Carlon Smith proudly displays photos and awards of her grandchildren on a large black entertainment center in her living room.

She showed off scholastic awards given to her 13-year-old granddaughter Shakiria.

"Principal's honor roll. That would be her," Smith said with a proud laugh. "She is super smart."

Smith plays an active role in her grandkids’ education, shuttling Shakiria and her three siblings to and from their new school: Macon Charter Academy. Smith said she wanted them to attend a charter school because it promised to challenge the smartest and hold the others more accountable.

"The charter school pushes you," she said. "You work there."

But the school itself is now being held accountable. The new school building, constructed in one of Macon’s historic communities, wasn’t ready when class began. So kids began school in the Macon Centerplex auditorium. Once they got into the new facility, other problems cropped up. The school wasn’t clean. Schedules were disorganized.

That got the attention of the state Education Department and the Bibb County School District, which authorized the charter.

"(I)t's our responsibility to go over and make sure we hold them accountable to the charter," said Bibb County Superintendent of Schools Curtis Jones.

A month ago the state put Macon Charter Academy on probation. The school was to submit a plan of improvement, and given 30 days to make those changes. They have a couple more weeks to make changes or the school’s charter would be withdrawn and the school, shut down.

Jones said the situation doesn’t just hold the charter school accountable. It forces the district to reassess.

"(A) lesson learned is once the charter is approved, it's not just approve it and leave them alone," Jones said. "They are a part of us and there needs to be follow through. And it's not going to be as much freedom as they think."

In other words, the school district must oversee charters, even though charters promise autonomy. That's because if the charter school fails to improve to the state’s satisfaction, the district would have to reabsorb the 600 or so children who attend the school.

The head of the state advocacy group for charter schools says school administrators should take another lesson from the Macon Charter Academy situation. Georgia Charter School Association CEO Tony Roberts said few school districts in Georgia have experience authorizing charter schools.

"That's an area where a lot more work needs to be done," Roberts said.

State education reformers have pinned improvements on a thriving charter school moverment. Roberts argued that the public stumble by the Macon Charter Academy does not hurt the drive for charter schools across the state.

"It's a good thing that the alarm be raised and that sometimes that they be closed," he said "That’s the ultimate accountability."

Macon Charter Academy Principal Ron Boykins said people should not judge his school, let alone the charter school movement, by the first two months of the Macon Charter Academy experience.

"You jump into creating a new school in Middle Georgia… which has its challenges," Boykins said. "And you jump in (with) a K-8 classes. And you jump in with a new facility. That's a big jump."

Grandmother Carlon Smith says that the school needs to have more time and less of the public spotlight.

"I want some of this pressure to get off the school. So that teachers won't have all this pressure and everyone running crazy to get everything right," said Smith, who also works part time at the charter school.

Boykins insists the school will address its issues. And Macon Charter Academy is on a clock. The state will pass judgment on its remediation plan soon. Then the school has a couple of weeks to make changes necessary to get off probation or face a shutdown.

Tags: charter schools, charter, school, Bibb County Schools, Bibb County School District