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Educational Forum Synapsis
Tuesday evening in Walton's theater, Dr. Dana Rickman, Policy and Research Director for the non-partisan Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, gave an overview of the current proposal drafts from Governor Deal's Education Reform Commission (ERC). The ERC will meet on Thursday, November 19 to discuss matters from the five subcommittees before making their final recommendations to Governor Deal in December which will pave the way for action by the General Assembly during the 2016 session. Although there are five areas the commission was charged to examine, the areas with the most drastic changes involve recommendations from the Funding committee and the Teacher Recruitment, Retention & Compensation committee.
The Funding committee has been developing a new student-based formula that would replace the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula to calculate allotments to local districts. QBE was established in 1985 and has not been updated significantly to reflect changes in demographics, society, technology, etc. Basically, it funds education based upon enrollment and instructional needs. However, during the recent economic recession and dating back to 2003, the General Assembly has not fully funded Georgia's school districts based on the QBE formula. Overall the underfunding, or austerity cuts, equate to $8.8 billion
($565 million in Cobb County) in funding for which our schools are eligible yet they have not received.
The new formula proposal is derived from the currently allotted education budget and sets a base, per student amount which includes instructional costs and costs related to running the school. The base is set for grades 6 - 8 and adds additional dollars for various populations (i.e. grade levels, gifted, special education, economically disadvantaged, and others). For example, the proposed base rate, or cost to educate, for a middle schooler in the general population is $2322.09. For a gifted student in grades 4-5 who is an English language learner, the proposal would add an additional $1251.04 to that $2322.09 base ($50.98 for grade level, $750.20 for gifted, and $449.86 for ESOL). Click here to see the current draft of this information.
If passed by the General Assembly, the recommendation could increase total current spending by 2.5% ($234 million); however, that is short of the $500 million that districts should be given under the existing QBE formula in state law. Cobb County schools would actually get $28.7 million less than they would under a fully funded QBE allotment. Of bigger concern is that the formula is based on recession-era dollars and, if adopted, will permanently cut education funding in Georgia while students and teachers continue to be held to higher standards.
In addition to Dr. Rickman's presentation, Walton's own Tina Link and Drew Adams spoke to the need to fix education in Georgia. Both discussed the challenges overcrowded classes bring, which is a direct result of reduced funding, and how that reduces their ability to give meaningful feedback to and form connections with their students. With the increase in class size seen over the past 8 years, teachers are now responsible for an entire additional class worth of papers, projects and labs to grade. Dr. Link spoke to issues with lab safety in crowded classrooms and Mr. Adams reminded the audience that teachers play a large role in forming the future of society through their mentoring. With 35 students in a class, teachers cannot make the impacts they seek to make.
Finally, Dickerson Band Director John Palmer presented information about what the Teacher Recruitment, Retention & Compensation committee is recommending. The changes in the compensation models as currently proposed would no longer reward teachers for experience and degrees and would set a maximum salary the state would contribute forcing districts to fill in the gap. By not rewarding teachers for their experience and advanced degrees, the stage is set for a revolving door of educators which impacts continuity of instruction in schools. Mr. Palmer shared that the recommendations from this committee could drive experienced teachers out of our schools and make it nearly impossible to hire specialized teachers in areas such as Special Education and STEM.
What can you do? Contact the ERC members. There are more than 20 members of the commission and not one of them is an active teacher. Contact your lawmakers (Representatives Matt Dollar & Sharon Cooper and Senator Judson Hill). Remind them of the importance of real education reform. Ask that they consider funding education based on the actual cost of educating a child in Georgia rather than either an outdated formula (QBE) or one that imposes permanent cuts (ERC potential recommendation). Tell them how funding cuts and increased class sizes have impacted your child. We need to take action and make our voices heard! Education should not be political. Stay tuned for additional information on this and other education reform issues. Watch for Q&A in your Sunday e-Blast for the next 2 weeks as the PTSA addresses the questions you've raised.
This publication is funded entirely by the WHS PTSA. No public funds were used to convey this message.
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WHS VOLLEYBALL TEAM
2015 State AAAAAA Champions!
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Mindfulness Moment
Lessons 6 of the PTSA Sponsored Mindfulness in Schools Series
 Much of the stress and anxiety we experience comes not from the situations we find ourselves in, but from the thoughts we have around them-- the stories we tell ourselves. When we look deeper to understand the science of the mind and our evolutionary patterning, we begin to understand that it's not the stress that harms us, but how we relate to it. Mindfulness helps us to hold space to see things more clearly so we can respond from a wiser place and not with the same old habitual knee-jerk reactions. In this mindfulness lesson students were given an opportunity to tune in to the streaming of thoughts, creating awareness of the filters, judgments, comparisons, contingency planning, and narration activities of the mind. In the "Sounds and Thoughts" awareness exercise students gained an understanding that they have the power to "step back" or "decenter" from thoughts, allowing them to see thought more clearly and relating more wisely to the difficult thoughts that can sabotage. Digging deeper into the neuroscience evidence behind habitual thinking patterns, students discovered how just "knowing" that this is our evolutionary conditioning, opens up more possibilities in how they relate to the thoughts and to actually be able to rewire the brain towards more kind, positive thinking habits-mindfully deciding whether or not to listen to their story.
Lisa Jones, Mindfulness Teacher, The Mindfulness In Schools Project
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WaltonStrong
SURVIVING COLD AND FLU SEASON
We all lead busy lives and no one has time to miss school or work due to illness. Your best defense is to be proactive in your EVERYDAY routine. Find time to incorporate these:
"Top 5 Tips for Prevention"
1. Avoid being "run down" by getting plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation (less than 7-8 hours for adults) has an unfavorable effect on the immune system.
2. Practicing good nutrition. Eating lots of veggies, fruit, protein and healthy fats helps keep your body in balance providing it with the valuable vitamins and minerals needed to avoid illness and disease.
3. Avoid SUGAR! Yes I know...it's the holidays! Try what we do in my house and that is saving the treats for Saturday OR Sunday. Did you know that the immune system is suppressed by 50% for up to 12 hours after eating 100 grams of sugar??? That's about as much sugar in a bottle of soda, candy, cookies, ice cream and some cereals. The likelihood of you catching a cold or the flu after someone coughs or sneezes near you within a day of sugar consumption is increased by 50%!!
4. Drink green tea and lots of water. Green tea improves the immune system and is loaded with disease fighting flavonoids and antioxidants.
5. Engage in moderate exercise daily. Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress and research shows that it helps fight viruses and bad bacteria.
Obviously, washing your hands frequently is vital. The teaching staff was given lavender oil to mix with water to spray on hands for a natural anti-bacterial wash. This is a great way to prevent killing off the good bacteria on your hands that a regular hand sanitizer does not.
Finally, if you do feel you are coming down with flu-like symptoms and want to try a natural approach, Oscilloccinum by Boiron, an organic remedy found at drug stores, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, can help reduce symptoms if taken within the first 24 hours.
To your health,
Jill Gregory
Board Certified Nutritionist
PTSA Health and Wellness Chair
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