Thousands rally in support of school choice

By Michelle Wirth

Atlanta, GA – Thousands of parents, teachers and students rallied in support of school choice in front of the Georgia Capitol this morning. The rally was held as part of National School Choice Week.

The crowd heard from speakers like House Majority Leader Chip Rogers. He says in addition to traditional public schools, all Georgia parents should have the option to home school their children or send them to charter schools, virtual schools or private schools.

"God made every one of these children individuals. He made them unique. Our education system ought to reflect the individuality and the uniqueness of our children."

Several speakers criticized a Georgia Supreme Court ruling, which declared charter schools created by a state commission unconstitutional. State representative Alisha Thomas Morgan says the time for the amendment is now.

"This is a critical moment in our state where some believe this isn't time to change our constitution. They say we should wait that we have a few more years, that we just shouldn't go this fast. That's because they don't feel the sense of urgency. They don't know what it's like for a parent who has no options for their child."

It's those options that Cherokee Charter School parent Adrienne Slade says are critical for the state's future.

"We're underperforming in a lot of areas, and there are a lot of schools that just aren't exceeding, and they should be, and we should have the opportunity to go to those schools rather than the failing schools we're zoned to live in."

While the rally was going on outside, a resolution was introduced in the state House. The legislation pushes for a constitutional amendment to overturn the state supreme court's ruling dealing with charter schools.