HOPE Lite versus Full HOPE: Less filling but more lasting?
I am sharing the governor’s full statement on his proposed changes to HOPE and pre-k.
His changes apply to students now in college and receiving HOPE, which means that some students will have to come up with another $1,000 next year if they don’t make the grade to be Zell Miller Scholars, which brings full tuition. (You began school as a HOPE Scholar, and now you may be a Miller Scholar as well if you meet the criteria.)
No students are grandfathered in under the current HOPE rules, according to the governor’s spokesman, whom I called for clarification of a couple of points.
I asked how many times a Full Hope/3.7 student can lose the Zell Miller Scholarship, revert to HOPE Lite, and then regain Full HOPE. Once.
However, as long as those students maintain a 3.0, they will always get some HOPE. And the governor’s office said that students can upgrade to the Zell Miller level at the stated check points.
However, students now in college can only qualify for the Zell Miller Scholarship, the full HOPE ride, if they had a 3.7 GPA in high school and met the SAT/ACT score cutoffs.
So to be clear: That means that even juniors now at UGA with a 4.0 GPA all three years can never get full tuition if they did not graduate high school with a 3.7 GPA.
That means many students now in Georgia colleges have lost full HOPE for good, regardless of stellar achievement in college. They will only qualify for HOPE Lite.
I have already heard from parents who think the 3.7 GPA is too steep. They also think the 3.5 to keep FULL HOPE is too high especially for students at Tech in math and engineering. (My son has a merit-based presidential scholarship at a private college and has to maintain a 3.25 GPA to hold onto it. What do other colleges require to keep academic scholarships?)
(Please see prior blog to get more details on the GPAs required for Full HOPE versus HOPE Lite.)
To folks in the field: Are there any concerns that the higher GPA requirement to both earn and keep Full HOPE will dissuade students from tougher majors, such as engineering or economics?
Here is the full statement from the governor:
Gov. Nathan Deal today introduced bipartisan legislation that preserves Georgia’s cherished HOPE scholarship and Pre-K programs – among the most generous benefits in the nation — even as it stabilizes lottery-funded programs for future generations. Deal, along with Republican and Democratic legislative leaders, unveiled the plan on the campus of Georgia State University.
“Facing bankruptcy of the lottery program in 2013, I worked closely with members of the General Assembly to save Georgia’s prized jewel, the HOPE scholarship, for the next generation of Georgians,” Deal said. “With this plan we are going to maintain one of the most generous scholarship programs the United States has ever seen or will ever see. Even in the tough economic times we are facing, HOPE is going to endure, it’s going to thrive.”
Deal revealed legislation that will create the Zell Miller Scholarship program; the program, named for the governor who created HOPE, will maintain full tuition coverage for Georgia’s highest-achieving students.
“Zell Miller’s HOPE scholarship is a distinctly Georgian program that serves as a point of pride for every resident of our great state,” he said. “This plan today is endorsed by Zell Miller, and I’m honored to announce the creation of the Zell Miller Scholarship, which will serve as a reward to Georgia’s best and brightest students and will encourage them to remain in Georgia.”
Under the new legislation, Zell Miller Scholars will include the top 10 percent of HOPE scholars under the present system based on both a 3.7 GPA and a 1200 SAT or 26 ACT score. These scholars attending any public college or university in the state will be awarded full tuition scholarships, while those attending private institutions will receive the full private HOPE award.
Deal assured all of Georgia’s HOPE partners that all three of the lottery-funded programs — Pre-K, HOPE Scholarship and HOPE Grant — have been protected and current funding ratios for these programs will remain the same.
Beginning this fall, students with a 3.0 GPA attending Georgia public colleges and universities will receive 90 percent of the FY ‘11 standard tuition rate. To ensure that limited resources are used to best honor the original intent of the HOPE program the legislation will: Eliminate funds for books and fees, eliminate funding for remedial classes, cap eligible hours at 127 and ensure that HOPE scholars are prepared for college-level work by requiring these students to take a certain number of high school rigorous courses.
When discussing Georgia’s youngest scholars, Deal said Pre-K will continue to receive one-third of all lottery-funded expenditures and will remain a voluntary, universal, free program serving 4-year-olds across the state regardless of a family’s economic status.
In order to make several programmatic changes to Pre-K, Deal announced that the state will move from a six-and-a-half hour day to a four-hour day.
“By removing rest time and creating new efficiencies, we can minimize the decrease in instructional time and bring our program more in line with other states and many private preschools,” he said.
Deal closed by citing a verse from one of his favorite hymns: “Strength for today and bright HOPE for tomorrow.”
“We are taking the appropriate steps today to strengthen the HOPE balance sheet, ensuring that future Georgians are afforded the same great opportunities as today’s college and university students. Make no mistake, even after these needed reforms are implemented, Georgia’s invaluable HOPE will endure and continue to set Georgia apart.”
Other changes to of note:
Pre-K
Georgia remains one of only four states to provide a universal Pre-K program
Adds 5,000 slots to address the Pre-K waiting list in the state. Currently there are around 9,000 on the waiting list in Georgia.
Increase of transportation funds.
Increases extended day funds by 4.5 million, tripling the amount currently paid for these slots for at-risk studentsHOPE Grant
Requires students to earn a 3.0 GPA by the first HOPE check point, once enrolled in technical college courses
Provides that students who already possess a postsecondary degree are ineligible to receive the HOPE Grant
Establishes a firm cap of 95 quarter hours or 63 semester hours for all students.The Georgia Lottery Corporation
Limits bonuses awarded to Georgia Lottery Corporation employees to no more than 25 percent of their base compensation and conditions bonuses on an increase in net proceeds from the prior year transferred to the Lottery for Education Account.
Lowers the commission paid to lottery retailers from an average of 7 percent to not more than 5 percent on gross sales.Need-Based Aid
HOPE Scholarship funds will be paid in full without taking Pell eligibility into account. Pell-eligible students will then be able to use these federal funds to cover the costs of college-going expenses beyond tuition costs.
$20M will be appropriated to the one percent loan program and Georgia Student Finance Commission will work to raise private matching funds for $10M of this investment. These student loans can also be forgiven altogether if loan recipients become certified and teach in a public K-12 school in the STEM field. Each year of service in the classroom will forgive one year of the student loan.–By Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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177 comments Add your comment
Hope Mom
February 23rd, 2011
7:39 am
Can someone tell me…. if my daughter had a 3.7 in high school, got Hope for her freshman year at UGA, but then lost it because she had a 2.97 so she had to get a loan for her sophmore year. And now will probably end up with at least a 3.0 (or higher) this year, will she be still be able to get Hope assistance for her junior year?
Wearing Me Out
February 23rd, 2011
8:24 am
@Hope Mom
My understanding is that if the 3.0 or better is achieved at the 30/60/90 attempted hours checkpoint, then you would then again qualify. It would be the Hope Lite, though, since the GPA during college wasn’t at least 3.50. Changes to HOPE are not yet law and are fluid at this point. What is being proposed is the first attempt to resolve the problem.
Tech Student
February 23rd, 2011
8:41 am
As I think about these proposed changes more and more, I’m very thankful for the 90%, but to me, two things stand out as needing attention. 1) Not all schools are equal. Students shouldn’t be punished for persuing education at higher difficulty schools or higher difficulty majors. At Tech, a 3.0 is Dean’s List, 3.15 is graduating with honors, and 3.35 is graduating with high honors (http://www.registrar.gatech.edu/students/degcandfaq.php) While at other schools, a 3.5 is what you need to graduate with honors. How can we say that all schools in the University System of GA are equal? 2) As many others have said, some sort of grandfather clause should be put in place. Students who are about to graduate or have already graduated cannot change their high school GPA, they should not be punished for that now.
College Mom
February 23rd, 2011
8:58 am
I agree with those calling for grandfathering in current college students. What hasn’t been brought out was that starting with the hs class of 2010, Georgia dropped the tuition lock. It was very difficult to compare college costs apples to apples when we didn’t know how much tuition would increase and couldn’t count on the Hope (both the uncertainty and for a prospective engineering major at Georgia Tech). For those of you that say, get scholarships — good luck with that. Most of the Georgia schools offered Hope, and that was it (for a National Merit Finalist at that). Books, fees, and room and board are another entire category that are way more than out of state in our experience.
My daughter made the decision to go out of state and I’m glad we aren’t facing these increases. And that’s what they are increases. I can tell you first hand that books and fees at her university are much lower than Georgia Tech and room and board as well although we didn’t have those costs when she was at GT. Her university was also named to the Top 50 most affordable. Funny, there weren’t any Georgia colleges on that list when I looked.
I feel for those in the hs class of 2011 trying to make a college decision. I hope that you have some out of state options, because the way this is going, those colleges may be more affordable.
Toto: Exposing naked body scanners...
February 23rd, 2011
1:14 pm
Let’s just call it HOPE-full vs. HOPE-less.
Carol
February 23rd, 2011
1:19 pm
As a Mother of 2 college students and a preschool librarian, I would rather see Pre-K funds cut since it is not mandatory and does not reach all 4 yrs olds. Do 4 yr olds really need to be in school rather than daycare or learning from home!!! College kids, better yet, University students need to be in school!!! I am a single Mom with a Freshman & Junior attending UGA , who strive to make high grades and work and take care of themselves……WHY SHOULD WE BE PUNISHED by this budget cut !!!!
Toto: Exposing naked body scanners...
February 23rd, 2011
1:38 pm
“Facing bankruptcy of the lottery program in 2013,…”
There are a few issues the Governor did not address. First, why don’t we fire the current Lottery contract winner. THEY FAILED! Why don’t we hire another company like IntraLot and see how they do. WHY DO THEY THINK BANKRUPTCY IS INEVITABLE? Where is the outside AUDIT? Are the current funds accounted for? Were bonuses, perhaps, too LARGE? On the other side, the state’s economy continues to deteriorate. Is this why lottery sales are down? If so, HOW IS THIS NEW FIX GOING TO LAST? Why not just shut it down and save taxpayers money? Hope money was just inflating tuition.
Eric
February 23rd, 2011
2:32 pm
Will the Zell Miller Scholarship cover full tuition AND fees, or just full tuition? (A.K.A. Will the Zell Miller Scholarship be identical to the current HOPE funding)
Tech Student
February 23rd, 2011
2:56 pm
@ Eric
No, no one will have a fee or book stipend.
Anna
February 23rd, 2011
6:44 pm
First all, all you people who think that Pre-K is a waste of money and are calling it a daycare have obliviously NEVER stepped foot in a Pre-K room! There is so much more going on in these rooms then playing or WHATEVER you think happens there. We (yes I am a Pre-K teacher so I KNOW) are getting children ready cognitively but socially too! So many kids come in with no “raising” and they don’t know how to handle themselves in sticky situations. We teach so much more than colors, shapes, counting and writing names. I really can’t believe that some of you are so against such a great institution. While it might help to cut out something like naptime in our day, I think that cutting our day in half is going to have us rushed to get all the things that need to be covered. If ya’ll haven’t noticed all the things that you covered when you were a kid, are done at a much younger age….Kindergarteners are doing 1st grade work, 1st is doing 2nd grade work, so on and so fourth.
Secondly, while I think that helping people better themselves by getting a degree is GREAT, people are abusing the system. If you are going to the tech school, and getting the HOPE grant to help you pay, you should only be able to use that grant for ONE degree. People are going to school for free to draw unemployment because they are “working on a degree”, this is the kind of stuff that should be re-examined for flaws. I am working on a Master’s degree and I am unable to get any kind of HOPE to help pay for this degree. I have a job in the profession that the degree would be paying for, so why am I getting screwed out of money?
There are many things that some have managed to over look. It is natural for you to side with the part of this proposal that applys to you, but think about everyone that would be effected by this. Children do not have a voice unless we speak for them!
S.B.
February 23rd, 2011
7:08 pm
I will be graduating in December of 2011, so this change won’t affect me…mostly. My problem isn’t with HOPE covering only 90% of my tuition…that means I’ll have to shell out about $350, which I can handle. What I can’t handle is the fact that I also have to come up with $1000 worth of fees with no explanation of what half of the money goes to (those suspicious $200 mandatory fees, anyone?)
concerned parent
February 23rd, 2011
9:24 pm
Some of you do not have your facts correct about the current hope. There is a maximum amount paid for tuition for hope but NO ONE gets more than what is charged for tuition for their perspective college. I have a daughter a UGA who gets the full amount of her tuition paid by hope, no more no less. However, I have a niece at Kennesaw State who also gets her tuition paid in full by hope, however she receives $4500 less than my daughter because of the difference in what the colleges charge for tuition! No one receives a refund check from hope. Hope does not give a student more money than what is charged by their school for tuition, one poster said his friends at community colleges get the same amount that he gets at UGA, this is simply not true! Now private colleges do not get their full amount paid because hope does have a cap and most private college tuitions exceed the cap.
concerned parent
February 23rd, 2011
9:56 pm
@wearing me out
You need to get off wiki search and get your facts straight! Why not check the actual salaries of the colleges here in Georgia. They range is from $45,000 to $70,000, many make much less than educators in our pulblic schools including kindergarten teachers. It is people like you who spew false information that creates the hysteria! Let’s stick to facts!
Wearing Me Out
February 24th, 2011
6:24 am
@concerned parent
I did get my facts straight. If you had read all the posts between Jacob Locke/USG and me, you would have seen we both went straight to the USG official site and not Wiki. Assuming you can read the official figures from USG’s own site, here is the link to 2007 salaries in 2007. The average salary at UGA, for instance, was $83,204. How about you getting YOUR facts straight.
http://www.usg.edu/research/faculty/salary/fac-sal-usg07.pdf
redweather
February 24th, 2011
6:36 am
A couple of points.
1. Many of us in higher education work for incredibly low wages. In my case, that was a choice I made. I used to make more than twice as much as I do now, but that money came with all kinds of strings attached. I got tired of the strings.
2. That part of the proposed legislation that ties HOPE to even higher GPAs will serve in large part to exacerbate the already significant problem of high school grade inflation. I’ve had quite a few HOPE “scholars” in my classes who are at best C students. They lose HOPE very quickly, as they should.
3. HOPE has become an entitlement in the minds of many. It is supposed to be a scholarship. Big difference.
4. I also paid my way through college. No scholarships, no grants, no nothing. It took me a little longer, and it was a drag having to hold down a full-time job while attending night classes at GSU year round. But I managed.
5. It looks like my daughter, who is scheduled to graduate from high school this year, will at least be eligible for a 90% HOPE. I hope she treasures every penny of it.
redweather
February 24th, 2011
6:38 am
Well, I intended to make only a couple of points.
Albert Bodamer
February 24th, 2011
8:13 am
I posted this case against the 3.7 GPA requirement for the Zell Miller Scholarship in my blog: http://wp.me/p1j2to-54 Please visit and comment.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I understand and appreciate the challenges facing the ongoing viability of the HOPE Scholarship program, and I appreciate the legislature’s efforts to remedy the pending budget shortfalls. I do not disagree with the majority of the proposed changes to the HOPE program. However, the pending requirement to attain a 3.7 High School GPA to qualify for the prospective Zell Miller Scholarship is problematic for the following reasons:
A student already enrolled in a Georgia College who has previously failed to achieve a 3.7 High School GPA would never be eligible for the Zell Miller Scholarship, even if—in the extreme case—they scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT and held a 4.0 GPA in college.
How grades are awarded vary widely from school to school, so GPA is an unreliable indicator of ability. Most universities focus on aptitude tests such as the SAT and ACT for this reason. Georgia Tech, for instance, requires that the student self-report their grades. The state’s premier technical university realizes the problem with GPA and focuses on aptitude tests and extra-curricular excellence.
The 3.7 GPA requirement penalizes high school students who take honors and AP courses. Weighting points are removed and if a student gets an A in an AP class, they are unable to get the 0.5 point bump and achieve a 4.5 score. So the highest weight a student can obtain is 4.0. Without weighting, there is no distinguishing between Honors and remedial classes. So, perversely, students are motivated to take the easiest possible core curricula to maximize their potential to achieve a 3.7 GPA.
Finally, the 3.7 requirement to maintain the scholarship is completely unreasonable. The average GPA at Georgia Tech is approximately 3.08 (see chart). To graduate with an engineering degree from Georgia Tech requires a 2.0, and the average GPA of Tech Presidential Scholars (the top 150 in each class) is 3.68 (source: http://www.me.gatech.edu/docs/ME%20low%20res%20proof.pdf, page 9 ). Student’s in Georgia Tech’s Honors Program have average GPAs of less than 3.5 (see chart. Source: http://www.me.gatech.edu/docs/ME%20low%20res%20proof.pdf, p 21). Given these statistics, the bulk of Georgia Tech’s students, including its Presidential and Honors awardees, would fail to qualify for the proposed Zell Miller Scholarship.
These facts relating to the GPA requirement are in conflict with the stated intent of the Zell Miller Scholarship. We should not be penalizing students who pursue the most challenging curricula in our high schools and universities. And we should not be creating perverse incentives to take easier classes or attend less challenging Universities.
I hope the Georgia legistature will consider these arguments persuasive and work to eliminate the GPA requirement from the Zell Miller Scholarship and focus instead on the SAT/ACT requirement.
Ninya
February 24th, 2011
9:31 am
@ Shivam Komar – I received my associates from Georgia Perimeter last spring on HOPE. I never received an excess as you mention. I won’t say that doesn’t happen, but it certainly never happened to me.
Shivam Kumar
February 24th, 2011
10:17 am
@Ninya
Apparently it didn’t happen to you and a lot of other people, but it definitely happened to the person i was referring too, I guess he just got lucky or somehow tricked the system.
blackbird13
February 24th, 2011
7:06 pm
@confused
“my interests are not politics at this moment (and I don’t feel like I should feel shamed for it either)”
Not ashamed, but negligent. Not being interested does not justify not paying attention. Lots of things in life will require your attention that are tedious (or seem so now). But I commend you for at least looking at the bill and asking questions.
The bill could change; in fact, already the hit retailers would have taken has been reduced (no surprise there). Find out who your state rep. is and write him or her, keep track of how they vote on the issue, and tell your friends about it.
UGA Sophomore
February 24th, 2011
7:29 pm
I can’t express how discouraging it is to know that even though I currently have a 3.72 GPA, I will never again have the full hope scholarship because I graduated high school with a 3.6. All our lives, we have been told that a 3.0 minimum will get us a full scholarship. Now I’m losing 10% of it because I didn’t live up to standards that didn’t even exist 3 years ago? This really isn’t fair.
Steven
February 24th, 2011
8:13 pm
Just fund HOPE, the state is still spending money anyway. The fact that more people are going to college is a testiment to its success not a problem. Just cut in another area or raise taxes on the richer Georgians
Scott
February 24th, 2011
11:03 pm
Why are HOPE changes moving so mysteriously quickly through GA government when we typically take our good ol’ southern time to make adjustments? While everyone across the state fusses over the problems the proposed HOPE changes cause us personally there are some even larger issues in this that are being overlooked. Follow the money on the Lottery Corp end of this issue, and the supposed funding problems of HOPE don’t seem nearly as dire as the governor or legislators suggest. Until Lottery Corp abides by the law, and our GA government enforces that, there should be few changes to HOPE.
While it makes perfect sense to only spend what you have there is much more to the story. Lottery Corp does not send the legal percentage of proceeds to HOPE, nor are they held accountable. I wonder why the governor and legislature are resistant to this? Usually to balance an equation, or a ledger, you need to work both sides of the formula!
“Georgia statute states that ‘as nearly as practical,’ net proceeds should equal 35 percent of lottery proceeds. At the end of each quarter, all net proceeds should be deposited by the Georgia Lottery into the Lottery for Education account established by the Treasury. The statute also says ‘as nearly as practical’ 45 percent of actual lottery sales should be made available as prize money. But since the lottery first began selling tickets in 1994, it has only deposited more than 35 percent of lottery proceeds in FY95, one of the two years it was only required to deposit 30 percent. Since then, the Georgia Lottery has not met the 35 percent mandate established by the legislature. While the actual amount deposited into the Lottery for Education account has increased every year except FY98, the percent deposited compared to total proceeds has steadily declined. At the same time, the percent spent on prize money has steadily increased.”
http://www1.legis.ga.gov/legis/2011_12/senate/columns_10022009.htm
Wearing Me Out
February 25th, 2011
9:46 am
Decided to do some more research based upon the comments on this thread. Clear to me this is a state of the Bubbas, by the Bubbas, and for the Bubbas. But you people keep electing them. They are the sheep dogs who keep herding you and you silently submit.
As far as USG expenses, yeah the system is bloated. Probably no more or less than any other system. But two wrongs rarely make a right. So Peter robs Paul and reduces funding to you. Then you find a way to make it work and live within your means. Paul shouldn’t in turn rob Mary (the students/families) and continually raise tuition. In case you haven’t heard, inflation in this country has been dead for many, many years. Except for medical and educational institutions, both of whom feel a warped sense of entitlement. Tuition was raised $1,000 last year. This was covered by HOPE. Institutional fees are now up to $200 per semester. This is nothing more than an amount to be thrown into the tuition bucket. Call it what you want. So if they decide to increase it again (which they will), this will now be unfunded by HOPE. People. They could easily say they need an extra $5,000 a year and this will come out of your pockets. There are absolutely no checks and balances. There would be no recourse by students and parents being held hostage.
I checked the USG salaries of faculty. Yeah, they do make a good living. Less than the private sector? Who knows, but that was their choice. More or less than other systems, probably, but cost of living, etc., factors into this as well. Comparatively speaking, you reside in lower cost of living areas than many parts of the country with similar institutions.
Some have complained about furlough days and changes to the health plan. Have to say the hit for the furlough days is really an insignificant amount compared to what you would get standing in the unemployment line. .38 of 1% for each of up to 6 days max. As far as your benefits, they probably still far exceed what the private sector has done to their employees the past few years. I’ve read your 2011 plan offerings and would not complain about it for a second.
http://www.usg.edu/research/faculty/salary/fac-sal-usg08.pdf
http://www.usg.edu/hr/documents/furlough_fy2010.pdf
http://www.hr.uga.edu/benefits/bensumm/health_summ.html#ppo
As far a Pre-K, yes it is nursery. That is what is was called before the advent of the term Pre-K. No point in getting beat up by the Pre-K teachers who don’t want to feel threatened about their choice of profession, but will link a position paper on the subject. It caught my interest because there are some observations made by Ed Zigler, co-founder of Head Start and part of the Yale faculty when the article was published. A portion of his observations from the link below:
http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/2005/nov05/542.pdf
“Zigler describes the danger in assuming benefits for middle-class children: There is a large body of evidence indicating that there is little if anything to be gained by exposing middle class children to early education… Those who argue in favor of universal preschool education ignore evidence that
indicates early schooling is inappropriate for many four-year olds and that it may even be harmful to their development. Zigler cites research showing that conversations children have at home with parents, siblings, and family may be the richest source of linguistic and cognitive enrichment for children from all but the most deprived backgrounds. He also cites research showing that premature schooling can slow or reduce a child’s overall development by replacing valuable playtime.”
Funny, but Georgia is still testing near the bottom of the nation in many areas on education, including National Assessment of Education Progress tests given in the 4th grade. Georgia ranks in the bottom 10, yet none of the states in the top 10 have universal preschool programs. We have dumped $4 billion from lottery proceeds into Pre-K and we still rank at the bottom. People. This is a parent problem. Period. Without our having spent $4 billion for Pre-K on 4 years olds, Georgia could likely have given full rides (including room and board) to the students. It just doesn’t make sense. If a low income parent needs nursery, then you have Head Start or other programs. If you are middle to upper income, then there are many private facilities to provide a nursery/Pre-K service at “your” expense.
Lastly, I’ve just read the Georgia Lottery financial report from November 1992 thru June 2010. This is a joke. Only 13.9 cents of every dollar went to HOPE. Of this, 1.8 cents for books and 2.0 cents for fees is being eliminated. So, appears now about only 10 cents per dollar is going to HOPE.
You got what you voted for Bubbas. One of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. One of the highest bank failure rates in the country. One of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Near the bottom in education. A shadow over some of your elected officials.
Jessica
February 25th, 2011
7:05 pm
I teach Pre-K and for those who “THINK” you know what we Pre-K teachers do all day…I invite you to come to my or any other Georgia Pre-K classroom…it is NOT a GLORIFIED DAYCARE CENTER…with children running around and teachers playing all day!
We are preparing the children not only for Kindergarten…but for the rest of their educational career and LIFE…
Ask any kindergarten teacher of the children they have in their classrooms that have gone to Pre-K and see what they think about the Pre-K children…
If some of their children had not attended Pre-K…I can not imagine them being able to stay afloat and make sure they are able to teach all the standards that they are required by the state for them to teach.
Also…if you move Pre-K to a 4 hour day…think of all the parents that may have to quit their jobs because they will not be able to PAY for someone to keep their child while at work IF they can find somewhere for them to go…causing more families to stop working and become dependant on WELFARE…causing MORE PROBLEMS!!!
I agree that there needs to be some changes in education and HOPE and other areas…but why do you START with our most precious possession at the age of 4…
There is data and studies that show what Pre-K has and will continue to do for GEORGIA if it is left alone…
Pre-k
February 26th, 2011
11:52 am
Anybody else notice that the only people that care at all about Pre-K are it’s teachers?
Karen G
February 27th, 2011
8:21 am
The reduction in the lottery funded pre K hours will result in:
4200 Bachelor’s degree or higher Teachers losing $10,000 income plunging them from $30,000 to $20,000 per year.
4200 Para Professional pay reduces from approx. $14,000 down to $8,000.00
The Teachers and Para-professionals who have health benefits will now be considered part time and lose all health benefits.
The Nutritional component of the pre k program will be lost. No Breakfast or lunch.
We will have a Pre K “Latch Key” epidemic where parents can not quit their jobs but are willing to run home at lunch and take the child home telling them to “Be good” while alone until a sibling arrives home from school a few hours later or until the parent arrives home in the evening.
And then there are all the Special Needs Children who are in inclusion Pre K classes. They need the extended learning day. Their IEPs are based on a full day pre K .
The ramifications in the reduction of the PreK program are so far reaching. I think it’s time we say “NO DEAL!”