Archive for the ‘Governor 2010’ Category

UPDATE: Report is now online.

Gov. Nathan Deal today released the findings from the state’s investigation into the Atlanta Public Schools and cheating on the CRCT.

Here is the statement from his office:

“Nothing is more important to the future of our state than ensuring that today’s students receive a first-class education and integrity in testing is a necessary piece of the equation,” said Deal. “When test results are falsified and students who have not mastered the necessary material are promoted, our students are harmed, parents lose sight of their child’s true progress, and taxpayers are cheated. The report’s findings are troubling, but I am encouraged that this investigation will bring closure to the problems that existed in APS and restore the focus on students and the classroom. As we begin to turn the page on this dark chapter in Atlanta Public Schools, I am confident brighter days lie ahead.”

An outline of the findings of the …

Continue reading APS cheating report cites “a culture of fear and a conspiracy of silence” »

It was standing room only at a Senate committee hearing today on the fate of 16 charter schools approved by a state commission now deemed unconstitutional. (Phil Skinner/AJC)

I am sitting in a corner on the floor at the Senate hearing on the fate of 16 charter schools ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court because they were established by a state commission over the objections of local boards of education.

The hearing is packed with children in red shirts from Atlanta Heights Charter, one of the schools left in the limbo last month by the high court ruling. (The ruling was 4-3, and the court has been asked to reconsider its decision.)

State Sen. Fran Millar, chair of the Senate ed committee, is speaking now, giving the background on the situation and the options. Millar says he has talked to “people in Washington” about Race to the Top grant funds and whether they can be tapped to rescue these schools and assure them full funding.

“Unfortunately, Race to the Top …

Continue reading Blogging live from Senate committee: Any ideas on saving charters? »

Here is a well done parody of the “Got Milk” campaign that is making the e-mail rounds. Not sure if my reproduction shows it clearly, but the line under the photo is “Remember November 2012.” This spoof is the work of political activist Jan Selman.

Continue reading Got HOPE?: Could these be the faces of the 2012 election? »

Michelle Rhee

The House Education Committee and Gov. Nathan Deal will meet with former DC chancellor and education reformer of the moment Michelle Rhee next week.

Rhee now heads StudentsFirst, a group dedicated to education reform beginning with “evaluating teachers based on evidence of student results rather than arbitrary judgments.” With Georgia poised to reform its teacher evaluations as part of its Race to the Top commitment, Rhee will likely be talking about how best to do that with legislators.

Just received this formal announcement:

In lieu of our regular weekly meeting next week, the House Education Committee members are invited to a luncheon to meet Michelle Rhee, the former Chancellor of Washington, D.C. public schools and leading proponent of education reform in the United States, on Thursday, February 10, at noon at the Capitol.  Prior to our luncheon, Ms. Rhee will be meeting with Governor Deal at 11:00 a.m.

–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled …

Continue reading Michelle Rhee to meet with governor, lawmakers next week »

School chief John Barge wasted no time on his pledge to revisit the state’s new math.

The question I have is whether this makes the situation even more complicated for transfer students — one of the concerns originally — as students often move from one system to another within the same state. Now, you could have adjacent Georgia systems teaching a different math program. And will we be paying for two sets of tests now?

Is this the best solution?

According to the AJC:

State Superintendent John Barge, responding to the ire of parents and the governors’ concerns about the graduation rate, introduced a plan Thursday to allow local school districts to choose how they will teach math giving students the same rigor, but different approaches to learning concepts.

The plan allows districts to teach math in the traditional way and do away with the current integrated Math I, Math II and Math III courses, accelerated classes which have been criticized for being too fast-paced resulting …

Continue reading Systems can now choose which math to teach »

I am trying to do better this year in posting interesting e-mails that I receive. This one just arrived in response to a statement I made earlier today about how many people overestimate the quality of Georgia schools in the past.

Dr. Jim Arnold, superintendent of the Pelham City Schools, said he wrote this piece a while back and wanted to share it with me. And I think it is worth sharing with the rest of you. With his permission:

By Jim Arnold

Occasionally time has a way of playing tricks on us.  I have heard, especially in recent years, comments and calls from teachers, parents, grandparents and yes, superintendents for a “return to the good old days” in education.  Before nodding my affirmation of a need to return to what we imagine are the “good old days” let’s look at just how good those days actually were.

If we talk about the good old days when reading and writing and ‘rithmatic were king, then we also must bring into the discussion the social ills of …

Continue reading A superintendent looks at the “good old days” of school »

I have been chatting with educators about the budget presented Wednesday by Gov. Nathan Deal, a budget that Deal says puts an end teacher furloughs and ensures a full school year for kids.

Here is the best summation: The budget is not as bad as many educators thought it would be, but it is not as good as the governor said. While Deal certainly left the impression that there would be no further need for furloughs or reduced school years, that will not be the case unless districts have pots of money hidden in the rafters.

And here is why: The $1.1 billion austerity cut enacted by Gov. Perdue was not restored, so systems can expect only about 80 percent of the state funding that they should be earning under the funding formula.

On top of that, Deal’s budget slashes transportation and cuts school nurses by 10 percent. It also eliminates funding for education technology centers, under the idea that those centers should be funding themselves now through fee- for-service …

Continue reading School funding: Not as good as Deal says, but not as bad as it could be. »

Here is a large chunk of Gov. Deal’s State of the State speech that he just delivered at the Gold Dome:

The address I deliver today is historically referred to as the State of the State. It is designed to convey my assessment of the condition of our State and its people with special emphasis on the budgets I present for your deliberation. With regard to our State and its citizens, I concur in the description found in the 1885 publication entitled The Commonwealth of Georgia, prepared under the direction of Georgia’s second Commissioner of Agriculture, J.T. Henderson, which poses the following question:

”In general productiveness, in salubrity of climate, in the incomparable blessing of good water, in facilities of transportation, in educational advantages, in the moral tone of her people, and the almost unbroken good order of society, what State of our day and generation can justly claim a happier condition or a higher civilization?”

Gov.Nathan Deal says he will end …

Continue reading Here’s Deal’s speech: End furloughs, preserve school year. »

Nathan Deal in State of the State just now: He vowed to end teacher furloughs and pledged to keep HOPE solvent, but did not detail how he would do so, saying the General Assembly has to come up a solution.

In his closing, Deal extended an olive branch to disgruntled teachers who are facing greater accountability for student performance at the same time they are seeing salary cuts through furloughs, saying:

I also know this period has been particularly challenging for state employees and teachers. Everyone from  teachers to police officers has been asked to do more with less and they have delivered. To all members of our state team, thank you for putting in the extra effort and extra hours. And thank you for refusing to make excuses. These are tough times, but the state of our state is strong.

– From Maureen Downey, AJC Get Schooled blog

Continue reading Nathan Deal: Give it up for teachers. (Applause, not money.) »

In its annual Single Statewide Accountability System awards, the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement recognizes  schools for greatest gains on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests or the Georgia High School Graduation Tests and for highest performance, which entails the highest achievement on the CRCT or GHSGT

Seventeen Georgia schools earned the unique distinction this year of being recognized for both greatest gains and highest performance. Congratulations to all the schools and their staffs for this achievement:

• Bremen High School, Bremen City Schools
• Buford Elementary School, Buford City Schools
• Decatur High School, Decatur City Schools
• DeKalb School of the Arts, DeKalb County Schools
• Early College Academy of Columbus, Muscogee County Schools
• Early College High School at Carver, Atlanta Public Schools
• Glenwood Primary School, Floyd County Schools
• Greenbrier Middle School, Columbia County Schools
• Houston County Career and Technology Center, Houston …

Continue reading State recognizes 17 schools for gains and achievement »