Governor’s race 2010: David Poythress on education

Candidates for Georgia governor share their views on education

All the candidates for governor are being invited to share their education views with Get Schooled readers. As each piece comes in and is published here, it will be added to a category called Governor 2010. I urge you to read all the pieces.

Here is what Democratic candidate David Poythress submitted:

By General David Poythress

Unlike other candidates, I fundamentally believe that we must take immediate action to dramatically transform our public school systems. We cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results.

There is a very practical, day-to-day connection between educating our work force and attracting good jobs to the state of Georgia. In these difficult economic times, we need to be expanding educational opportunities across the state, not cutting back.

As your governor, I will work with educators, parents and students to transform our public schools into 21st Century centers of learning. I believe that working together an education policy can be created that recognizes empowered leadership as the basis for motivation and accountability in our schools.

My comprehensive plan to create a 21^st century educational system for Georgia will stop cutting education funding for our public schools, protect the institutions that make public education work, invest in our educators and provide cutting-edge educational technology and innovative new programs to fully engage our students.

THE POYTHRESS PLAN:
FOUR STEPS TO CREATING A 21ST CENTURY EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM FOR GEORGIA

Step 1: Stop Cutting Education Funding for Public Schools

* Reverse Governor Perdue’s outrageous “austerity” cuts of nearly $2 billion to K-12 education

* Oppose any private school voucher program in Georgia

Step 2: Protect the Institutions that make Public Education Work

* Safeguard the HOPE Scholarship program

* Encourage increased participation in our outstanding voluntary Pre-K programs

* Support our historically black colleges and universities

* Prevent merger of community and technical colleges

Step 3: Invest in our Educators

* Seek the advice and counsel of public school educators as significant stakeholders in decision-making regarding educational reforms

* Expand continuing professional development for our state’s teachers

* Preserve fair dismissal procedures for public school employees

* Recruit and retain highly qualified teachers, particularly in math and science

* Maintain current defined benefit retirement system for educators

* Ensure the safety of students and educators in our schools and on buses

* Persuade more Georgians to pursue careers in education in GA

* Push for the official recognition of Veterans Day in public schools

Step 4: Invest in a 21st Century Education for our Children

* Invest in technology in the classroom to empower teachers to be 21st Century educators

* Expand character education in public schools to reinforce the values of responsibility, citizenship and respect for authority

* Reduce K-12 class sizes, especially in suburban and metropolitan schools

* Create a comprehensive drop-out prevention program

* Promote parental participation in the education of their children

* Sustain the important role of the arts in education

* Work to end the tyranny of high-stakes testing and scrap “No Child Left Behind”

* Encourage educational leadership that instills discipline in the classroom, unleashes the creativity of educators and welcomes the community to participate in the life of our schools

* Protect the health of our students by advocating sound nutrition and routine exercise

* Advance the utilization of local agricultural products by our public facilities

* Provide increased opportunities for vocational and technical education at the high school level

* Increase before-school and after-school tutoring and mentorship opportunities

To achieve significant progress Georgia needs a governor with a clear vision and plan – a leader who will collaborate with our state’s educators, parents and community leaders to turn the plan into action. I am the leader you can count on to move Georgia forward.