Georgia Magazine - September 2016 - 30

Another view ... GIA OR GE TRANSMISSION CO RP. 'While Georgia has countless schools all over the state that are the thriving success stories we rightfully praise, too many of our students are trapped in failing schools.' -Barbara Hampton, member, Georgia Board of Education ucation isn't the solution. "While Georgia has countless schools all over the state that are the thriving success stories we rightfully praise, too many of our students are trapped in failing schools," she says. "By focusing on individual schools that are failing year after year, the Opportunity School District provides specific solutions to each school and is an important step in the fight to ensure that every child in Georgia Visit vote.coop to learn how to become a Co-op Voter. 30 gets a first-rate education no matter his or her ZIP code." This November, Georgians will be given the opportunity to establish a clear path toward hope and prosperity for our most vulnerable children. Tom Willis is the executive director of Georgia Leads, an issue advocacy organization, and heads up Opportunity for All Georgia Students. Opportunity School District at a glance The OSD focuses on the state's lowest-performing schools and empowers parents and local communities to turn them around. Currently, 127 schools in Georgia have been assigned ratings of "F" on the state's accountability system for three consecutive years, making them eligible to enter the OSD. (For a list of schools that are eligible for the OSD as of May 3, 2016, go to: bit.ly/schooLst.) Under new state law, no more than 20 schools per year would be selected for inclusion in the OSD and no more than 100 can be under OSD supervision at any given time. Considerations for selection include trend of accountability scores over the three-year period, community engagement and support, current turnaround efforts, and inclusion of urban and rural schools. Under this proposal, the governor will appoint the OSD superintendent, to be confirmed by the state Senate, and he or she will report directly to the governor. The OSD will be an operational unit of the Office of Student Achievement and will have the power and authority of a Georgia Local Education Agency. The OSD will have several intervention models that will be determined on a school-by-school basis: * Shared governance: The OSD superintendent enters into a contract More online at www.georgiamagazine.org with the local school board of the district that operates the school. The OSD superintendent can make changes at the school. * Direct management: The OSD superintendent directly runs the school. * Charter: The OSD works in collaboration with the State Charter School Commission to establish a charter school. * Closure: The OSD may close a failing school if it is not enrolled at full capacity and reassign the students to a higher-achieving school within the district, depending on available capacity. The first year schools can be selected for the OSD would be the 2017-18 school year. Selected schools remain in the OSD for a minimum of five years and a maximum of 10 years. If a school performs above an F for three consecutive years, it will be removed from the OSD. Once a school has demonstrated effective performance, the OSD will work with the school and community to determine the best transition plan for the school to exit the OSD. OSD schools will continue to receive all of the local, state and federal funds for which they are currently eligible. The school remains the public school in the same building for the same students. The leadership, oversight and governance are what changes. GEORGIA MAGAZINE https://gov.georgia.gov/sites/gov.georgia.gov/files/related_files/site_page/OSD-Eligible%20Schools%20Updated%2005032016.pdf http://www.vote.coop http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - September 2016