Gold Dome 2011: No vouchers, no money, less HOPE
Senate Education and Youth Chair Fran Millar
At a media conference Friday, state Sen. Fran Millar, R-Dunwoody, recounted how his adult daughter chided him that the Legislature’s cuts to education and furloughs cost her son’s teacher $3,200 in salary that year.
“Would you rather lose your job?” Millar asked his daughter, telling her that his company had laid off 15 people right before Christmas.
“When it comes to furloughs, it was the best alternative to layoffs,” he said. “So far, you have heard Gov. Deal say he was going to eliminate 14,000 unfilled positions. We haven’t used the word layoffs yet. But we have heard that word everyplace else in the private sector. Everyone has to do more with less. That is the world we live in.
“This year is going to be very difficult,” Millar said. ” We better get used to it. We have to get alternative revenue sources. I was there when we passed all these tax breaks under Democrats and Republicans. It didn’t matter. We are going to do a way with a lot of those tax breaks. This is a different world.”
Millar made his comments at Friday’s annual media symposium by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. Millar shared the floor with Democratic House member Margaret Kaiser from Atlanta’s Grant Park. Both Kaiser and Millar, a 12-year House veteran who has now joined the Senate, are very involved in education issues in the General Assembly. Millar chairs the Senate’s education committee.
Millar remarked how water bills have tripled. And he noted that DeKalb is discussing a millage rate increase to make ends meet. “How much can people take? If you don’t tighten your belts, where do we go from here?” Millar asked.
State Rep. Margaret Kaiser of Atlanta
As to Deal’s pledge to put an end teacher furloughs and shortened school years, Millar said that will depend on whether school districts banked some of their stimulus money.
“This does not depend on the state,” he said. “It depends on what local systems have in their bank accounts. The possibility to end furloughs depends on what your local school board did with the stimulus dollars.”
The pair answered many questions from reporters at the conference. Here are some of their responses:
Vouchers:
Kaiser: “It is unfair to look at other sources of use for our public dollars this year. I haven’t heard a lot talk since Sen. Johnson [Eric Johnson was a big voucher proponent, but quit the Senate to run for governor] has been gone. I don’t think it will ever be a dead issue.”
She called for an end to “piecemeal hacking away at our local system.” But, she said, “Democrats were not doing themselves any favors by avoiding a voucher discussion. I am not going to shut the door on any conversation. The conversation needs to be had.”
Kaiser supported a pilot program in a low-income communities that would have allowed every type of choice and she said she did not exclude vouchers.
Millar predicted no movement on vouchers this year given that a new governor and a new superintendent are in place. He says a big discussion point this year will be redistricting of legislative districts, as well as school redistricting in some areas, including his own county of DeKalb
Legislative priorities:
Kaiser urged a focus on the long-discussed updating of the school funding formula, urging the House speaker to discourage piecemeal legislation and address the big question. She said the Legislature ought to confine itself to looking at the funding formula and the teacher pay scale and the leave the rest to the locals.
Changes to HOPE:
“We are not going to change the 3.0 grade point average for HOPE. All that does is further grade inflation,” Millar said. He repeated his suggestion, already discussed here on the blog, that the state add a SAT/ACT score requirement or a class ranking requirement.
“As you know, the Legislature does not control our University System,” said Millar. “The Board of Regents are put in there by governor and they control it. If you look at what costs have been in the last decade, health care has gone up 50 percent, while tuition has gone up 76 percent. The University System has figured out some of the way to recover their costs is via the HOPE Scholarship. HOPE may go to a dollar allotment. You get X amount of dollars.”
Kaiser’s suggestion that Georgia consider limiting HOPE to students according to family income would be a hard sell in the Legislature, said Millar. ”
“Quite frankly, you are going to have a hard time getting means testing through a Republican General Assembly. I believe at the end of the day, we will see a package of reforms for the HOPE Scholarship. The governor said in his State of the State address that we will not take reserve monies to make this work. We have to do it with actual lottery proceeds. I believe that the amount of money that was supposed to go back into education from the lottery was 35 percent. We are at 25 percent. We need to look at increasing the money going back into education,” said Millar.
Pre-k:
Asked about HOPE’s stepsister, pre-k, Millar expressed his support for the program and advocated increasing the money flowing to it from the Georgia Lottery, which funds both HOPE and pre-k.
“If I could wave a magic wand, I would put two thirds of the money in pre-k and one third in the HOPE Scholarship. I have friends who would like to see the thing expanded to 3-year-olds. I have said, ‘Let’s take care of the 4-year-olds first,’” he said.
If she had a magic wand, Kaiser said she would make pre-k means tested, to insure that low-income kids had slots in the program, which has waiting lists in some parts of the state.
School funding:
“I am more and more convinced that the money has to follow the child wherever he goes to get educated. The bigger debate is how do we get the funding. When all is said and done, policy is driven by funding,” said Millar.
Millar said he is a big believer in charter schools, saying the schools make parents really be parents.
Kaiser supports more charter schools. She said she was scrubbing toilets and painting in the charter school that she began in her area when her Atlanta tax bill arrived. It had jumped 118 percent, yet there was not a strong school in her neighborhood for her kids to attend.
“I think our children should have choice, choice, choice. If a school is unacceptable in the community where they are living by zip code and they want to open a charter school, they should be able to do it,” she said.
Georgia’s math program:
Millar, “I think the state rolled that thing out not with best preparation of the people out in the field. That is being looked at.”
High school reforms:
Kaiser talked about moving kids onto college or technical schools when ready, which is the goal of Georgia’s Move on When Ready program. “If kids in 10th grade are outperforming their peers, they should be moved ahead.”
Millar and Kaiser both support a single diploma, but want more options along the way, including more hands-on technical school training and improved education in workplace expectations.
“When we visited the Kia plant, what Kia said was that they don’t need kids with college degrees. They can take kids with high school diplomas and teach them what they need to know. But they need them to show up on time. Kids do not understand everyday workforce requirements,” said Kaiser.
–By Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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117 comments Add your comment
Write Your Board Members
January 16th, 2011
1:09 pm
Why is a local system’s redistricting big news? And how was this relevant to a state discussion of education issues?
ScienceTeacher671
January 16th, 2011
1:23 pm
As to Deal’s pledge to put an end teacher furloughs and shortened school years, Millar said that will depend on whether school districts banked some of their stimulus money
What Millar is saying here is that whether or not your children get an “adequate” education depends upon your local school district. That’s not what the Georgia Constitution says.
“I believe that the amount of money that was supposed to go back into education from the lottery was 35 percent. We are at 25 percent. We need to look at increasing the money going back into education,” said Millar.
About time someone suggested that. Also interesting that they noted how much tuition has gone up since HOPE was implemented. Maybe someone ought to suggest that the universities dial it down some?
If she had a magic wand, Kaiser said she would make pre-k means tested, to insure that low-income kids had slots in the program, which has waiting lists in some parts of the state.
Agree with that, or with charging tuition on a sliding scale, rather like we do with lunch costs.
Millar said he is a big believer in charter schools, saying the schools make parents really be parents.
The parents who aren’t interested in “being parents” probably wouldn’t bother to put their children in a charter school to begin with.
Millar, “I think the state rolled that thing [math program] out not with best preparation of the people out in the field. That is being looked at.”
In other words, according to Millar it’s not the program, it’s the state’s math teachers. I reject that argument. There’s a reason none of the other states use this program.
Millar and Kaiser both support a single diploma, but want more options along the way, including more hands-on technical school training and improved education in workplace expectations.
They don’t all need the same diploma. Also, socially promoting them and refusing to enforce rules and discipline in schools are the reasons the students need “improved education in workplace expectations.” I’m reminded of Dr. Trotter’s favorite quote.
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Equitas
January 16th, 2011
1:41 pm
School funding:
(1)
“I think our children should have choice, choice, choice. If a school is unacceptable in the community where they are living by zip code and they want to open a charter school, they should be able to do it,” she said.
Question- If a child residing in Fulton, or Clayton County wanted to be educated at a public school
in Cobb County, would that child have the “choice” based on what State Representative
Margaret Kaiser is stating ? Why is choice primarily viewed one way? Why shouldn’t
public schools be given greater flexibility to meet the needs of students-”choice” ?
2)“We are not going to change the 3.0 grade point average for HOPE. All that does is further grade inflation,” Millar said. He repeated his suggestion, already discussed here on the blog, that the state add a SAT/ACT score requirement or a class ranking requirement.
Question- If SAT/ACT scores are used to determine HOPE Scholarship candidates the way
Senate Education Chair Fran Millar advocates, wouldn’t testing inflation create
the same problems with students being able to afford Princeton Review gaining
a boost in scores (not just based on academic knowledge, or standards learned) ?
Haven’t even the Ivy league schools been accused of grade inflation in the
increased percentages of Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude graduates ?
Burroughston Broch
January 16th, 2011
1:43 pm
@ Write Your Board Members
DeKalb’s redistricting is noteworthy because DeKalb is a poster child for systems out of touch with the citizens and for negligent financial management. The DeKalb Board is finally getting down to brass tacks after years of looking the other way. What we want to avoid is a situation like Detroit where half of the schools are likely to be closed in the next two years. In Detroit, “closed” means abandoned.
DeKalb is not alone since all of the large metro systems are experiencing declining enrollment.
Write Your Board Members
January 16th, 2011
1:52 pm
Oh, I know why it is important. I am unclear how Millar is involved. This is clearly a local issue.
Athenian
January 16th, 2011
1:57 pm
Nearly every time a legislator mentions the large increases in tuition, they conveniently leave out the dramatic cut in per student funding to higher education over the past decade. The increase in tuition does not come close to covering the cuts in state funding. (Behind the scenes, legislators will tell you that it is easier to cut higher ed because they can “make up” the cuts with increased tuition.) Obviously, given the downturn in the state tax revenues, cuts were necessary. Let’s just be honest about the reason for the tuition increases.
bootney farnsworth
January 16th, 2011
2:19 pm
furloughs are inevitible.
so are layoffs.
the system will do everything possible to avoid doing what’s
actually responsible
Math Prof
January 16th, 2011
2:22 pm
*sigh*
Millar, “I think the state rolled that thing [math program] out not with best preparation of the people out in the field. That is being looked at.”
In other words, according to Millar it’s not the program, it’s the state’s math teachers. I reject that argument. There’s a reason none of the other states use this program.
No, that’s not what he’s saying. What he’s saying is that the state DoE didn’t work with the teachers to roll it out. The DoE left the teachers mostly out of the loop and without sufficient appropriate materials to implement the curriculum.
There’s nothing wrong with a unified, integrated math curriculum. Ontario Canada has been doing it for a decade now and have had strong results… the difference is that they rolled it out in a more organized, teacher-inclusive manner.
In the end, this math approach CAN work… but a lot of damage has been done because those in charge let the teachers, the parents, and the students down.
bootney farnsworth
January 16th, 2011
2:27 pm
sad thing is, this is a classic no win situtation.
we’ve been so out of control for so long, there is no painless
solution.
I don’t think repair is possible until the system totally collapses.
justin
January 16th, 2011
2:36 pm
A few observations:
“we need to get used to it” — I was hoping that the current economic difficulty is a temporary matter – maybe we will have to deal with it periodically. But, his suggestion for teachers to “get used to it” means that he and his Republican colleagues are continue cutting education budgets no matter what the economic situation is.
RE: Deal’s promise for ending furloughs
It’s all up to each school district, but if districts stop furloughs, he (Deal) will take the credit.
RE: voucher
Miller doesn’t think voucher will not be an issue, but he believes funding should follow each student. Hmm…
RE: math program
I think they got this right – many of the problems are because of the way the program was introduced and implemented. So, even if the program is changed, unless we have learned from our mistakes, we will be having just as many problems with the new program – unless we just go back to the way we were, which wasn’t great at all.
Top School
January 16th, 2011
2:57 pm
The GOVERNOR should start the EDUCATION clean up in his own NEIGHBORHOOD…Atlanta Public School, Warren T. Jackson Elementary…
THE MODEL that will show “how it works”…is right next door.
A public school that has been given PRIVATE STATUS.
They have their own VOUCHER SYSTEM.
An open SCHOOL HOUSE checkbook for BONUS PAY…given out by the PRINCIPAL.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TopSchoolAtlanta#p/u/21/dDSFPmcD3Tk
SEGREGATION to keep the TEST SCORES HIGH…
http://www.youtube.com/user/TopSchoolAtlanta#p/u/38/0tCFMSuQBTQ
AND Pay for Performance FOR TEACHERS voted on by the BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
Furloughs… are not for the APS- NORTHSIDE schools …they can raise $100,000 on a gift wrap sale in a matter of days and make REORGANIZATION money disappear into the BLACK HOLE of the APS COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE.
Watch how these leaders handle ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS…Their inaction to criminally charge those manipulating the system touches too close to their buddies on the Atlanta Business Council. They are profiting from the waste and misuse of tax money.
Ask Warren Fortson how much money he has made from the corruption in ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. He is the TOP EDUCATIONAL LAWYER in the neighborhood.
Those in the position of political AUTHORITY are not CLEAN of CORRUPTION, themselves.
They can’t begin to FIX problems when they are not even capable of looking at the issues in their own neighborhood.
ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS…CHEATED on the Standardized Testing…all the problems can easily be ironed out when proper investigations expose the ROOT of the PROBLEM.
They have no intentions of digging to the root…THEY HAVE SNIPPED OFF THE HEAD (Beverly Hall’s resignation.)
Political leaders have the opportunity to properly assess the problems in GEORGIA’S EDUCATION…by analyzing the mistakes of ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
So do you think they will?
I think they profit from those mistakes…and have no intentions of UNCOVERING their own corruption.
http://www.TopPublicSchoolCorruptionAtlanta.com
Top School
January 16th, 2011
3:07 pm
@bootney farnsworth said “I don’t think repair is possible until the system totally collapses.”
I agree…and the same with the economy…
These topics are designed to prepare the general public for the complete TAKE OVER of the corruption beast. First you’ve got to convince them to CHEAT for awhile…
Take all the INTEGRITY out of the people…and you will create total chaos.
AND THEN BUILD YOURSELF A CASTLE WITH A MOAT AROUND IT.
The most progressive country in the world…and what have we accomplished with our intelligence…more GREED…and lack of RESPECT for one another.
CHEATING and STEALING was once thought to be a serious crime.
It is NOW called business…EVEN WITH THE CAMERA ROLLING!
Santa
January 16th, 2011
3:14 pm
It appears that Charters take two forms. Conversion charters already have involved parents who want to cut ties with the state’s rules. The start-up charters don’t compete with conversion charters, because there isn’t a need for an alternative.
Start-up charters pull involved parents and their kids from the local schools, leaving the local school to deal with the kids whose parents don’t care. Those will be the kids used to grade the public schools and the teaching staff. Sounds like a stacked deck game of poker. The question is who’s stacking the deck?
Top School
January 16th, 2011
3:27 pm
@ Santa said “Sounds like a stacked deck game of poker. The question is who’s stacking the deck?”
If Governor Sonny Perdue had to bring in the GBI to investigate the APS situation…AND THIS TURNS OUT TO BE “just another mock investigation” because it exposes too much of the BUSINESS CORRUPTION involved…WHO DO YOU THINK IS STACKING THE DECK?
Nikole
January 16th, 2011
3:29 pm
Rep. Millar lives in Dunwoody.
Top School
January 16th, 2011
3:33 pm
They all lick out of the same bowl…
Larry Major
January 16th, 2011
3:34 pm
Someone please tell Sen. Millar that state funding already does follow the child to the school they attend.
CharterStarter
January 16th, 2011
3:43 pm
Santa, please expect coal in your stocking this Christmas.There would be no need for charters if local schools were all high performing. They are not. Also, there are many charters started by school systems (LEA Start Ups) that are not conversions and partner with existing schools. Paint with a narrower brush, please.
ScienceTeacher671
January 16th, 2011
3:50 pm
No math program in the world is going to work as long as we keep committee promoting students who can’t do third grade math to high school.
Top School
January 16th, 2011
3:52 pm
Are my comments not acceptable?
Did I overstate the point again…
It is that self aggregating brain disorder…that’s why I can’t teach anymore.
Robert
January 16th, 2011
4:00 pm
SO where is all the Ga. Lottery money gone/going the Lottery that IS for the schools,guess no body in the state gov.is smarter that a third grader just a bigger crook
SSTeacher
January 16th, 2011
4:05 pm
“This year is going to be very difficult,” Millar said. ” We better get used to it. We have to get alternative revenue sources. I was there when we passed all these tax breaks under Democrats and Republicans. It didn’t matter. We are going to do a way with a lot of those tax breaks. This is a different world.”
This is our DIFFERENT WORLD:
1) it is very difficult (economic instability and insecurity)
2) citizens need to get used to things being difficult
3) alternative revenues (how many ways does government get money? – taxes)
4) tax breaks were bad idea (so increased taxes must be good)
I will oversimplify due to time and space:
The next step is to admit we’re in major trouble, and politicians really don’t have any idea how we’re going to get out of the trouble they brought us. Their only cure is to blame “the economy” (whatever that means), raise taxes (and alienate voters), and hope voters forget or don’t pay attention to their actions. No wonder many public schools are cutting Social Studies. If the public understood what was happening, there might be outrage too great for the government to control.
And one final thought…many, if not most, politicians were educated in private schools and colleges. Look where that elitist education has gotten our nation. However, if they really are “better educated” then either a corrupt, beleaguered public education system is what they want or they really aren’t able to apply their intellect in a way that has improved our society.
Typical Dumbwoody
January 16th, 2011
4:08 pm
Typical Dunwoody…always looking down through their noses on us “common” folk…
maybe the royal highness herself “dunwoody mom” might want to chime in on this.
Do you have a job?—seesh…what a jerk. I know people are hurting and I am thankful for my job, but way to be a tool to those people who try and make their communities a better place.
I hope you dont have job in 2012 either Millar
NWGA Teacher
January 16th, 2011
4:20 pm
Less Hope. Nice. No need to try to make anything better. Just deal with it, sit down and shut up. Move along.
Oh, Mr. Millar
January 16th, 2011
4:21 pm
I went to high school with your Daughter in the 80s in DUNWOODY and I can certainly tell you that teaching back in the 80s is certainly not the same as now. We didn’t have NCLB and the mandate for special ed funding like we do now. Remember? All of our special ed students went to the Brook Run, formerly called the Georgia Retardation Center. I wish you could spend ONE DAY in our classrooms and then I think you’d see how much furloughs are making a difference. The simple truth is, the state is not adequately funding educations, furloughs or no. What a hypocrite.
placematters
January 16th, 2011
4:31 pm
Interesting that Millar suggests (or, rather, it can be inferred) that his daughters job is more valuable than his grandchild’s teachers’. Yes there are tough choices ahead (including those we’ve avoided for decades), but we still undervalue teachers.
Top School
January 16th, 2011
4:47 pm
Why is the filter on?
What part does not pertain to the topic?
Top School
January 16th, 2011
4:52 pm
Is this a private blog?
only for those who are always on here blogging …
and those with the “most intelligence” consider their blogging better than mine?
I thought this was a PUBLIC blog.
No More Cuts!
January 16th, 2011
4:57 pm
They better not cut teacher salaries and benefits! I had to take 2 furlough days last year and that’s enough. They can cut waste in other areas first.
RBN
January 16th, 2011
5:04 pm
Furlough issues for locals are much more complicated than did they save federal dollars. Also, we need to ask, how much was property tax devaluation? How much has the recession hurt ESPLOST projected receipts which many school systems sold as bonds to meet growth needs, potentially leaving huge debts behind? (My system had a $10 million gap in projections and actual)And most importantly, is the local system able to make up for the cumulative effect of state cuts in transportation and other areas as some higher income systems have been able to do, or will low wealth districts finally just fold from years of cuts? Sadly, Gov Deal’s promise to fund 180 days of instruction and end teacher furloughs appears to be more hopeful than realistic. The comments by the legislators beg the question, if systems saved enough money for this year, how about next year and the next? The Governor is projecting a 3.5 % growth in revenues for 2012. How can the $750 million missing this year be replaced and will teachers be perpetually frozen in their salaries? How much more can we take?
catlady
January 16th, 2011
5:07 pm
Where has Mr. Millar been all these years we on this blog have been pointing out that the legislature has been sitting on its hands regarding the Georgia Lottery not putting in the full amount it is supposed to into education? This is a corporation given exclusive charter by the state, with the legislature writing the rules. Why hasn’t the legislature enforced the rules?
The legislature has p***** all over itself granting tax breaks to every business who threatened to pull out of Georgia, every business who seemed to be “considering” Georgia, and every business that claims to be doing what is necessary for Georgia and will bankroll their re-election. And NOW the legislature is concerned?? Thinks we might have gone overboard?? All they will do is add additional groups that get tax breaks, after carefully “studying” the matter.
Teachers used to be threatened with, “You have to do it for the children or you don’t really care about them.” Now the saying is, “Do you want to lose your job?” Even Mr. Millar’s daughter got that treatment.
Mr. Millar, charter schools don’t make parents be parents. They GET parents who are already parenting. Look around yourself. Look at Ms. Kaiser, scrubbing toilets at her charter.
Kia says they don’t need kids with college degrees, but we are going to keep only the college track in place? THAT makes sense.
I echo Scienceteacher: Until we quit the near-total social promotion of students (Mr. Millar ought to look at that fine piece of reporting the AJC did a couple of years ago about how few non-proficient children are actually held back) many students will never be able to tackle more difficult math or reading grade-level texts. We have fifth graders at my school who cannot add 8+7 or subtract 10-3 without their fingers. These are not sped kids, but kids who have failed the CRCT (not a difficult test) and been passed on. Until the state of Georgia, which was so big on welfare reform (people can do better if you make them!) takes on ACADEMIC WELFARE, which is what we have now to a terrifying degree, it isn’t going to get a bit better. Why not concentrate your efforts there?
On the HOPE: Part of the problem is too many students are losing it, showing that somehow they were not ready for the college experience they chose. Put an SAT/ACT score with it. A minimal score gets tuition at a 2 year. If you choose to go to a higher tier college, you foot the bill until you have 30 hours with a 3.0. A much higher score gets tuition at a 4 year. A STELLAR score gets tuition at a research university. ASK your IR people at the colleges to tell you what score seems to indicate the student is likely of success–they have the information! If it takes a 22(ACT) (generally) to be successful at Dalton College, expect students to have a 22 (or the SAT equivalent) and a 3.0 for HOPE there. If it takes a 30 at UGA, then tie it with the 3.0 for HOPE there. Students transferring would need the higher ACT/SAT, unless they can transfer in at least 30 hours with the 3.0. End the sweetheart deal with the privates. Let them use more of their endowments if they want the HOPE scholars.
Living in Georgia
January 16th, 2011
5:14 pm
I noticed that even though schools are not using the word lay-offs, the staffs at my children’s schools have shrunk the past couple of years, even though the student enrollment has increase (so has class size). My youngest is in kindergarten and there are classes at his school with 25 children. On the other side I have a child in middle school, who is in Advanced Content classes that have 34 kids in them. While they may not being laying people off, it seems schools are not hiring replacements. We wonder why our schools are going downhill and then you notice class sizes going up, take home pay going down, control over one’s job going down, and we wonder why we have issues hiring/keeping great teachers. Is it not weird that we have no problem spending millions of dollars on the salaries of people in the arts, athletics, and music, and the venues to host these people and no one seems to throw a royal fit, but God forbid we want to pay those that help the one’s we hold dearest a better wage. We wonder why our country is going in the wrong direction: just look at who we have no issue idolizing or paying more money to each year and then look at who we pull money and resources from every year.
Remember?
January 16th, 2011
5:18 pm
Millar, along with Lindsey helped eliminate the National Board Supplement. He will just keep pushing for more cuts.
hank lankford
January 16th, 2011
5:19 pm
All this talk about layoffs, furloughs, salary cuts and having to do more with less is unbalanced.
How about the politicians- are they cutting their six figure salaries? How about all the Georgia public school superintendents – are they cutting their six figure salaries? Some school officials make $300,000 plus per year plus bonuses, sick leave and an expense account. Why do these high paid people keep their big money and take more and more from the hard working low paid workers? Can they not do more with less too?
Fran
January 16th, 2011
5:40 pm
The biggest problem with the math curriculum is that it makes it almost impossible for kids to move into or out of the state. Move-ins can be ready for calculus except they are missing something that was taught in 9th grade. Move-outs are hurting even worse – gaping holes no matter where they go.
Incredulous
January 16th, 2011
6:28 pm
“When we visited the Kia plant, what Kia said was that they don’t need kids with college degrees. They can take kids with high school diplomas and teach them what they need to know. But they need them to show up on time. Kids do not understand everyday workforce requirements,” said Kaiser.
Are we to assume that the needs of KIA will determine the education our children receive? That’s the exact failing model we’ve been using since Henry Ford. How about a cafeteria style Socratic system that focuses on critical and creative thinking and uses nationally normed tests to measure growth and mastery?
Just saying
January 16th, 2011
6:28 pm
Anybody ever wonder if God could fix these problems?
Attentive Parent
January 16th, 2011
6:28 pm
If the legislature still thinks the problem with the math was just insufficient teacher training, there really is no hope for this state’s future.
This state has been used as a guinea pig for bad ed ideas since the days of the National Diffusion Network. You get federal money for innovative ideas and the classroom is the lab. Georgia, like urban districts and other members of the Southern Regional Education Board, has historically low achievement levels and thus is always wanting a fix and federal money.
So we volunteer to be the lab to see if that learning theory works and we agree to implement. When the reform causes further deterioration in academics as was actually the intent for some, we grasp for a new reform that is actually the old reform under a new name.
Georgia-Adopting outcomes based education under various names since the 1970s.
You want me to list the various names?
Rep Millar-No amount of teacher training would allow most students to gain academic math and science skills from a discovery approach.
Since no one really believes there are a multitude of Pythagoras or Newtons running around Georgia, please appreciate that each failed reform grows the public payroll and accretes power and money.
Georgia will never turn around until more people pierce through the rhetoric to the reality. It would also be nice to better recognize conflicting and contradictory interests among the various players.
Why do we keep acting like what works best for K-12 in producing academic outcomes is in the best interest of the USG maximizing revenue?
Top School
January 16th, 2011
6:29 pm
Well the quantitative data for the offspring of IQ’s on the national average is 5.5 % of the state average of 96% of the college graduates on the east side of the metropolis. Therefore, most of the furloughs would take place with 4.5% of the average of the number of CRAP testing. With most of those unemployed at the national statistical level of 10.5% and unemployment on the rise…the data proves to those in the upper stratus-fer of humanity that most will do whatever they can to hold on to their jobs.CHEATING INCLUDED 6.9 % of those infected with this incurable disease will die earlier than projected.
anonymous
January 16th, 2011
6:29 pm
Would having an elected superintendent tone down some of these salaries and perks that some of the local school supers are enjoying? That also might make them more responsive to the community they serve. I could also see some running for local school superintendent with the promise of cutting central office staff??? This just might save the schools some money.
Top School
January 16th, 2011
6:30 pm
I thought I would add some redundant statistics to the intellectuals on this blog.
Just saying
January 16th, 2011
6:32 pm
Since 1962, I sure would like to see a graph of
1. test schools
2. graduation rates
3. fiscal responsibility
Gee thanks Supreme Court
Just saying
January 16th, 2011
6:33 pm
Since Zell Miller left office, I sure would like to see
1. percentage of the lottery proceeds that actually goes to students
Art Thomas
January 16th, 2011
6:34 pm
The next great reduction in our previous strong economy is collapse of state government pyramids schmes .of employment nationwide. The Federal and state governments employ about 35% Hispanic and Black minorities far beyond their % of total populations. With decreased educational achievement,poor rankings nationwide in the southeast in every category (wealth , job creation , infrastructure , declining business and household tax base, and reduced tax dollars the spiral downward continues. The inevitable collapse is pending as is now being advertised under many articles published by the AJC. Total State employment will be heralded with the elimination of many jobs in all 50 states to the approximate level of 2 million reduction roughly what were padded in the last 10 years by greedy state and yes school districts.
The Federal government has created 14 trillion in debt in the last 40 years funding unwinnable wars/ destroying our previous ranking as most financially stable country in the world, When foreign currency acceptance eliminates the dollar as the basis no more borrowing and all the low cost areas we have taken for granted will vanish. We are already seeing run up prices in commodities such as oil , copper silver and gold with foodstuffs also soaring. When hyper inflation hits we will go down as hard as Germany , Hungary and a host of othe debt written corrupt countries before us. Look at the history of England when the Pound sterling was deregulated and taken off as world basis: a declined economy socialism, impoverished world rankings and a lethargic country.
The future is already written in a Eastside metro Atlanta suburban County. 98% of a class of 100 8th graders recently were unable to write a 4 paragraph essay. To be fair 2 students were able to write 4 paragraphs, most were unable to write even one sentence with subject and verb agreement and the bulk turned in blank papers with no attempt. This is the product of failed tax dollars and no amount of $ thrown toward students unwilling to work and try except to know rap music, act like thugs and create classroom disruption in public schools will ever bring our country’s future back to stability. Hello Detroit , Birmingham, Newark and New Orleans.
Good luck Mr Deal in trying to preserve a house of collapsing cards with way too many players and not enough contributors.
Top School
January 16th, 2011
6:38 pm
When they get EXTRA money they hire EXTRA STAFF and make up NEW INVENTIVE positions at the TOP HEAVY ADMINISTRATION LEVEL…
It is called REORGANIZATION on the NORTHSIDE…
http://www.youtube.com/user/TopSchoolAtlanta#p/u/1/IwIljqwesMc
Sick of Paying for Illegals
January 16th, 2011
6:39 pm
I would like to have our state and county officials tell us how much it is costing the tax payers to educate illegals. We have to give them special services, free breakfast, free lunch, translators, etc. If we were not paying for them, could we be operating in the black?
Toto
January 16th, 2011
6:40 pm
In 2002, Lottery CONTRACTS were worth: “averaging the value of the current contracts over several years — the online contract is valued at about $48 million to $50 million per year, while instant tickets are valued at about $22 million to
$24 million per year. The Georgia Lottery’s advertising agency gets about $20 million to $22 million, on average, she said, or about 1 percent of revenues.”
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2002/04/29/story1.html
Why lotteries ultimately fail:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/14945786/Lottery-Demographics
Top School
January 16th, 2011
7:12 pm
@Toto @Catlady @American PATRIOT @ Math Maestro @ chillyWilly @ Dr. NO and @proudblackman
Maureen has filter one of my posts.
I think she is tired of me.
Does she ever get tired of you?
Just wondering…looks like I have been censored…
I did not cuss or say anything ugly…
I didn’t even start the letter of a bad word…and fill it in with ****
Top School
January 16th, 2011
7:18 pm
Maybe if I CHOP IT UP…IN SMALLER SERVINGS…
The GOVERNOR should start the EDUCATION clean up in his own NEIGHBORHOOD…Atlanta Public School, Warren T. Jackson Elementary…
THE MODEL that will show “how it works”…is right next door.
A public school that has been given PRIVATE STATUS.
They have their own VOUCHER SYSTEM.
An open SCHOOL HOUSE checkbook for BONUS PAY…given out by the PRINCIPAL.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TopSchoolAtlanta#p/u/21/dDSFPmcD3Tk