Atlanta – April 2, 2013 On the heels of the passage of Amendment 1, Macon and Middle Georgia are suddenly alive with proposals for high quality public charter schools. Six letters of intent to launch public charter schools have been sent to the Georgia Dept. of Education from serious petitioners in the region.
At the same time, many citizens still don’t know what a public charter school is!
In response, the Georgia Charter Schools Association (GCSA) is bringing two opportunities to learn more about public charter schools to Macon.
- An informational community meeting on charter schools will be held on Monday, April 22, at Lundy Missionary Baptist Church, 2081 Forest Hill Road, Macon, GA 31210 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Dr. Tony Roberts, President and CEO of the Georgia Charter Schools Association, will speak. The event is free of charge.
- Charter Development 101, will be offered in Macon, GA on Thursday, April 25, 2013, 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Lundy Missionary Baptist Church, 2081 Forest Hill Road, Macon, GA 31210. Advance registration is required. This is a fee-based class designed to help communities and individuals understand the scope and the rigors of the charter petitioning process. Registration: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6C75H38
In the November 6th election, Bibb County voted in favor of Amendment One (the charter schools amendment) by 56%. Fully 90% of all Bibb County precincts voted in favor of passage.
“Our office has been flooded with phone calls and emails with requests for information on how to open and successfully operate a public charter school,” said Kelly Cadman, GCSA’s V.P. for School Services. “The charter petitioning process is complex and the timeline from concept to approval can be long. Charter Development 101, is a great first step in orienting potential petitioners about what is required to launch a high quality charter school.”
Charter Development 101 will cover:
- The charter landscape in Georgia
- Developing your founding board
- The intent of the charter law in Georgia
- Educational innovation
- Developing a mission statement
- Community engagement and support
- GaDOE Guidelines
- Establishing a timeline and next steps
- Q & A
Designed for individuals and groups, the 3.5 hour Charter Development 101 class costs $75 per person, with discounts available for groups of three or more. Registration is required. Contact Elisa Falco, efalco@gacharters.org, 404-550-9401 for details. To register online for Charter Development 101, visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6C75H38
