Blog K-12 Education Take Georgia’s School Rating System with a Grain of Salt September 13, 2018 / May 19, 2020 by Stephen Owens This fall, the Georgia Department of Education is set to release its new annual scores for individual schools and districts, known as the College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI). Well-designed accountability systems can provide parents and policymakers with useful information, but Georgia’s approach relies too much on standardized testing and includes other shortcomings that […] Read more » CCRPI College and Career Readiness Performance Index Education Georgia Department of Education K-12 schools
Blog Claire Suggs K-12 Education Push to Expand Private School Tax Scholarships Disregards Lack of Evidence, Accountability February 8, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Claire Suggs Georgia’s Senate appears poised to act on an expansion of the state’s tax credit scholarship for private schools. This is despite a lack of reliable evidence on the existing program’s effectiveness or any proper safeguards to ensure it’s a good deal for taxpayers. House Bill 217 was introduced in 2017 and almost made it to […] Read more » Education Georgia Department of Education HB 217 K-12 Private School Scholarships
Claire Suggs K-12 Education Reports Overview: 2019 Fiscal Year Budget for K-12 Education February 5, 2018 / January 14, 2020 by Claire Suggs Gov. Nathan Deal’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2019 provides nearly $9.8 billion to educate Georgia’s 1.7 million public school students, a boost of nearly $353 million over current funding. Most of the increase goes to student enrollment growth, routine adjustments in teachers’ salaries, and the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia. Districts will continue to […] Read more » Claire Suggs Education Georgia Department of Education K-12 State Budget teachers Teachers Retirement System of Georgia
Blog Claire Suggs K-12 Education Poverty Leaves a Mark on Albany Area Schools December 20, 2017 / January 14, 2020 by Claire Suggs | 1 Comment on Poverty Leaves a Mark on Albany Area Schools The teachers at Alice Coachman Elementary School in Dougherty County are quick to tell you the students are smart. They may lack foundational skills but not intelligence. The declaration captures the promise of so many children in poverty and the challenges they confront, as well as the schools they attend. I visited the school as […] Read more » child-poverty Dougherty County Education Georgia Department of Education K-12 poverty
Blog Claire Suggs Health Justice K-12 Education Updated: Proposed Medicaid Cuts Threaten Georgia’s Most Vulnerable Students September 21, 2017 / January 14, 2020 by Claire Suggs More than 118,000 students in Georgia cope with disabilities. Some are students with visual or hearing impairments while others have autism or developmental delays. Many have learning disabilities, speech impairments or other intellectual or physical disabilities. These children need extra support to attend classes with their peers and fulfill their potential. This extra support requires […] Read more » Claire Suggs Federal Medicaid Cuts Georgia Department of Education Graham-Cassidy health health-care K-12 medicaid
Blog Claire Suggs K-12 Education Georgia’s Tax Credit School Scholarship Program Lacks Accountability August 31, 2017 / January 14, 2020 by Claire Suggs Proposals to create school voucher programs, including tax credit scholarship programs, continue to pop up in a growing number of states and at the federal level. This has spurred some voucher proponents to call for greater accountability for schools participating in these programs. This would be a welcome change in Georgia. The state’s tax credit […] Read more » Claire Suggs Education Georgia Department of Education K-12 school vouchers tax credit scholarship program
