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Classroom of teenage students during class.
Education

School disinvestment a chronic problem in Georgia and around the nation

Georgia school’s have been chronically underfunded since 2002, and only in the 2019 fiscal year were schools finally properly funded. As of last year, some school districts still had to furlough teachers because of the impacts of years of budget cuts. A new report from the Center for American Progress shows that public disinvestment in schools has been part of a national trend since at least the 2007 recession in many states under Republican control.

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

Arming school staff would endanger students, teachers

Laurens School District near Warner Robins, Ga. is becoming the first school district to allow staff members to carry guns in order to protect students, despite all the research showing that increasing the amount of guns at schools decreases student safety. Although Trump has touted arming teachers and school personnel as a solution to school shootings, the high number of accidental shootings that have occurred in classrooms and school buildings by trained professionals should scare

Education

Ga. students are riding buses from the ’80s due to lack of funding

It’s no secret that Gov. Nathan Deal has chronically under-funded Georgia public education for the majority of his time in office. Teachers are underpaid, arts and music programs were cut and until very recently, some schools couldn’t afford to stay open for the full school year. Transportation to and from school is no exception to the gross undervaluation of our schools by conservative lawmakers. A number of school systems are still not receiving the resources

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