Legislative Update/Bills to Watch "Week 8" from The Center for an Educated Georgia

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Legislative News
 
As reported last week, the Georgia General Assembly is in recess until March 8th to allow legislators to focus on budget matters. While committee meetings are still being held, no new bills are being considered until the legislature reconvenes.
 
It is critical that supporters of school choice stay involved and engaged. Be sure to let your legislators know your thoughts on the variety of education reform bills before the General Assembly.  Of special importance is SB 361, the Early HOPE Scholarship bill currently in the Senate Rules Committee.  More information on this bill can be found at www.earlyhopescholarship.com.
 
In other news, even with legislators taking a brief respite from the fast-paced session, there was plenty of education policy action away from the Capitol.
 
Georgia Family Council (GFC), parent organization of the Center for an Educated Georgia, was a key participant in John Marshall Law School's annual Law Review Symposium entitled: "Adequate Public Education: Georgia's Report Card." GFC's Vice President of Public Policy Eric Cochling sat on a panel discussing charter schools and Jamie Lord, GFC's Director of Government Affairs participated in a spirited discussion about school vouchers.

 

CEG works to ensure that all Georgia children have access to a quality education.
 

Learn more about CEG at www.educatedgeorgia.org

Bills to Watch
 
The following are education bills before the General Assembly that the policy staff at CEG are tracking.  Presence of a bill on this list does not necessarily denote support or opposition by CEG. You can find full versions of each by clicking on the bill number.
 
If you are new to the political process, you can learn more about the details of how a bill becomes law with this handy guide from the Georgia General Assembly.

 

 Bill NumberSponsorSummary Current Status

 SB 90 Sen. Eric Johnson  Would provide scholarships for current public school students to attend any school in the state, public or privateRecommitted to Senate Education and Youth Committee on 1/11/10

 SB 137  Sen. Ed HarbisonInterstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children -- would remove possible barriers to educational success imposed on children of military families because of frequent moves and parental deployment through record sharing, attendence policy changes, etc. Recommitted to Senate Education and Youth Committee on 1/11/10

SB 301Sen. Lester Jackson    Would raise the mandatory age of education from 16 to 17.Pre-filed on 12/8/09.  Has not be assigned to committee

SB 320    Sen. Judson HillWould provide for a "Teacher's Bill of Rights."Read and referred to Senate Education and Youth Committee on 1/26/10

SB 352Sen. Tommie WilliamsWould require the State Board of Education to include a growth model as a primary factor in calculating Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP); Would establish a system for grading schools and associated bonuses/consequences. Would also eliminate CRCT for 1st and 2nd grades and Georgia High School Graduation Tests.Read and referred to Senate Education and Youth Committee on 2/3/10

SB 361Sen. Chip RogersWould establish the Early HOPE Scholarship program for K-12 students to transfer to a public or private school of their parents' choice. Program would absorb the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship and expand eligibility to foster children, Section 504 students, and children in military families.Passed by the Senate Education and Youth Committee on 2/18/10

SB 386Sen. Don BalfourWould establish an alternative, performance-based salary schedule for all new teachers and for current teachers to opt into.    Read and referred to Senate Education and Youth Committee on 2/8/10

HB 908   Rep. David CasasRegarding public school systems, this bill would temporarily suspend laws are requirement relating to expenditure controls, minimun classroom expenditures, maximum class size, additional days of instruction, and salary schedules.Passed by the House on 2/9/10. Read and referred to Senate Education and Youth Committee on 2/10/10

HB 927Rep. Mike JacobsWould expand the definition of "bullying" and allow student victims of bullying to be reassigned to another school to separate the victim from the bully. Additionally, it would require the Department of Education to develop a model policy on bullying.Reported favorably (by substitute) by House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee on 2/10/10

HB 966Rep. Fran MillarProvides that permanent classroom space shall not include temporary buildings, portable units, or trailers for purposes of intradistrict transfers between schools.Read second time by the House and referred to the House Education Committee on 1/27/10

HB 1031 Rep. Mary Margaret OliverWould require new residents in a school system to register child within 30 days; failure to make certain reports & failure to enroll the child a misdemeanor against such persons.Read second time by the House and referred to the House Education Committee on 2/2/10

HB 1064Rep. Mickey Stephens Would raise the mandatory age of elementary and secondary education from 16 years old to 17 years old.Read second time by the House and referred to the House Education Committee on 2/4/10

HB 1100 Rep. David Casas   Would require the State Board of Education to include a growth model as a primary factor in calculating Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP); Would establish a system for grading schools and associated bonuses/consequences. Would also eliminate CRCT for 1st and 2nd grades and Georgia High School Graduation Tests.Read second time by House and referred to the House Education Committee on 2/8/10

HB 1121Rep. Matt RamseyWould make tampering with state assessments a misdemeanor.Read second time by House and referred to House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee on 2/9/10

HB 1130Rep. Tommy BentonWould temporarily suspend Title XX laws related to maximum class size and require additional accountability for the waiver.Read second time by House and referred to House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee on 2/10/10

 

 

Posted via email from Jim Nichols for GA State House