New opinion study released today shows overwhelming public support for expanded public education options
Atlanta (January 24, 2008) - A new study released today by the Georgia Charter Schools Association and My School My Choice Georgia, a new statewide grassroots charter school advocacy group, shows that a majority of Georgians are demanding fundamental change to state laws, creating more and better education opportunities for students and families.
“Georgians are speaking loud and clear - they overwhelmingly support more educational choices when it comes to public education,” said Tony Roberts, chief executive of the Georgia Charter Schools Association. “A strong charter school law will help create innovative, accountable education solutions for families across the state.”
The results of the study were unveiled today at a news conference at the state Capitol. Jeff Shusterman, President of Majority Opinion Research, whose firm conducted the poll, presented findings that included:
- 52 percent of Georgia voters are not satisfied with Georgia public schools
- 72 percent of Georgia voters feel other groups beyond local school boards (as current Georgia law dictates) should have authority to approve the creation of charter schools
- 78 percent of Georgia voters believe that local school boards are more likely than not to vote against approving charter schools because charter schools are funded with public dollars that would otherwise go to regular public schools
“Today’s results confirm what I’ve heard time and again from Georgia families - they want better and more public education choices than an attendance zone,” said State Representative Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta). “As customers of the state and local school boards, their mandate demands action. I’ve introduced legislation that will give families more opportunities to choose public schools that fit their children’s needs. It's time to move beyond 'one-size-fits-hardly-anyone' education."
The poll results show that the idea of independent charter school authorizers receives strong tri-partisan support among Georgia voters, with more than 70 percent of Republicans, Democrats and Independents agreeing that other groups should have the authority to approve the creation of charter schools. More than 80 percent of both African-Americans and Hispanics were more likely to favor authorizers other than school boards.
Alternate authorizer legislation also enjoys strong support from national education groups including The Center for Education Reform and the Black Alliance for Educational Options.
The poll was commissioned by My School My Choice Georgia and conducted by Majority Opinion Research of Atlanta. Random telephone interviews were conducted with 659 registered voters throughout the state of Georgia between December 13 and December 15, 2007. Data were weighted for age, race, gender, and political party affiliation. Maximum sampling error is +/- 3.7 percent.
My School My Choice Georgia is a new grassroots organization spearheaded by the Georgia Charter Schools Association and dedicated to expanding the opportunity for more families to have quality educational options through charter schools. Today’s announcement comes as the Association gathers in Atlanta for its annual conference
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