More change urged for charters

Have you every thought ..it's not the building...it's not the teachers...it's simply the students..................................

hurly, i will go you one step further, it's not so much the students but the trifling, sorry, good-for-nothing parent(s) who refuse to get involved in their children's education. why not make any type of assistance contingent on the parent(s) get involved, lack of parental involvement equals lack of any type welfare benefits or subsidized or gov't housing.

Too bad we do not see the whole story on Murphey. It would be nice to see more of the actual facts in this story.

We all know the problem, but let's still try to find solutions that will get these kids up to par. Education is what will get them out of poverty and break the cycle of depending on government. Why not more involvement from the churches and other chairities in the classroom? Churches could have classes they adopt. Possibly Ft. Gordon would assign someone on a rotating basis to help out. Every county department could adopt a class. That's it..."Adopt a Class." Have businesses, government, military, churches and other civic organizations adopt a class and work with those kids. These helpers would also provide role models in addition to nuts and bolts education. Someone with a good job explaining to a kid that if he learns algebra, he could qualify for the training to become some type of technician would have their interest. In addition some of these organizations may be able to provide financial aid for educational material.

Riverman1, your suggestion is excellent but remember, people took God out of the schools so do you really think they would be accepting of a church "adopting a class". Too many fear someone might actually do some good and straighten out some young life and teach them some moral principals.

Nice try Riverman1, but InChristLove is correct. The churches probably wouldn't be permitted to do that. Businesses and the military should get involved though. When I was in the Navy, we sponsored classes all the time. Maybe the soldiers at Ft. Gordon could do that if they haven't already done so.

Oh, yeah. Just so you all will know, not everyone in the projects like being there. My aunt, her ex-husband, and her daughters lived on 3rd Avenue in Dogwood Terrace (then Southside) when her daughters were little kids. They are all very successful, law abiding, God-fearing ladies to this day. They know where they came from, and with their husbands, are raising their own kids to be respectable people.

I know the Army and many businesses get involved with some schools and that part is possible. I also believe the federal government has waived a lot of the requirements to keep religious organizations from taking part in such activities. It is my understanding that federal funding is even possible. A practical way to start would be to appoint someone at each school to contact as many public and private organizations as possible and explain the situation. Many of these take charge type people contacted may take the ball and run hard. Let's be positive and work as a community to help these disadvantaged kids. Have them come out to your workplace and associate with employees. It's all about planting seeds.

Jenkins-White used to be an America's Choice school. The funding ran out so the BOE stopped using it there. That's the one program that does work and helped get Jenkins-White off of the list a few years ago. Now they want to reinstate it? It should've been left ALONE and the school would be in better shape. The administrator tried telling the BOE that but hey--they had other uses for their money. Put AC in the schools and leave it there! Oh, yeah--Murphy was, too, until the previous principal threw it out. I'm happy to see there's a new principal there, Ms. Bolton, who is trying to get the school back on the right track! PUT AMERICA'S CHOICE BACK AND LEAVE IT--it is a proven, successful program that benefits ALL students. And, if you didn't know, the GA learning standards were written off of this program--go to their site and see!

James: Worthless parents live everywhere, even the hallowed grounds of Evans and Alpharetta GA.

Teachers are afraid of the Principal, the Principal is afraid of the Superintendent, the Superintendent is afraid of the BOE, and the children "ain't" afraid of nobody. Until students internalize a "respectful fear", of the people that strive 180 plus days per year to nudge them towards a productive life, failing schools/students will continue regardless of what Canned program is instituted.

dear ITdoc, i agree they do but when you have schools that consistantly fail to reach even the lowest acceptable education goals, or high school that graduate only 30% of its senior class on a regular basis and is deemed as the "worst high school in the entire state"(laney) except for a school for the deaf, and another school that is under state directive(josey), and another school (hephzibah), that in itself failed to meet ayp, but money is consistantly poured into them to develop various wasteful and ineffective "programs" BUT THEY ARE REWARDED WITH NEW FOOTBALL STADIUMS/B-BALL GYMS that will tell you something is wrong...it's not the school, the teachers or the location compared to davidson/johnson what is the only component missing??? parental involvement, get the parent(s) involved, get rid of all students who don't want to learn or are disruptive, disrepectful or any student that interferes with the learning process test scores immediately go up, class sizes go down because you are now teaching students who truly want to learn, and those who want to learn will become productive members of society while those who don't just build bigger jails

hamp.....RIGHT ON!!!!!!! you hit the nail right on the head, so instead of trying to teach them...send all of gthem back home to their sorry, good-for-nothing, trifling parent(s)