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.
The Court rendered its original decision May 16. The following week, motion of reconsideration briefs were filed by Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens, defending the Commission and the Georgia Department of Education, and attorneys representing the 16 charter schools that have been approved by the Commission. The attorneys are being provided by the Georgia Charter Schools Association.
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. And even worse, the justices have, in many cases, sentenced them to failing or inadequate schools. Georgia, which ranks among the lowest in the nation for K-12 education, in terms of achievement and graduation rates, has been robbed of one of the most important components of its Race To The Top. We, who believe parents exert the most local control of their children’s education, encourage Governor Deal, members of the Legislature, and all citizens of Georgia to correct this travesty of justice by all means possible.”
Along with possible legislative intervention, most of the 16 charter schools have resubmitted petitions to their local school boards.
Here is the final version of the Court’s ruling on the Commission, which includes the final dissent arguments from Justices Harold Melton and David Nahmias.
Here are some news accounts of Monday’s ruling:
