On Friday, Aug. 25, Rep. Matt Dubnik, Rep. Scott Hilton, and State Board of Education Chairman Jason Downey received a 2023 Champion for Charter Schools Award from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. These three deserving Georgians were selected by the National Alliance in partnership with the Georgia Charter Schools Association (GCSA). The Champion for Charter Schools Award recognizes a bipartisan group of state and local leaders across the country whose commitment ensures that charter schools thrive and expand in their states.
During the past year, Rep. Dubnik, Rep. Hilton, and Chairman Downey, displayed great political courage in their prioritization of charter school equity and access. As a result of their unwavering dedication to Georgia’s children, many more students and their families have access to high-quality public charter schools and a solid foundation to succeed in life.
Read more about each of the awardees below:
Representative Matt Dubnik, Georgia House District 29: Rep. Dubnik spearheaded an effort to fully fund Georgia’s charter school facility grant during the 2023 legislative session. Chairman Dubnik worked with House leadership to include enough funding in the FY24 budget to provide $100,000 in facility grants for every charter school in the state. While Chairman Dubnik’s recommended appropriation appeared in the General Assembly’s approved budget, Gov. Kemp instructed the Georgia Department of Education to “disregard” the additional funds and not to allocate them to charter schools. While this action was a disappointment to all 92 charter schools and the children and families they serve, Georgia’s charter sector is thankful for Chairman Dubnik’s leadership and for his commitment to funding equity for all public school students—including the more than 62,000 children enrolled in public charter schools.
Representative Scott Hilton, Georgia House District 48: Rep. Hilton, Vice-Chairman of the House Education Committee, is currently sponsoring House Bill 318 which increases transparency for charter school funding, protects charter autonomy, and increases support for both local and state-approved charter schools by shifting all charter school oversight authority to a single government agency (the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia). Thanks to Representative Hilton’s determination and tireless support, House Bill 318 garnered broad bi-partisan support in both chambers of the General Assembly and awaits final approval by the House in early January 2024.
State Board of Education Chairman Jason Downey: Chairman Downey worked tirelessly in 2022 to support charter schools. His commitment to fairness and quality charter school authorizing is a hallmark of his leadership. Whether he’s pushing school boards to honor their statutory and contractual obligations to the charter schools they oversee, advocating for transparency and open communication amongst policymakers in Georgia’s education arena, or collaborating with key stakeholders on policy changes that could improve public schools—including charter schools—Chairman Downey is determined to always choose what’s best for the students of Georgia.
