AS AMENDED--SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

This bill would amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A. to require governing boards of charter schools to participate in initial, and annual thereafter, governance training, conducted or approved by the SBOE. The SBOE would provide or approve training for college and career academies, the training would be in conjunction with the TCSG. The training would also be required for boards of state charter schools, but the commission would be responsible for providing and/or approving training, with the same requirements as placed on the SBOE. Petitioners would have to participate in at least three hours of training prior to submitting a petition, and existing charter schools would have to participate in at least six hours of individual or whole board governance training. The SBOE would be authorized to approve charter school governance training professionals to conduct the training and would be responsible for verification of attendance at the training sessions. The training is suggested to include:

1. Best practices in charter school governance;

2. Monitoring academic achievement;

3. Fiduciary duties;

4. Fiscal health and sustainability; and

5. Legal and regulatory compliance.

6. Constitutional and statutory requirements relating to public records and meetings, and

7. Requirements of applicable statutes and rules and regulations.

Certain entities would be prohibited from delivering, acquiring, recommending the training for charter schools under their supervision:

1. Authorizing entities; or

2. Education or charter management organizations in contract with a charter petitioner or existing charter schools.