Skip to content
Deal

School takeover 2.0 passes the House

In a vote of 138 to 37, school takeover 2.0–House Bill 338 passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday. It allows state intervention in schools labeled “unacceptable” by whatever measure the state chooses to use.

The bill still silences parents and educators and still takes away local control.

As passed, the bill offers no additional funding to schools and places almost all control under the governor. The takeover would create the position of a “chief turnaround officer” who would report to the state education board. The state education board’s members would be political appointees of the governor. The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement will be the deciding factor in which schools are targeted.

Like the first takeover that was shot down by 60 percent of Georgia voters last November, this is a blatant power grab from Deal. The plan offers no additional resources to schools identified for takeover and allows the governor to decide which schools are “unacceptable” then appoint his cronies to “fix” them.

The bill is headed to the Republican-controlled Senate next and Deal has said he already looks forward to signing it.

You can be heard: Call your state senator and tell them to vote ‘No’ on the new school takeover bill.

Find your lawmakers’ contact information by clicking here.

Share this post