Policy Updates

Alabama:
Latest Policy Updates
Charter legislation is squashed by the status quo. Lawmakers decided to let the weak charter school bill die in committee, expressing frustration because the legislation did not meet original goals. The most current bill put even more restrictions on charter schools than previous legislation, like capping charters at 20 instead of 50, and limiting charter schools to poorly performing districts only.
Georgia:
Latest Policy Updates
  • -- Pro- and anti-charter camps are gearing up for the November 2012 ballot, which will determine whether or not Georgia's constitution gets altered to allow the state to approve charter schools. The state Supreme Court ruled in May 2011 that the Georgia Charter School Commission did not have the authority to establish local public schools. Governor Deal has signed HB 797, which would re-establish the state charter commission if voters approve the constitutional amendment.
  • -- A bill requiring Georgia students to take at least one course online before graduating will be considered by the House after passing the Senate 36-15. If passed, Georgia would join the ranks of states like Florida and Michigan that already have online learning requirements in place. The rationale behind digital learning is that it brings students up to speed with technology they might encounter in the workplace, and increases options by removing physical learning barriers.
Louisiana:
Latest Policy Updates
Governor Bobby Jindal signs sweeping education reform legislation into law that establishes a statewide voucher program, puts limits on teacher tenure, ties teacher compensation to student performance, and makes the Pelican State more charter-friendly. Reform groups are praising these student-centered changes.
Missouri:
Latest Policy Updates
The Show Me State Senate approves legislation that bumps up the time teachers can be considered for tenure from 5 years to 10 years. must be working before they are up for tenure from 5 years to 10 years. Even though provisions had to be scrapped that eliminated tenure completely and dismissed teachers rated ineffective for more than 2 years, this tenure reform bill eliminates seniority based layoffs. The House is expected to vote on tenure reform this week.
South Carolina:
Latest Policy Updates
Legislation is heading to the Governor that will allow higher education institutions to sponsor charter schools. There are other changes affecting charters in this bill, but the addition of university authorizers is one of the most important pieces. (Read why multiple authorizers are important here.) Governor Nikki Haley has made it known that she will sign this bill, which puts the total number of charter school authorizing entities in the Palmetto State at 3.