2017 Legislative Session
March 14, 2017

Table of Contents
House Subcommittee Passes Elected Superintendents & Community Schools Legislation
Recess Bill Stalls in Senate Ed
Testing Reform Bill Passes Subcommittee
Keep Pressure on to Stop Proposed Harmful Voucher Expansion
Calendar

Wednesday, Mar. 15
Senate Education and Youth Committee - 307 CLOB - 2:00pm

Senate Finance Committee - 2:00pm - 125 CAP 
Days 32 and 33   
House Subcommittee Passes Elected Superintendents
& Community Schools Legislation
 
Monday afternoon, two House Ed subcommittees met and passed the following legislation, all of which now move to the full House Ed Committee for consideration:
  • SR 192 by Sen. John Wilkinson (R-Toccoa) is a proposed constitutional amendment allowing local communities to choose to elect local school superintendents and to appoint school board members by grand jury. If the constitutional amendment were approved in a statewide referendum, it would allow for the filing of local legislation to create a local referendum on the issue of whether the superintendent position should be an elected one. Such a local referendum would also convert local school boards from elected to appointment by grand jury. In his presentation to the subcommittee, Sen. Wilkinson's description of the need for SR 192 focused on providing a choice for local citizens to decide how their school district is governed. Concerns expressed by House subcommittee members echoed those expressed in the Senate -- that the talent pool for superintendents in some districts may be limited. For more information on SR 192, CLICK HERE.
  • PAGE testified in support of SB 30 by Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) which seeks to create a pilot program for the Community Schools model that brings together many community partners to offer a range of supports and opportunities to students, families and the entire community. These types of supports include wraparound services such as dental care, mental health counseling, adult education, homeless prevention, juvenile crime prevention, home visitation, parent leadership training and other supports. Currently, Sen. Fort has secured $50,000 in funding to help develop the Community Schools plan to be implemented upon availability of funding. To find out more about the program, CLICK HERE.
  • SB 152 by Sen. Emmanuel Jones (D-Decatur) would prevent students from being placed in alternative schools for more than two semesters. House Education Committee Chairman Brooks Coleman expressed concern that the bill dictates the punishment that local boards will be required to use rather than a case-by-case decision.
  • SB 3, the "Creating Opportunities Needed Now to Expand Credentialed Training (CONNECT) Act" sponsored by Senate Ed Chairman Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) on behalf of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle. The legislation seeks to provide industry credentialing for students who complete certain focused programs of study and would also lower the age of participation in apprenticeship programs from 16 to 15. Additionally, SB 3 enables the State Board of Education to establish a competitive grant program for renovation, modernization, replacement or purchase of career tech or agricultural education equipment.
  •  SB 139 by Sen. Hunter Hill (R-Atlanta) seeks to create a mechanism for local schools or districts to propose new career pathways to the State Board of Education for approval.  
Recess Bill Stalls in Senate Ed
 
The Senate Education Committee met Monday afternoon to hear testimony on seven education-related bills that have already passed the House. At the conclusion of the meeting, the committee favorably recommended four of these bills, all of which now move to the Senate Rules Committee for placement on the Senate voting calendar. Three other bills received no vote by the Committee during Monday's meeting, though they are expected to be considered at an upcoming meeting of the committee.

Margaret Ciccarelli, PAGE's Director of Legislative Affairs, provided testimony in support of HB 273 by Rep. Demetrius Douglas (D-Stockbridge), a mandatory K-5 recess bill. In her testimony, Ciccarelli noted the high amount of support PAGE has seen on this bill from our members. She also noted research which indicates that elementary school aged children perform better academically when given time to exercise. Questions from committee members focused on wording in the legislation that would mandate recess and whether that language should be discretionary or mandatory. Further questions focused on expanding the legislation to cover Pre-K classes. The Senate Education Committee took no vote on HB 273. A vote is expected later next week.

The Committee also abstained from voting on HB 246 by Rep. Wes Cantrell (R-Woodstock), which seeks to remove the sunset provision in the Georgia Shape Act; and, the Senators did not vote on HB 114 by Rep. Robert Dickey (R-Musella) which would prohibit local school districts from refusing to award Move on When Ready students the honor of valedictorian and salutatorian.

The following legislation passed Senate Ed and is on its way to Senate Rules:
  • HB 198 by Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) requiring schools to communicate information about the flu vaccine if schools already distribute similar information.
  • HB 437 by Rep. Robert Dickey (R-Musella) recreating the Agricultural Education Advisory Commission.
  • HB 148 by Rep. Mike Glanton (D-Jonesboro), which would authorize GaDOE to establish a unique identification number to the child of military service members. The goal of this legislation is to track these students to better serve their unique needs. The committee unanimously approved of the legislation.
  • HB 425 by Rep. Joyce Chandler (R-Grayson). HB 425 allows for state mandated assessments to be administered to students on paper and with a pencil at the request of parents. Moreover, the bill forbids a local school system from taking punitive actions against students whose parents opt out of state mandated assessments. Finally, the bill requires a school district to provide alternative instructional activities to students who opt out of state mandated assessments during the administration of the test. Discussion during this focused on whether Georgia law currently gives the right to parents to opt out of state mandated assessments (the law is silent on this) and the number of students opting out of assessments (with a conclusion that the number is "very low").
Testing Reform Bill Passes Subcommittee   
 
Tuesday afternoon, a House Education subcommittee passed SB 211 by Sen. Tippins which builds on testing reform legislation which passed during the 2016 legislative session. That bill, SB 364, required the State Board of Education to develop a research-based formative assessment with a summative component that is tied to performance indicators in English, language arts/reading, and mathematics in Grades One and Two. SB 211 expands on last year's mandate by requiring the SBOE to consult with local school systems during the development of the assessments. The goal is to provide educators with data needed to measure the progress of students as the year unfolds and to help guide flexible grouping of students in classrooms. The second part of SB 211 directs the existing working group examining Georgia's assessment program to pursue the maximum flexibility for state and local assessments allowed under federal law. The bill gives the working group a deadline of September 1st of this year to provide a report to Gov. Deal, leaders in the General Assembly, and the State School Superintendent. The full House Education Committee is expected to consider the legislation soon.

HR 354 by Rep. Dar'Shun Kendrick (D-Lithonia) urges the GaDOE, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and mental health experts, to provide a list of training materials to increase awareness of mental health issues and behavioral and learning disabilities to local districts. The non-binding resolution will next be considered by the full committee.
Keep Pressure on to Stop Proposed
Harmful Voucher Expansion   
 
If you have already contacted members of the Senate Finance Committee and asked them to stall HB 217, thank you. If you have not done so, please do so now to ensure that millions of state dollars are not rerouted to the controversial program.

HB 217 by John Carson (R-Marietta) is PAGE-opposed legislation increasing the funding available for Georgia's tuition tax credit private school voucher program. The bill has already passed the House and successfully moved forward through a Senate Finance subcommittee last week. The current voucher program diverts $58 million annually through the tax credit scheme, and HB 217 seeks to increase that amount to $100 million annually. When the bill was heard in subcommittee, PAGE requested that HB 217 be amended to ensure that students only qualify for the voucher if they first attend public school. The current tax credit voucher program and HB 217 contain no such requirement for students in kindergarten and first grade. PAGE also requested that the program contain a means test, ensuring that only students from low income families are eligible. Unfortunately, neither change suggested by PAGE was incorporated into the legislation, which now awaits a vote by the full Senate Finance Committee.

Please contact Senate Finance members now to politely and professionally express opposition to HB 217. Always remember to contact policymakers outside of instructional time and using your personal (not school) email accounts and electronic devices.

Margaret Ciccarelli - Director of Legislative Affairs
mciccarelli@pageinc.org

Josh Stephens - Legislative Policy Analyst
jstephens@pageinc.org

Matthew Pence - Staff Attorney
mpence@pageinc.org
  


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