As we get closer to Election Day, it is important that voters learn about what is on the ballot besides candidates.
There will be four Amendments to the Georgia Constitution.
Amendment 1 concerns public education.
When the voters go to the ballot, this is what they will read:
Provides greater flexibility and state accountability to fix failing schools through increasing community involvement:
"Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow the state to intervene in chronically failing public schools in order to improve student performance?"
This wording is deceitful and misleading. In fact if you read the exact legislation you will see that what it actually does is just the opposite of what the ballot says.
There are many organization which have spoken out against Amendment 1 including the Georgia PTA, Public Education Matters Georgia, TRAGIC, Southern Education Foundation (SEF), NAACP, Pro-Georgia, Concerned Black Clergy (CBC), National Education Association (NEA), Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE), American Federation of Teachers, Georgia Federation of Teachers, GFDW, League of Women Voters, Georgia School Board Association (G.S.B.A.), Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (G.A.E.L.), GSSA (Georgia School Superintendents Association) Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda, Georgia StandUp, Empower Ed Georgia, Rise-up Georgia, and the AFL-CIO. In addition over 40 local school boards have spoken out against this legislation by publishing resolutions against the amendment on their websites, including Dawson County.
Those in favor of the amendment will say all those organizations just want to keep the "status quo." Nothing could be further from the truth. These are professional organizations involved in Georgia's public schools and dedicated to the children and families of Georgia.
They have a plan on how to help these challenged schools and their communities "Rise Up" to become the successful part of Georgia they can be.
Amendment 1 has no such plan.
Conrad Scohier
Dawsonville