Charter Schools:Quality Education for a Quality Workforce By Chris Clark

For too many Georgians, finding a job is hard to do these days. And for those who do not have the skills or training required, it is even harder.
Ensuring that our state’s workforce has the education and training needed starts in the earliest grades. A student’s education begins in pre-K and builds on that foundation every year through high school or post-secondary studies. We owe it to every student – to our future workforce – to make sure that the quality of education they receive at every step along the way is the best it can be.
Many school systems in Georgia are doing just that, and their students are completing school ready to take on the next challenge. But not all students learn in the same way, or at the same pace. Some schools aren’t meeting the needs of every student, and some are failing altogether. Students and parents deserve access to quality options – options that create the right learning environment for students to thrive and give parents the ability to ensure the best possible education for their children.

Public charter schools are one option that has proven successful in communities across the state – and which could be afforded many more Georgians if the General Assembly allows voters to weigh in this November through a constitutional amendment that will clarify how charter schools are approved and funded.
The success of public charter schools results from a number of factors. First, they are required to accept higher standards of educational excellence. If those standards are not met, the charter can be revoked and the school closed. Second, in return for this higher level of accountability, charter schools are given the ability to innovatively tailor teaching programs to meet the needs of their students – one size is not forced to fit all. Finally, charter schools require parents to be highly involved – in fact, most charter schools are started by parents seeking quality options for their children. This gives parents an unparalleled opportunity for input and provides an additional level of oversight.

By no means are charter schools the only thing needed to improve education in our state – but they are, without question, an important option that should be made widely available to Georgia students and their families. At a minimum, they should be given the chance to decide for themselves this fall.

By Chris Clark
Georgia Chamber President and CEO