From the AJC…

“Both Decatur and Marietta city schools today became two of Georgia’s first “charter” systems — piloting what state officials hope will be a nationally recognized effort to free local school systems from red tape.

State Board of Education members also approved a third system, Gainesville City. A fourth system, Chattahoochee County, failed; the board voted it down unanimously. State Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox had recommended Chattahoochee be denied.”

All changes will go into effect this August.

What changes you ask?  Here’s an AJC blurb from a December post that probably does the best job of summing up the very long and complex application.

“In Decatur, the biggest change would be in governance. Schools would establish individual “leadership teams,” giving parents and community members a bigger role in finance and program decisions. The system wants to consider bonus pay for teachers for both school-level and classroom achievement. Tenure and membership in the state’s teacher retirement system would remain. The system also would explore ways for students to earn academic credits based on knowledge, not just classroom time. What would change least? Student testing.”