Reed Denies Charter School & Privatization Agenda

Reed blamed the criticism on “people who are paid to create controversy.”

“This is garbage. I don’t support privatization efforts. I have not supported privatization efforts,” said Reed. “What this was was a specific effort to deal with people who do not live in the city of Atlanta and who are not from the city of Atlanta who were getting ready to play in our races.”

The committee has raised more than $200,000 to help support eight school board candidates and five city council candidates.  About half the funds are from local business leaders; the other half is from Reed, who says he wants to ensure influence on future school board decisions, like the hiring of a new superintendent.

Labor and education leaders have criticized the fundraising group for trying to buy the election and accepting $6500 from Georgia Pacific, which is owned by the conservative activist Koch brothers.

“If you all want to take a $6500 contribution and give it an outsize impact, you all play that game but what was going to happen in this town was two hundred to three hundred thousand dollars of outside money that’s focused on the charter school effort was coming into Atlanta and I was not going to let that happen,” said Reed.

He insisted he’s been an active supporter of public schools his entire political career.

Citywide elections are Tuesday.