CHARTER LEADERS ARE DOING MORE THAN JUST TALKING ABOUT CHANGE!

BY JASON B. ALLEN ON AUGUST 26, 2019

On this Thursday, (BOOK) Better Outcomes for OUR Kids, will host a community conversation to take place from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School (ANCS). The topic of discussion is schools, communities and the impact of economic development.

Better Outcomes for OUR Kids (BOOK) is leading a conversation about the quality schools movement.  Stakeholders in Metro Atlanta are encouraged to come ANCS for a panel discussion featuring their new school leader Chuck Meadows. Meadows is an Atlanta resident, community leader and the first African American to lead the ANCS.

BOOK is anticipating that this will be a great event! The event will feature insights from Meadows as a charter school leader, why school choice is the Black choice, important updates in education you should be aware and building solutions with stakeholders.

The event held at Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School, 688 Grant St SE, Atlanta GA 30315 will also have a Meet & Greet ANCS School Leader, Chuck Meadows from 6:15pm to 6:45pm. The school leader is excited about the innovation ahead that will take place under his leadership and so are the parents.

Members of the community and school choice supporters agree that this is an important conversation that needs to be had so that we can see improvement in the communities and schools that truly need it. The panel discussion will begin promptly at 7:00 pm, followed by a Q&A.

It’s time for us to take action. Reserve your seat by clicking on the link below to RSVP: https://www.bookatl.org/community-talks/

BOOK is anticipating will be an engaging, moderated conversation discussing priorities for the year, how stakeholders can get engaged, and the impact economic development is having on education in the area. 

Equitable funding is a major concern and issue for charter schools. BOOK conversation next week will tackle the question. The organization believes that the funding formula in Georgia creates it. It is one of the biggest burdens have been facility costs for schools, whether its the lease/purchase of a building, major renovations, or major facility issues that come up.

Every dollar spent on facility costs take away from dollars that can go toward instruction. Advocacy efforts and conversations David Mitchell, CEO of BOOK, has been in have included the need for school systems to make unused facilities available at low cost for startup charters to remove this barrier.

The conversation will also address the role that charter schools play in economic development through ending mass incarceration, poverty and homelessness. Many Black and Brown families make up the populations of students served in charter schools. BOOK partners with charter schools fulfilling the mission of providing our children with a quality education.

National studies show that a student is more likely to complete college coming through a charter school. While this is a very broad point, the more practical line of thought is that charter school efforts in innovation and retention, are keeping more students on track for success– and out of the prison pipeline.

Many Black and Brown families support school choice because it’s helping get Black and Brown children on the path to success. BOOK’s work contributes to this success which impacts the overall success of the economy and our communities.

As advocates, we must be mindful that our work doesn’t prevent students and families who want a different choice for education to be blocked. Many of our citizens come from being in poverty stricken communities or are even facing homelessness. Whether it be through wrap services, BOOK is here to ensure their future journey to being productive citizens is met by supporting quality traditional public and charter schools.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

View the original article on Edlanta.org