(Tuesday,08/30/2016 © WMAZ - (CBS) Macon)
In an attempt to help struggling schools, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal wants to create an Opportunity School District, which would allow the state to temporarily assist chronically failing public schools.
According to the official Governor Deal website, failing schools keep the cycle of poverty spinning from one generation to another, and Deal wants to break the cycle by providing children with opportunities for better education.
In the OSDproposal, failing schools are defined as those scoring below 60 percent for 3 years in a row on the Georgia Department of Educations College and Career Performance Index.
According to documents on the governors website, there are currently 127 schools currently eligible to be part of the proposed OSD-- and more than a dozen of them are in Central Georgia.
Monday night, the Bibb County Association of Educators held a public information session at Westside High School to discuss the wording of Deals proposed legislation.
The president of the Georgia Association of Educators, Dr. Sid Chapman, attended the meeting and explained why he and most teachers across the state are opposed to the amendment.
It takes away from local control. If you look at the wording of the Constitutional amendment, amendment number one, its very deceptive. It even has a preamble that says its to help public schools, but we believe differently, says Chapman.
Chapman says he believes that the goal of the legislation is to privatize public education. He fears that if the amendment passes, the voice of the local community will not be heard in regards to decisions made for their schools.
The General Assembly passed the Constitutional amendment resolution during the 2015 legislative session. It now requires majority approval by Georgia voters in the general election this November.