A Dalton teacher and a Baptist minister from Atlanta have filed suit over the language of the constitutional amendment regarding charter schools.

Beverly Hodges and Reverend Timothy McDonald are asking a Fulton County Superior Court to declare the language of the amendment misleading. They claim a majority of Georgia voters would not approve the amendment if it were accurately described.

Tom Cox is a lawyer with Carlock, Copeland and Stair and represented a group of school districts in last year’s successful lawsuit against the state charter school commission

He says “ The preamble says,’ this amendment provides for improving student achievement and parental involvement.’ Who can possibly vote against that, after all? But this amendment says nothing about improving student achievement or parental involvement. It says basically that a new state commission can be created that can override decisions of local school systems.”

Supporters of the amendment say reestablishing the state commission will expand opportunities for parents to choose the direction of their children’s education.

A spokeswoman for the State Attorney General's office says they have not yet seen the lawsuit.

Tags: lawsuit, charter school amendment, amendment preamble