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Georgia Teachers Union Head Equates Atlanta’s Stellar School Choice Rank to Chicago’s Murder Rate

By Mitchell Trinka

December 10, 2015

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Georgia Federation of Teachers President Verdaillia Turner was called out on social media after she compared Atlanta being ranked as one of the best U.S. cities for school choice to the murderous violence that has swept Chicago.

Her remarks came following a new report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute that ranked the top 30 cities that promote quality educational options.

Turner linked homicide to school choice Wednesday in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution story.

“That’s like saying Chicago is the most murder friendly-city in the nation,” she quipped about Atlanta coming out on top in the Fordham study.

Turner’s rhetoric is ironic given that the labor leader has charged in the past that school choice advocates have waged a campaign to demonize traditional public schools.

“I have to give them an ‘A’ for orchestration, but I’ll give them an ‘F’ in ethics and telling the truth,” Turner said. “It’s just a campaign, and the public is being played.”

In response to Turner’s latest comments, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools CEO and President Nina Rees said in a press release that Turner’s comments “are not only tone deaf but horribly disturbing and offensive. She owes charter school families and teachers an apology.”

Here’s a taste of the reaction online.

Georgia @AFTunion affiliate equates #charterschools to murder https://t.co/vB7Ui2ULl5 @Ninacharters @Dyrnwyn @dropoutnation @BobBowdon

— Michael Petrilli (@MichaelPetrilli) December 10, 2015

GFT likens choice to murder, despite strong performance in charter sector. Can't make it up. https://t.co/FRjtysvMFf

— Lori Armistead (@loridrummer) December 10, 2015

National Alliance Responds to Georgia Federation of Teachers President’s Disturbing Comments about #SchoolChoice: https://t.co/zkIERnmqXS

— publiccharters.org (@charteralliance) December 10, 2015

.@wjmcgurn .@smarick Georgia #teachersunion says Atlanta's #charterschool friendly label same as murder-friendly. https://t.co/pz4yMCifSk

— Jeanne Allen (@JeanneAllen) December 10, 2015

Georgia @AFTunion President Verdaillia Turner goes for gold in comparing #schoolchoice to murder. #BloodyVacuous https://t.co/pHMCTEQzgX

— André-Tascha Lammé (@Andrelamme) December 10, 2015

Teachers union president equates charter schools to murder. Seriously. https://t.co/7YWIkyqpgi

— Campbell Brown (@campbell_brown) December 10, 2015

.@AFTUnion GA Prez compares #schoolchoice in Atlanta to murder. WOW. #KeepItClassy y'all. https://t.co/Gif7JuRjR4

— Inez Feltscher (@InezFeltscher) December 10, 2015

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                <h1>Georgia Teachers Union Head Equates Atlanta’s Stellar School Choice Rank to Chicago’s Murder Rate</h1>

                <h2></h2>

                <p class="sans">By <a rel="author" href="https://www.the74million.org/contributor/20095/">Mitchell Trinka</a></p>

                <img src="https://www.the74million.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1449782254_4461.png">

                <p>This story first appeared at <a href="https://www.the74million.org">The 74</a>, a nonprofit news site covering education. <a href="https://www.the74million.org/about/newsletters/?utm_source=republish-button&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=republish">Sign up for free newsletters from The 74</a> to get more like this in your inbox.</p>
                <div class="article__paragraph">
<div class="article__paragraph opening" dir="ltr">Georgia Federation of Teachers President Verdaillia Turner was called out on social media after she compared Atlanta being ranked as one of the best U.S. cities for school choice to the murderous violence that has swept Chicago.</div>
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">Her remarks came following a new <a href="http://edex.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/%2812.08%20-%20embargoed%29%20America%27s%20Best%20and%20Worst%20Cities%20for%20School%20Choice%20%281%29.pdf">report</a> from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute that ranked <a href="https://www.the74million.org/article/report-the-best-and-worst-cities-in-america-for-school-choice">the top 30 cities that promote quality educational options</a>.</div>
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">Turner linked homicide to school choice Wednesday in an <a href="http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/atlanta-among-the-most-friendly-in-us-to-charter-s/npgHq/">Atlanta Journal-Constitution story.</a></div>
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">“That’s like saying Chicago is the most murder friendly-city in the nation,” she quipped about Atlanta coming out on top in the Fordham study.</div>
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">Turner’s rhetoric is ironic given that the labor leader has <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/school-choice-advocates-celebrate-passage-of-const/nWCN9/">charged in the past</a> that school choice advocates have waged a campaign to demonize traditional public schools.</div>
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">“I have to give them an ‘A’ for orchestration, but I’ll give them an ‘F’ in ethics and telling the truth,” Turner said. “It’s just a campaign, and the public is being played.”</div>
<div class="article__paragraph" dir="ltr">In response to Turner’s latest comments, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools CEO and President Nina Rees said in <a href="http://www.publiccharters.org/press/national-alliance-responds-georgia-federation-teachers-presidents-disturbing-offensive-comments-school-choice/">a press release</a> that Turner’s comments “are not only tone deaf but horribly disturbing and offensive. She owes charter school families and teachers an apology.”</div>
<div class="article__paragraph">Here’s a taste of the reaction online.</div>
</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Georgia <a href="https://twitter.com/AFTunion">@AFTunion</a> affiliate equates <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/charterschools?src=hash">#charterschools</a> to murder <a href="https://t.co/vB7Ui2ULl5">https://t.co/vB7Ui2ULl5</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Ninacharters">@Ninacharters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Dyrnwyn">@Dyrnwyn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/dropoutnation">@dropoutnation</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BobBowdon">@BobBowdon</a></p>
<p>— Michael Petrilli (@MichaelPetrilli) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelPetrilli/status/674966009133064192">December 10, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">GFT likens choice to murder, despite strong performance in charter sector. Can't make it up. <a href="https://t.co/FRjtysvMFf">https://t.co/FRjtysvMFf</a></p>
<p>— Lori Armistead (@loridrummer) <a href="https://twitter.com/loridrummer/status/674963706468544512">December 10, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">National Alliance Responds to Georgia Federation of Teachers President’s Disturbing Comments about <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SchoolChoice?src=hash">#SchoolChoice</a>: <a href="https://t.co/zkIERnmqXS">https://t.co/zkIERnmqXS</a></p>
<p>— publiccharters.org (@charteralliance) <a href="https://twitter.com/charteralliance/status/675018631097528320">December 10, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/wjmcgurn">@wjmcgurn</a> .<a href="https://twitter.com/smarick">@smarick</a> Georgia <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/teachersunion?src=hash">#teachersunion</a> says Atlanta's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/charterschool?src=hash">#charterschool</a> friendly label same as murder-friendly. <a href="https://t.co/pz4yMCifSk">https://t.co/pz4yMCifSk</a></p>
<p>— Jeanne Allen (@JeanneAllen) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeanneAllen/status/675020646808748036">December 10, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Georgia <a href="https://twitter.com/AFTunion">@AFTunion</a> President Verdaillia Turner goes for gold in comparing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/schoolchoice?src=hash">#schoolchoice</a> to murder. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BloodyVacuous?src=hash">#BloodyVacuous</a> <a href="https://t.co/pHMCTEQzgX">https://t.co/pHMCTEQzgX</a></p>
<p>— André-Tascha Lammé (@Andrelamme) <a href="https://twitter.com/Andrelamme/status/675039603083091968">December 10, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Teachers union president equates charter schools to murder. Seriously. <a href="https://t.co/7YWIkyqpgi">https://t.co/7YWIkyqpgi</a></p>
<p>— Campbell Brown (@campbell_brown) <a href="https://twitter.com/campbell_brown/status/675040469294927872">December 10, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="es">.<a href="https://twitter.com/AFTunion">@AFTUnion</a> GA Prez compares <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/schoolchoice?src=hash">#schoolchoice</a> in Atlanta to murder. WOW. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KeepItClassy?src=hash">#KeepItClassy</a> y'all. <a href="https://t.co/Gif7JuRjR4">https://t.co/Gif7JuRjR4</a></p>
<p>— Inez Feltscher (@InezFeltscher) <a href="https://twitter.com/InezFeltscher/status/675062408403099648">December 10, 2015</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>

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Georgia Teachers Union Head Equates Atlanta’s Stellar School Choice Rank to Chicago’s Murder Rate

Sharpen Up!

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