February 16, 2016
                     
Table of Contents
PAGE & GAEL Day on Capitol Hill a Success
House Ed Subcommittee Meets but Doesn't Vote
Tax Committee Passes Expensive Voucher Bill
 
Week in Review

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to watch the latest Week in Review podcast to catch up on last week's action under the Gold Dome.
 
PAGE Report From the Capitol
Day 21 
 PAGE & GAEL Day on Capitol Hill a Success  
More than 200 classroom teachers, school leaders and retired educators gathered in Atlanta for PAGE & GAEL Day on Capitol Hill today. Attendees heard from Senate Education Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) about his important bill, SB 364, which proposes to reduce student testing and reform educator evaluation.

Read PAGE's analysis of SB 364.
Sen. Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) takes a question from Gordon County Teacher and PAGE Board Member Kelli De Guire.
Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) Senior Education Policy Analyst Claire Suggs walked the group through the proposed FY 2017 budget (education budget starts on p. 40) and briefly discussed the Education Reform Commission's (ERC) proposed school funding overhaul. The final ERC report is available HERE.
GBPI Senior Education Analyst Claire Suggs
 
Retired BellSouth executive, syndicated columnist and ERC member Dick Yarbrough described his experience serving on the task force which created QBE (the current school funding formula), his perception of the ERC's work, and his recommendations for educators and supporters to more effectively advocate for public education.

Syndicated columnist and ERC member Dick Yarbrough
After GAEL Executive Director Jimmy Stokes and PAGE Director of Legislative Services Margaret Ciccarelli walked the group through the most important pending education bills, attendees visited with House and Senate members under the Gold Dome and talked with them about important education issues. Before returning to the Sloppy Floyd Building for lunch, many attendees stopped by the TRAGIC rally at Liberty Plaza across from the Capitol.

Soon after, State School Superintendent Richard Woods delivered the keynote address at the PAGE and GAEL Day on Capitol Hill luncheon. Woods outlined for the group his support for SB 364.
PAGE Executive Director Dr. Allene Magill and participants at the PAGE and GAEL Day on Capitol Hill heard from Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods during the luncheon.
Many thanks to our excellent presenters today. Thanks are also due to Senate Education Chair Lindsey Tippins and House Education Chair Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth) for sponsoring Senate and House resolutions honoring PAGE and GAEL Day on Capitol Hill. And finally, thanks to all the educators who attended today's event and advocated for students, their peers and public schools.
House Education Subcommittee Meets but Doesn't Vote
One House Education Subcommittee was cancelled this afternoon. Later, another House Education subcommittee met to hear two bills. The subcommittee declined to vote on either piece of legislation.
  • HB 873 by Rep. David Clark (R-Buford) is entitled the "Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act." The bill mandates that Georgia schools train student athletes on sudden cardiac arrest. The subcommittee chair Rep. Randy Nix (R-LaGrange) asked the sponsor several questions which seemed to indicate that Nix had concerns about putting an additional mandate on teachers and schools.
  • HR 1313 by Rep. Mike Glanton (D-Jonesboro) discourages schools from holding high school graduation on the same day as the primary election. If passed, the resolution would not carry the force of law.
Tax Committee Passes Expensive Voucher Bill        
A House Ways and Means Subcommittee passed controversial voucher legislation this evening. At a previous hearing, PAGE testified on the bill, sharing serious concerns about creating a new $25 million per year voucher program in addition to the existing $58 million per year voucher program. PAGE and other public education advocates expressed support for the means-test provisions of HB 865 and the additional accountability mandates intended to ensure that public dollars used at private schools actually help students receiving the vouchers to succeed. Review the GBPI'S analysis of the bill HERE. The full House Ways and Means Committee will consider the bill next. Contact the committee members now to ask them to vote "No" on this new expensive voucher program and instead to amend the existing program with the reforms proposed in HB 865 by Rep. Mike Dudgeon (R-John's Creek).

The full Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jay Powell (R-Camilla) proposed an amendment to the legislation that would expand the program to allow more donors by modifying the dollar-for-dollar tax credit. Powell's amendment, which passed, does not alter the $25 million annual cost of the voucher program.
Margaret Ciccarelli - Director of Legislative Affairs mciccarelli@pageinc.org

Josh Stephens - Legislative Policy Analyst
jstephens@pageinc.org
  


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