Author Claire Suggs Fact Sheets K-12 Education Library Policy Areas Sales Tax Flexibility Not Enough to Solve Georgia’s School Funding Crisis February 19, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Claire Suggs Bill Analysis: House Resolution 1109 and House Bill 802 The General Assembly is considering putting a constitutional amendment to a statewide vote to give school districts greater flexibility to spend sales tax money. Districts continue to struggle financially due to ongoing cuts in state funding, including an austerity cut of about $750 million planned for […] Read more »
Alan Essig Author Blog K-12 Education Georgia Can Learn About Higher Ed’s Importance From Volunteer State February 10, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig While Tennessee pursues free tuition for all students to attend community colleges and technical schools, Georgia is moving in the opposite direction. If Tennessee follows through on a proposal by Gov. Bill Haslam in his State of the State speech, the Volunteer State will be the only one in the country that doesn’t charge tuition […] Read more »
Alan Essig Author Blog K-12 Education Teachers, Other State Workers Should Temper Raise Expectations February 6, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig | 18 Comments on Teachers, Other State Workers Should Temper Raise Expectations With all the talk about pay raises being included in the 2015 state budget, state employees and teachers are already counting the extra money. Unfortunately for many teachers and state employees the celebration is premature. To be sure, the governor’s proposal does include money for salary adjustments for state employees, Board of Regents staff and […] Read more »
Alan Essig Author Blog K-12 Education Revenues rise, but Georgia’s policies still stuck in recession mode February 3, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Alan Essig As published in the Saporta Report on February 3, 2014 The good news for Georgia is the state’s economy continues to recover from the recent recession and state revenues are heading in a positive direction. The not-so-good news is the state’s leaders continue to put a strong economy and job-growth at risk through spending decisions […] Read more »
Author Budget and Taxes Claire Suggs K-12 Education Library Policy Areas Reports Overview: 2015 Fiscal Year Budget for Higher Education January 29, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Claire Suggs Funding Inches Up, Gaps Persist Georgia’s proposed $1.94 billion budget for higher education in the 2015 fiscal year adds some much needed money for several key initiatives compared to the prior year. However most of the increase just keeps pace with growth and rising health care and retirement costs. This means funding for Georgia’s university […] Read more » State Budget
Author Budget and Taxes Claire Suggs Featured K-12 Education Policy Areas Overview: 2015 Fiscal Year Budget for K-12 Education January 23, 2014 / January 15, 2020 by Claire Suggs Budget Cuts for K-12 Shrink, but Still Loom Large The $7.95 billion budget proposal for public education in the state’s 2015 fiscal year makes a down payment to eliminate the austerity cut in state funding for schools. Most districts should be able to restore the school calendar to the 180-day standard next year. However, most […] Read more » K-12 State Budget
Author Budget and Taxes Claire Suggs K-12 Education Library Policy Areas Reports Overview: 2015 Fiscal Year Budget for Lottery-Funded Programs January 22, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Claire Suggs Funding for Pre-Kindergarten and HOPE Falls Short of Students’ Needs The governor’s proposed $948 million budget for the state’s lottery-funded programs in the 2015 fiscal year falls short of what is needed to provide Georgians broad access to pre-kindergarten and higher education programs. Georgia’s 20-year-old system that uses lottery proceeds to make education more affordable […] Read more » State Budget
Alan Essig Author Blog K-12 Education K-12 education funding a top priority January 13, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Alan Essig | 1 Comment on K-12 education funding a top priority As published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on January 12, 2014. Georgia’s leaders are talking about increasing spending on public schools for the first time since the Great Recession forced drastic state budget cuts. Those cuts continue to prompt local districts to furlough teachers, increase class sizes and shorten school calendars. Some news reports in advance […] Read more »
Author Blog Claire Suggs K-12 Education Higher Ed Funding, Completion Rates Focus of GBPI Policy Conference Panels December 20, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Claire Suggs Performance funding for higher education is coming to Georgia. Beginning fall 2015, state funding for the university system and the technical college system will be based on the numbers of students who stay on track and complete their programs. This is a shift from the current practice that funds schools based on how many students […] Read more »
Author Blog Claire Suggs K-12 Education Teacher Prep, Charter Schools Focus of GBPI 2014 Policy Conference December 20, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Claire Suggs In the midst of fierce debates about ways to improve public education, there is consensus on one issue: Teachers who are caring and competent are an essential element of students’ academic success. Teachers change children’s lives, help them to thrive in school and succeed in the world beyond it. Becoming a teacher who can rise […] Read more »
