A New Resource for Georgia's Parents
By EdReformerGA Posted in State Politics — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
For those familiar with Georgia politics, most will agree with the assessment that the 2008 Legislative Session was nearly a complete failure. I, however, do not.
Education reform is an important issue across the county, but especially in a state with such dismal test scores and graduation rates like the Peach State. Essentially, when reforming education we have two options -- continue to throw money at a failing state-run monopoly controlled by edu-crats, or expand the choices that parents have in educating their children.
Choice is what the people want an the Legislature was happy to oblige. For the second year in a row, legislators passed a piece of school choice legislation, the Tuition Tax Credit scholarship program (HB 1133). This will give more parents the means to exercise private school choice. Additionally, the General Assembly approved the passage of HB 881, a bill that creates a state-level authorizer of public charter schools which will provide an alternative for charter petitioners caught in a political battle at the local level. The key to this bill is the near equalization of funding. No longer will public school students not receive the funds that they deserve because of political vendettas.
As a result of all of these choices being available to parents, the Center for an Educated Georgia (www.educatedgeorgia.org) has been established. CEG strives to be THE source for school choice and education reform information in Georgia. Topics covered include not only public charter schools and the Tuition Tax Credit scholarship program, but also the tremendously successful Georgia Special Needs Scholarship, resources for homeschoolers, and information on public school options such as magnets schools, joint enrollment programs, AP/IB opportunities and alternative education.
The people of Georgia have never had a greater number of choices for educating their children. The Center for an Educated Georgia is here to help make sense of it all.
but it's good to know they came up with something people can work with, anyway.
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