March 15, 2016
                     
Table of Contents
Excellent News! House Passes SB 364 Unanimously
Many Thanks Due
What's Next for Testing and Evaluation Reform?
Testing Listening Sessions Taking Shape
House Education Committee Meets Briefly
 
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 37
Excellent News! House Passes SB 364 Unanimously

The House passed SB 364 unanimously this afternoon. It was an incredible show of bipartisan cooperation in support of students and educators. In his presentation of the bill on the House floor, Rep. Randy Nix (R-LaGrange) prefaced his explanation of the technical aspects of the bill, calling the legislation "the most important and consequential bill we pass this year...a major collaboration between the House and Senate." Nix's sponsorship of SB 364 in the House is particularly meaningful as he sponsored the bill which originally created TKES and LKES. He described SB 364 to his colleagues today as a response to "reasonable" requests by educators and parents to reform Georgia's school accountability system. 

Nix and House Education Chair Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth) passed out a letter of support, organized by PAGE, from every major state education organization including TRAGIC, GAE, GAPTA, GSSA, GAEL and GSBA. Review that letter HERE.

At the conclusion of Nix's presentation, House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) cheekily summed up SB 364 using the requisite parliamentary language: Isn't it true that teachers should be freed up to teach more and test less?

We were overjoyed by today's result.

 
Vote record for SB 364 in the House (apologies for poor photo quality).

Read PAGE'S summary of SB 364 and several other testing and evaluation reform bills HERE.

Read PAGE's news release on the House passage of SB 364 HERE. 
Many Thanks Due

Many thanks to Rep. Nix for carrying SB 364 in the House and presenting the bill on the floor, and thanks to House Education leadership including Chairman Coleman, outgoing Vice Chair Mike Dudgeon (R-John's Creek), and Rep. Tom Dickson (R-Cohutta) for working diligently with all stakeholders on the bill. Thanks to the entire House Education Committee, particularly Rep. Dave Belton (R-Buckhead), for their thoughtful support of evaluation and testing reform.

Many thanks are also due to Senate Education Chair Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) who did the yeoman's work of drafting the bill, getting SB 364 off the ground in the Senate, and working with the House on changes. And, thanks to State School Superintendent Richard Woods for his and his staff's work in support of SB 364.

Please take a minute to thank these leaders as well as your House and Senate member for a "Yes" vote on SB 364. In today's polarized and contentious political climate, collaborative efforts such as the one behind SB 364 are rare and should be commended. Contact info HERE.

Ultimately, the biggest thanks are due to the countless parents and educators across Georgia who took the time to reach out to policymakers in support of testing and evaluation reform. Without your work, today's result would not have occurred. You made all the difference!
What's Next for Testing and Evaluation Reform?
 
Since the version of SB 364 which passed the House today is different from that which passed the Senate several weeks ago, the Senate will need to vote to accept the changes. The Senate can do this with a simple agree/disagree vote. If the Senate agrees to the changes, the bill will be on its way to Gov. Nathan Deal's desk. If the Senate disagrees with the House changes, a conference committee will be appointed to settle on a compromise before the bill is transmitted to the Governor.

Either way, the Governor has 40 days after the last day of the legislative session to sign or veto legislation. Any legislation which is unsigned at the end of the 40-day period automatically becomes law. The Governor's floor leaders in the House voted for SB 364 today, indicating that the bill may have a warmer reception in Deal's office than previously thought. 

We sincerely hope Gov. Deal will sign SB 364 and will celebrate the passage of this important reform with PAGE and Georgia educators, parents and students. We look forward to working with the Governor.  
Testing Listening Sessions Taking Shape

PAGE lobbyists talked with House Education Chair Coleman Monday afternoon about planned legislative listening sessions on testing. Coleman said that he and other legislative leaders understand that many educators and parents believe that SB 364 does not go far enough to reform Georgia testing policies, and that they plan to convene three to six listening session around the state on issues related to testing. We anticipate that more details on these listening sessions will take shape in the next few weeks. We will share them as soon as information becomes available.
House Education Committee Meets Briefly
 
After recessing today, the House Education Committee met for mere minutes to pass SB 310, the "Transparency in Education Act."  After passing the bill, Chairman Coleman thanked members of the committee and bid farewell to Vice Chair Mike Dudgeon, Rep. Margaret Kaiser (D-Atlanta), and Rep. Hugh Floyd (D-Norcross) as they will not run for re-election this year. Today's meeting will be the last House Education Committee meeting of the 2016 Session.
Margaret Ciccarelli - Director of Legislative Affairs mciccarelli@pageinc.org

Josh Stephens - Legislative Policy Analyst
jstephens@pageinc.org
  


PAGE's core business is to provide professional learning for educators that will enhance professional competence and confidence, build leadership qualities and lead to higher academic achievement for students, while providing the best in membership, legislative and legal services and support