the Commission in 2008.

Click “read more” to read the official statement from GCSA President/CEO Tony Roberts.

By a 4-3 vote, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that the Georgia Charter Schools Commission and the  la2008 law that helped create it, HB81, are unconstitutional. The Georgia Charter Schools Association will hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. today, at its headquarters — 600 West Peachtree Street — to provide more details.

Also, there will be a rally of all charter school supporters tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10:30 a.m., on the Washington Street side of the Georgia State Capitol Building. Stay tuned for further developments.