“Do not partition Gilmer County into two separate school systems,” this was one of the comments Isaac Lassiter intended to make in his presentation to the BOE regarding the request to waive the application deadline for the Oakland Academy Charter School. Isaac Lassiter was on the agenda to make a presentation to the BOE on behalf of the Oakland Academy Charter School. OACS was in section one of the agenda but when Chairperson Kathy Jones called on Mr. Lassiter to speak he was not in the room. Mrs. Jones acknowledged that Mr. Lassiter called ahead to say he would be a few minutes late. (See video below)

Isaac Lassiter called to say he would be late, BOE acknowledges he called, Nina Rubin from Georgia Charter School Association from Fetch on Vimeo.

The meeting continued with an appeal made by Nina Rubin from Georgia Charter Schools Association asking the BOE to consider the waiver request for the OACS.

Section one ended and the BOE inquired if Mr. Lassiter was present. Mr. Lassiter was yet to arrive and the BOE moved on to section two of the agenda. Mr. Lassiter entered the room shortly after the beginning of section two and quietly took a seat while the BOE continued with the meeting.

When the BOE reached the section of the agenda pertaining to the Charter School Intent Waiver Request, Superintendent of Schools, Bryan Dorsey, recommended the BOE move to not take any action on the request. Dorsey held the position the OACS could reapply during the proper time set for Charter applications. Mr. Lassiter thought it was the appropriate time and asked to make the OACS presentation; however the BOE told him his opportunity had passed. Mr. Lassiter asked the BOE if it was fair that the public only heard one side of the issue. Mrs. Jones, BOE Chairperson, told Mr. Lassiter he was out of order and the BOE moved on with the meeting agenda. (See video below)

Superintendent Bryan Dorsey explains Charter School Waiver Request / Isaac Lassiter explains why he was late for meeting. from Fetch on Vimeo.

FYN asked Bryan Dorsey, Kathy Jones and Isaac Lassiter for their comments regarding the BOE’s decision to pass on accepting the waiver request from OACS and received a response from all three:

Kathy Jones:
Brian,
Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Our decision to restructure all Gilmer County Schools was financially based, and we are focusing on those changes.

While a charter School is still funded through local funds, we are reviewing all options.
If an application is presented to the Board on behalf of Oakland Charter, we will certainly give it consideration.
Again thank you for the opportunity to respond.
Have a Blessed week-end.
Kathy Jones

Bryan Dorsey:
I have received a letter of intent to request a charter school from Mr. Isaac Lassiter and a request from him for a waiver allowing exemptions to the deadlines for the charter application.

A charter application requires an extensive process for the system and a waiver would require involvement from us during this summer and fall. My recommendation to take no action on the waiver was due to all of our attention needing to be focused on our transition plan to serve all the students of Gilmer County Schools and the due diligence that an application would require.

Mr. Lassiter also has presented in writing that without the waiver his intention to seek a 5-county charter school that would not require any involvement from the Gilmer County Board of Education.

Isaac Lassiter:

Brian,

Regarding our discussion about a comment on tonight’s meeting, here it goes,

It was really unfortunate that the school board was unwilling to hear the Oakland Academy presentation regarding their decision on the charter school “Letter of Intent” deadline waiver tonight. They had ample time and opportunity to allow comment but refused to let the citizens of this county to be heard. We believe that it was important for our elected board members to know that contrary to what they heard at the work session last week, we can file a petition as a state Charter Commission school this year. If their intent is to refuse our waiver request and delay Oakland Academy from opening in 2012 than that approach will be unsuccessful. State law gives us the option to serve students from 5-counties and file our petition directly with the Charter Commission, but we hoped to have the opportunity to submit a local petition as well for a 2012 opening and decide at a later date which path best served our future students.

In light of the inaction from the board tonight, the Founding Board of Oakland Academy plans to complete work on our 5-county charter petition by June 15th and file directly with the state Charter Commission. That means that the Gilmer BOE will receive no money from the state for those students, and their state funds will be reduced by the proportionate amount of the local property taxes for the students at the new charter and that money will be diverted to Oakland Academy. This is a lose-lose, as it reduces the amount of collaboration between Oakland Academy and the Gilmer BOE, and means that there will be no oversight function that the Gilmer BOE will serve in helping the charter school. The presentation that they kept me from making said, “It is like we will be the Oakland County Board of Education, a friendly neighbor but not your kids.”

Regards,

Isaac

additional comment,

“The board’s approach fails to do two critical things that they are charged with doing:

1. To best serve the strategic interest of providing a “First-Class” education to the students in this county;
2. Best protect the financial interest of the county;

It also fails to do one thing that they have shown throughout all of their board meetings and via every single question they asked in the state Department of Education Charter School Training to be important to them:

1. Protect their power over the budget and operations of the students in this county.

We find no other reason for the board to reject our waiver request than to try to delay and deny us the option to provide school choice in Gilmer County, but that choice is written into the law by the creation of charter schools and the board is using an approach to try and block the charter school that will be proved unsuccessful.

Looking back at the last six months, I want to ask the Superintendent a simple question:
1. Per your recommendation to the BOE, if it takes two years to open a charter school that is replacing an existing Title I school for 8 years running, how many years would you recommend it to take to plan for a restructuring of an entire school system?”
Regards,

Isaac Lassiter
OACS

After the meeting adjourned Mr. Lassiter approached most board members to present a copy of the presentation he had planned to make during the meeting. (See video below)

After the BOE meeting Mr. Lassiter made a personal presenation to each board member from Fetch on Vimeo.

He gave a copy to FYN. The presentation Mr. Lassiter intended to make on behalf of OACS-see below:

Mr. Lassiter’s Presentation

Tabitha Press, Strategic Development Coordinator Charter School Division Georgia Department of Education, gave a presentation to the BOE in the last workshop. She addressed the waiver and application process. Ms. Press explained to the BOE that they could approve the waiver but require an extended timeline from OACS to complete and review the application. If the BOE approved the waiver and worked with OACS it would have some authority over the Charter School. However if it passed on the waiver and OACS went with a direct application and received approval the BOE would have no authority over the Charter School. (Ms. Press explains waiver process and local BOC authority –see videos below)

Tabitha Press Strategic Development Coordinator, Charter School Division,Georgia Department of Education Discusses the waiver an from Fetch on Vimeo.

Tabitha Press, So even if you waive your letter of intent and then you say no they can still get approved. from Fetch on Vimeo.

Tabitha Press, Timeline for start up Charter School from Fetch on Vimeo.

Tabitha Press, So in conclusion, you are at a critical tipping point…… from Fetch on Vimeo.

To summarize a complex issue:
• Plan A – OACS asks Gilmer BOE for a waiver on the application deadline attempting to involve the local BOE in the process of creating Gilmer County’s first Charter School.
• Plan B – OACS gets turned down by the local BOE and prepares a five county charter application that will be submitted directly to the state.
Mr. Lassiter had expressed in his letter to the BOE, prior to the Tuesday night meeting, the intentions to revert to plan B should the BOE fail to approve the waiver request. According to Mr. Lassiter’s statement the Founding Board of Oakland Academy plans to complete work on the 5-county charter petition by June 15th and file directly with the state Charter Commission.

FYN understands that OACS has a strong application for a Charter. If OACS is approved for a Charter directly with the State the BOE will be totally excluded from the process and will not have any authority. Don’t forget the money follows the student and in these tough economic times can Gilmer County afford a GCBOE and an OACSBOE. Maybe plan C should be for all parties to go back to the table.