County backtracks on single-sex ed

Greene County is scaling back its plans to become the country’s first entirely single-sex school district. Instead, the county will allow only third graders to choose whether to attend single-gender classes. So, far only 30 percent have signed up. Greene County had planned to segregate its 2,000 students by gender starting this fall, but the plan angered parents and sparked heated public forums.

Greene Co. schools to be segregated by sex

Starting next fall, public school students in Greene County will learn in single-sex classrooms. Educators in the rural east Georgia school district hope the move will improve test scores and student behavior. One charter school in the district will be exempt from the change. The county is believed to be the first school district in the U.S. to entirely convert to single-sex education.

State green-lights charter school

A controversial charter school has cleared its final hurdle in the approval process. Today the State Board of Education approved Lake Oconee Academy in Greene County. The vote was nine to one. Opponents say it intentionally excludes minority and low-income students. Supporters say it will attract middle class families and boost the area's economy.

Charter school close to final approval

A controversial charter school has the green light from Georgia’s Charter School Committee. Today the committee passed the plan to build Lake Oconee Academy in Greene County. Supporters say the neighborhood school in the posh Lake Oconee developments would attract middle class families to the area and spur economic growth. Opponents say it excludes minority and low-income students. The plan has one more hurdle to pass tomorrow, when the entire state Board of Education is set to vote on it.

Greene County leads in teacher turnover

More than 30% of teachers in Greene County are leaving their jobs. That’s in contrast to most other Georgia school districts that expect a less than 10% teacher turnover. The Athens Banner-Herald reports that most of the teachers in the school district near Lake Oconee are leaving Anita White Carson Middle School. 19 will resign and 3 will retire. They make up more than half of the schools teaching staff. But Greene County’s superintendent says the high turnover is an "opportunity."