Press Releases

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.

A celebration of Georgia’s charter schools at Atlantic Station’s Central Park, drew hundreds of onlookers Sunday, and Monday, Gov. Nathan Deal signed a proclamation dubbing this week Charter Schools Week in Georgia.

Later this week, State Schools Superintendent John Barge will visit a south Georgia charter school and a Douglasville charter school will host a “Charter First Friday” event.

The two events Sunday and Monday kicked off National Charter Schools Week (May 1-7), a celebration and acknowledgement of the accomplishments of quality charter schools across the nation.

To kick off National Charter Schools Week in May (May 1-7), GCSA and G-PAN are hosting “Charter Schools Rock,” a free celebration of Georgia’s public charter schools, Sunday, May 1, in the Atlantic Station Central Park, 2-5 p.m. The event is designed to showcase the strength of the charter school movement and the achievements of the students in your schools. The high-spirited program will feature performances by students as well as other family friendly activities.

The Georgia Charter Schools Association annual report for the 2009-2010 school year is now available. A pdf version of the report is available here: FINAL GCSA 2010 ANNUAL REPORT PDF […]

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools will hold its national conference in Atlanta, June 20-23, at the Georgia World Congress Center. This year’s theme, Because Every Child Can Succeed, embodies the charter school movement more than ever before. We hope you will join us! Be sure to register now for the lowest rates and click “read more” for instructions on accessing a special discounted rate code available for use only by Georgia residents.

The Georgia Charter Schools Commission approved two important measures at its monthly meeting on Thursday, each of which will have a positive impact on the state’s charter schools. The Commission voted to lower the standard fee it charges Commission-approved charter schools from three percent to two percent of the per pupil funding revenue the schools receive, and to grant individual charters to Odyssey School in Newnan and Georgia Cyber Academy/K12, which had been operating under the same charter.

The Georgia Charter Schools Association is hosting a job fair to help charter schools fill their faculty/staff rosters for the 2011-12 school year. The GCSA Job Fair is scheduled for March 5, at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (250 14th Street NW, Suite 112, Atlanta, 30318). During the Job Fair, school officials will conduct brief interviews with prospective teachers during the job fair, and possibly…

The Georgia Charter Schools Association, the Center for an Educated Georgia and several other organizations are teaming up for a massive rally to show the importance of school choice to the members of the Georgia General Assembly.

The School Choice Celebration & Rally is scheduled for 10 a.m., Jan. 25, 2011, on the steps of the State Capitol Building (Washington Street side). The theme is “More School Choice. A Unified Voice.”

The goal of the rally is to celebrate school choice options in Georgia, and show the state’s politicians — at the start of the 2011 Legislative Session — that every child is different and every parent should have the right to choose the school that best fits their needs.

Eighteen (18) charter schools were recognized by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement and the state Department of Education for outstanding academic achievement during the 2009-2010 school year. The schools are among nearly 350 public schools in Georgia acknowledged under Georgia’s Single Statewide Accountability System (SSAS), which judges schools based on their performance on state curriculum exams and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) status.

The Georgia Charter Schools Commission (GCSC) approved four charter school petitions and increased funding for Commission-approved virtual charter schools. The four new charter schools are:

• Chattahoochee Hills Charter School
• Cherokee Charter Academy
• Georgia Connections Academy
• Heritage Preparatory Academy