Georgia Charter Schools Association believes the recently released PDK poll on Georgians’ attitudes toward public schools highlights the need for additional high-quality charter public schools, particularly in the city of Atlanta. In fact, a slightly higher percentage of Georgians than those surveyed nationally said they would send their student to a charter public school versus a traditional or a private one.
The poll showed Atlantans are particularly dissatisfied with their public school offerings in comparison to other areas of the state. That’s evident in the number of children who are currently on charter school waitlists in the city of Atlanta. As of January, there were 11,889 children on charter public school waitlists in Atlanta Public Schools. These are students who want to attend a different public school than the one they are zoned for by address. The demand is fueled by a high number of strong charter schools that are boosting achievement, particularly for low-income students of color.
Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen recognized the performance and gains made by a number of district charter schools on the most recent Georgia Milestones assessments. It’s also clear that Atlanta Public Schools sees value in charter strategies, because administrators brought in charter operators like Purpose Built Schools and Kindezi to turn around its lowest performing schools. The Atlanta Board of Education should see the PDK poll results, the large number of students on charter school wait lists and the academic gains Atlanta charter schools are making as an opportunity to bring more quality charter public school options to the city of Atlanta.
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About Georgia Charter Schools Association
The Georgia Charter Schools Association is a nonprofit membership organization for Georgia’s public charter schools and petitioners. Our mission is to advocate for, foster and support autonomous, high-quality charter public schools throughout Georgia. We believe every child in Georgia should have equal access to a high-quality, transformative public education.
CONTACT: Michelle Wirth
Director of Communications
Georgia Charter Schools Association
mwirth@gacharters.org
404-835-8903
