Georgia voters rejected a proposal, known as Amendment 1, which would have allowed the state to temporarily take over the lowest-performing schools. More than 55 percent of Georgia’s voters cast their ballots against the amendment, ensuring the state’s schools will remain under local control.

If the amendment had been approved, the state would have appointed new school administrators with the power to fire teachers and other staff and make other major changes in those schools, including closing them or turning them into charter schools.

Amendment 1 opponents argued that it was unclear how the proposal would benefit struggling schools and would do nothing to bring needed resources to classrooms.

Had the amendment passed, the state planned to take control of 127 schools across Georgia, as well as the federal, state and local tax dollars supporting them. Those schools would have remained under state operation for five to 10 years, before returning to local control.

Augusta Chronicle, Nov. 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nov. 9