GSU's Alpharetta Academic Facility to open next fall

Georgia State University officials broke ground Friday (Oct. 30) on the new Alpharetta Academic Facility, a 45,000-square-foot classroom building set to open next fall that will expand the institution's urban footprint even further.

The state-of-the-art facility, which will be adjacent to GSU's existing Alpharetta Center at 3705 Brookside Parkway, will have 16 classrooms including three large tiered "conference center" type classrooms, a computer classroom and open computer lab for student use.

The center will serve thousands of students, mostly working professionals who are pursuing graduate level degrees in business and education.

"We look forward to continued growth and success in the days, weeks and months ahead," Georgia State University President Mark Becker said at Friday's groundbreaking ceremony.

Georgia State's J. Mack Robinson College of Business will continue to offer its Flexible MBA and Professional MBA programs at the new Alpharetta Center.

"This is a great opportunity to expand our already growing college and part of our broader plan to continue growing in every corner of metro Atlanta," Dean H. Fenwick Huss of the Robinson College of Business said.

The College of Education will also expand its graduate level courses in teacher education at the new facility and offer an undergraduate program in Early Childhood Education.

"This facility is key for us because of the extraordinary demand for our teaching and non-teaching programs," College of Education Dean Randy Kamphaus said. "Applications for our teacher education, communication sciences, counseling and virtually all of our 50 plus other programs are at record levels."

GSU, along with Georgia Perimeter College, has had a presence in Alpharetta for several years. This is the second building in what is envisioned as a three-building campus.

"This new facility will benefit the north Fulton community," said Yvonne Chrimes, director of the GSU Alpharetta and Brookhaven Centers. "Whenever there is a university presence, it helps the area's economic development. We're serving the needs of the individuals of north Georgia as the population grows."

Alpharetta Mayor Arthur Letchas and representatives from New South Construction and the Board of Regents joined Georgia State officials at the ground breaking. Lawmakers included Rep. Mark Burkhalter (R-Johns Creek), Rep. Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta), Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta), Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth).

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Georgia's Charter Schools to Celebrate National Charter Schools Week, May 3 - 9

Bus tour in Atlanta, reading initiative in Statesboro, proclamation readings in Alpharetta and Baconton, Principal for a Day event in Riverdale among the many activities

Charter schools statewide – from Atlanta to Baconton, Alpharetta to Statesboro – will commemorate National Charter Schools Week next week, May 3-9, with various events and celebrations.

Bus tour highlights events throughout the stateA V.I.P. bus tour, sponsored by the Georgia Charter Schools Association, aimed at legislators, board members and community leaders, is the highlight of the week’s activities. The tour, which will include state Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta), will visit Neighborhood Charter School (K-5) and University Charter School (K-8) in Atlanta.
(9 a.m., Thursday, May 7)

At Amana Academy (K-8) in Alpharetta, a number of business and political leaders will join the school community in the reading of an official proclamation from Gov. Sonny Perdue, dubbing the week “Charter Schools Week in Georgia.” The proclamation lauds the achievements of Amana, Baconton Community Charter School in Baconton (250 miles south of Atlanta) and Neighborhood Charter School.
(2 p.m., Monday, May 4 – Baconton Community Charter will host a similar event, scheduled for 9 a.m., Tuesday, May 5)

In Statesboro, students from the Charter Conservatory for Liberal Arts and Technology (6-12) will read to pre-school and elementary school children at the Statesboro Regional Library, each day during Charter Schools Week.

In Riverdale, Scholars Academy Charter School (K-5) Principal Elsa Celestine will be “shadowed” by a young college student who aspires to be a school leader during a “Principal for a Day” activity. (Monday, May 4)

State Rep. Jan Jones to receive national honor
Nationally, State Rep. Jan Jones (R-Milton) will join U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Cumberland, R.I. Mayor Daniel McKee, as recipients of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ 2009 Champions for Charters Award, in honor of their leadership and outstanding contributions to the development of high-quality public charter schools. They will be honored during a Capitol Hill Reception, scheduled for 5:45 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, in the Rayburn House Office Building.

Rep. Jones worked to establish the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, an independent, statewide charter school authorizing body, by sponsoring and securing the passage of House Bill 881 in April 2008. During this year’s legislative session, Rep. Jones co-sponsored and ensured the passage of House Bill 555 to give charter schools access to school district facilities without rental charges.

Charter school movement expanding rapidly in Georgia
Charter schools are independent, tuition-free public schools that are allowed to be more innovative than traditional public schools, and are held accountable for improved student achievement. Even before President Barack Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently expressed their support for the establishment of more charter schools, the movement has been strong in Georgia. The state has 113 charter schools – twice as many as there were two years ago – serving more than 30,000 students, up 20 percent from 2007.