Here We Go Again: An Analysis of Re-Segregation in Georgia Charter Schools

Abstract

Scholars note that failing public schools are the civil rights issue of our day (Frankenberg, 2011; Orfield, 2004). The current discussion about school reform in the U.S. over the past two decades has shifted from one of equity to one based on excellence in the form of student achievement. A primary solution for student achievement has been popularized and made into dominant discourse through legislation such as No Child Left Behind (2001) and Race to the Top (2009). In this analysis, the author provides a historical context of the charter school movement as a backdrop for charter school enrollment trends and policy in Georgia. As charter schools in Georgia continue to gain popularity as a primary school choice option for African American students, it is essential that policymakers create charter legislation that encourages the creation of socioeconomically and racially diverse schools. Moreover, both policymakers and stakeholders in education need to decide to what end are we expanding choice, and what kinds of choice might get us closer to more integrated, and ultimately, democratic schools?