All over Athens signs are posted in people’s yards, businesses, and the streets urging the community to vote no to Amendment One. It’s a constitutional amendment on the ballot that will allow the state to intervene in failing schools. Brandon Hanick is urging people not to be fooled by the deceptive language.

“When people have some idea of what the issue is all about they go to a no vote,” he says. “The problem is that the ballot language is so deceptive that if you were to just read it, it would sound great.”

Hanick is trying to reach out to voters through social media, and he isn’t alone in this fight. The issue is bringing together educators, parents, and even people across party lines. Hanick argues that big corporations are the only ones that will benefit from these OSD schools.

“Theres’s a lot of money to be made and that’s a really, really sad thing when you’re talking about kid’s education.”

Sally Swift, who is a member of the Georgia Association of Educators, is traveling across the state to inform educators about Amendment One.

“There is nothing in there to show how it’s going to help the kids,” she says. “It only shows how they are going to take the money and the facilities.”

Gaines elementary School is the only school in the area at risk. Education activists like Hanick say local control is the only way to fix these issues.

“Georgia is pushing a failed model on voters through an amendment.”

By: Taylor Cromwell