Are Georgia's Leaders Willing to Strengthen Education Policies?

Georgia's education policies - including the way it awards HOPE scholarships - create barriers to college education for minorities and the poor, says a report  released by the Institute for Research on Higher Education (IRHE) at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings reinforce a study by GBPI  highlights shortcomings of the HOPE program and serves as another warning to policymakers who have set an ambitious goal for increasing the number of Georgians with postsecondary credentials. Policymakers must address such inequities if they truly want to keep the state from falling behind as more and more employers demand a skilled-and knowledge-based workforce.  

Read full bog post: http://gbpi.org/irhe-education-policy

FY 2013 Budget Analyses: Education

Funding for Georgia's schools and colleges are at the lowest levels in a decade. Despite modest increases in funding for education for Fiscal Year 2013, the state still faces a long road to restoring a decade of decline. Georgia has entered an era in which education leaders are expected to do more with less. This is the new normal for the state's education systems. However, persistent cuts to public education undermine efforts undertaken by the state to build a more educated and skilled workforce that attract good-paying jobs to the state.

"Education cuts have long-term impacts, not just on the children and families they serve, but on our state's economy and well-being. Georgia must find ways to increase investment in education that improve access, quality, and the number of student earning credentials that have value in the marketplace."

- GBPI Executive Director Alan Essig