Long-Awaited Testing and Evaluation
Bills Coming - Your Help Needed!
Sen. William Ligon (R-Brunswick) has introduced a student testing and educator evaluation reform bill. SB 355 seeks to allow greater latitude for students who opt-out of standardized tests and seeks to reduce the emphasis of standardized testing in Georgia's teacher and leader evaluation systems from 50 percent and 70 percent, respectively, to 10 percent and 40 percent. The bill has not yet been heard in committee, so Sen. Ligon has not yet had a public forum to explain the legislation. More details will become available when this occurs, but SB 355 looks promising for relief from overemphasis of testing for students and on teacher evaluations. Ligon's bill is one of several testing and evaluation reform bills expected to be filed in the coming days. Since there are only 12 legislative days remaining to successfully move SB 355 and any forthcoming testing and evaluation reform bills through the Senate, it is important for legislators and advocates to move quickly. Senate bills must successfully make it out of the Senate Education Committee, the Senate Rules Committee, and must be passed by the full Senate by the 30th Legislative Day (also called "Crossover Day"). House Bills must follow the corresponding path in the House in order to remain viable after Day 30. Crossover Day is currently scheduled for Monday, Feb. 29.
Please take time to talk with your House and Senate member this week and ask for their support of much-needed testing and evaluation reform. Look up your House and Senate member's contact info HERE.
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House Passes Instructional Resources Notice Bill
The House passed HB 739 today. It now heads to the Senate. The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville) and would require local school districts to establish a review and recommendation process for locally-approved student instructional materials adopted or used by local districts and to post this information online on school and district websites. The posting requirements would not apply to supplementary or ancillary material such as articles, online simulations, worksheets, novels, biographies, speeches, videos and music. When the bill was in committee, Rep. Tanner said that his bill allows for greater public notice and transparency regarding locally-approved student textbooks.
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Senate Subcommittee Opens the Door
to More School Vouchers
The Senate Subcommittee on Governmental Oversight passed a worrisome piece of legislation on Tuesday. The proposed constitutional amendment is sponsored by Sen. Bill Heath (R-Bremen) who also chairs the subcommittee. The legislation would remove current state constitutional provisions prohibiting public dollars from flowing to private or faith-based institutions.
PAGE worked with subcommittee member Sen. Elena Parent (D-Atlanta) on an amendment to Heath's resolution that would prevent public dollars from being used to fund private school vouchers.
Unfortunately, the subcommittee voted down party lines to reject Parent's amendment, and the committee passed the resolution forward to be heard by the full Governmental Oversight Committee soon. Before the vote, PAGE testified in support of Parent's narrowly-drawn amendment. PAGE cited concern about ongoing school austerity cuts and diverting public funding to private schools, regardless of the school's religious affiliation.
Many thanks to Sen. Parent for sponsoring the amendment and her work to support public schools.
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PAGE thanks its members for their great response to PAGE Day on Capitol Hill next Tuesday, Feb. 16, co-sponsored with the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders. This event is now at capacity and no further registrations may be accepted. PAGE looks forward to hosting all the participants as we hear from our speakers and facilitate meetings with legislators.
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