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Education

More schools refuse school takeover

A little over a year since Deal’s school takeover bill went into effect, more schools are pushing back against being labeled for takeover. The so-called, state-mandated school “turnaround” program was pushed through the Georgia General Assembly by Gov. Deal after teachers, parents and voters in general overwhelmingly voted against it in November 2016. Deal refused to accept Georgia’s answer and created the First Priority Act which created the position of the “Chief Turnaround Officer” or

Education

Public schools still paying for Vogtle

Public schools shouldn’t be stuck with the bill for what’s now been dubbed the “Plant Vogtle Vortex,” named as such because money and time seem to disappear into the black hole of Georgia Power’s failed project. The nuclear power plant is years behind schedule and is billions of dollars over budget. A bill passed in 2009 has allowed Georgia Power to pass on those charges to consumers — meaning anyone who uses Georgia Power has footed

Education

After years of cuts, Ga. schools are funded at basic level

A major win that came out of this year’s General Assembly was the decision to fully fund the Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding formula. This means that for the first time since 2002, Georgia lawmakers are actually giving school districts the basic amount of money they need to operate. But from 2010 to 2014, Deal shortchanged schools by $1 billion a year, and Deal has consistently shortchanged our teachers and students — by at least

Education

Racial inequality a problem in Georgia schools

The Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education released its latest list of top 10 issues to watch in education. One major issue is equity in access to education, which is something that is often missed in discussions about education funding, teacher pay, and student performance. Not all children in Georgia have equal access to quality education and quality teachers, according to GPEE’s report. Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, every state is required to

Economy

Gov. Deal to cut education funding again

Despite wanting to be known for improving education, Gov. Nathan Deal has cut $9.2 billion in education funding since 2003. He has tasked himself with creating takeover plan after takeover plan to reform schools, but all he really has to do to make improvements is stop cutting funding. He drains our public schools of the money they need to pay teachers and provide transportation and labels them “failing.” He creates plans where once schools are

2018 Legislative Session

What you can expect to see in the General Assembly this year

This year’s legislative session started Monday and promises to be a fast-moving one for a few reasons. First, according to law, legislators cannot receive campaign funds during the session, and the packed session schedule leaves little time for campaigning. This, in addition to recent Democratic wins in areas that used to be Republican strongholds, means Republicans are stressing like never before. Considering the elections and the issues that have been in the national spotlight over