Officials rebut allegations of hiding behind desegregation laws

Posted 6:56AM on Saturday 7th September 2002 ( 22 years ago )

AUGUSTA - Richmond County school officials rebutted allegations from federal officials Friday that the school system is hiding behind decades-old desegregation laws to avoid compliance with President Bush's new education reforms. The allegations stem from an Aug. 28 letter in which U.S. Department of Education Undersecretary Eugene Hickok states that Richmond County schools refused to comply with school choice provisions of the No Child Left Behind education reform package. In a letter dated Sept. 5, Charles Larke, superintendent of schools in east Georgia's Richmond County, called federal officials' advice on this matter ``ever changing and in some instances contradictory.'' Under the ``No Child Left Behind Act'' signed by President Bush in January, students at schools receiving federal dollars targeted to poor areas must be allowed to transfer if the school underperforms two straight years. Most parts of Bush's bill don't go into effect for a few years, allowing states time to set up standardized testing and transfer programs. Since Georgia is one of the few states that already has a school accountability system, the law went into effect immediately. The conflict in Richmond County arose last month when the school system filed a motion with U.S. District Court, asking to postpone the implementation of the school choice option and transportation provision for the 2002-03 school year, The Augusta Chronicle reported Saturday. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dudley H. Bowen Jr. granted the school system's request based on the lack of guidance and insufficient time given to the school districts. Federal officials disagree with the allegation of insufficient time. ``Your district, as well as every other district in the nation, was on notice as of Jan. 8,'' Hickok wrote. Other than the basic framework, school officials complained they received little guidance from the state. In turn, the state blamed the federal Department of Education for not providing them with details. Strapped with deadline pressures, some counties chose not to participate in the program until more information was provided. The Georgia DOE sent a letter to school districts less than a week before the start of school ``strongly encouraging'' them to comply with the law but didn't elaborate on how to do so. Larke said he would be willing to discuss the issues addressed in the letter and in the court proceeding, the Augusta newspaper reported.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/9/190405