Alan Essig Author Blog Budget and Taxes New State Budget Plan Takes Small Steps to Repair Damage from Years of Cuts January 17, 2014 / January 16, 2020 by Alan Essig | 3 Comments on New State Budget Plan Takes Small Steps to Repair Damage from Years of Cuts Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal Wednesday unveiled a state budget for the 2015 fiscal year that includes $807 million in new revenues. That money will be allocated for: Allocation Amount Partial Restoration of K-12 Education Formula Austerity Cut $314 million Medicaid and PeachCare Growth $170 million K-12 and Higher Education Formula Growth $151 million State Employees/Teachers […] 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 »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Solutions to Reduce Hunger and Poverty Showcased at GBPI’s Jan. 8 Policy Conference December 20, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson About one in five Georgians lives in poverty, making Georgia the sixth poorest state in the nation. More than one in four Georgia children doesn’t get enough food to eat. Our state’s economy and our ability to compete globally could greatly improve if Georgia could reduce the extent of these problems. The good news is […] Read more »
Author Cash and Safety Net Library Melissa Johnson Policy Areas Reports Recovery or Bust: Georgia’s Poor Left Behind December 17, 2013 / January 16, 2020 by Melissa Johnson More Georgians are living on the desperate side of the federal poverty line than at any time in the state’s recent history. At the same time, pathways to exit poverty are increasingly blocked as the state failed to make strategic investments when needed. America’s Great Recession – the country’s deepest economic downturn since the Great […] Read more »
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson New Report: Recovery or Bust, Georgia’s Poor Left Behind December 16, 2013 / January 17, 2020 by Melissa Johnson | 1 Comment on New Report: Recovery or Bust, Georgia’s Poor Left Behind Georgia’s economy has slowly inched toward recovery since the state’s unemployment rate peaked in February 2010. More than three years since the official end of the economic crisis, Georgia has recovered just two-thirds of the jobs lost during the downturn. Meanwhile, poverty in Georgia is worse since the beginning of the recovery. More than 19 […] Read more »
Author Blog Budget and Taxes Wesley Tharpe Tax Shift Plans Front and Center at GBPI’s Jan. 8 Policy Conference December 12, 2013 / January 17, 2020 by Wesley Tharpe Georgia’s tax system has needed a tune up for years. But brewing plans for a drastic overhaul threaten to do much more harm than good. A cadre of Georgia lawmakers and activists is pushing to drastically change how our state funds its public needs and, in the process, critically undermine our state’s ability to thrive […] Read more » State Taxes
Author Blog Claire Suggs K-12 Education Yes, Georgia’s Schools Really are Underfunded December 6, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Claire Suggs | 2 Comments on Yes, Georgia’s Schools Really are Underfunded Georgia’s public schools are not fully funded. The General Assembly provided $1 billion less to school districts than the state’s own K-12 funding formula calculated they need to educate their students this year. A glance at the state’s budget for the funding formula, also known as the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula, makes that clear. […] Read more » K-12
Author Blog Cash and Safety Net Melissa Johnson Georgia Families Face Food Assistance Threats This Thanksgiving November 27, 2013 / January 15, 2020 by Melissa Johnson | 1 Comment on Georgia Families Face Food Assistance Threats This Thanksgiving As you gather with friends and family for Thanksgiving dinner this week, be aware that one in five of your fellow Georgians will probably sit down to a very modest spread. That is because these Georgians depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP,” commonly called food stamps) to help put food on the table. […] Read more »
