Read the full original article at The Georgian Educator
After the sound defeat of the Opportunity School District (the Georgia Constitutional amendment to allow the state to take over failing schools) in this past November’s referendum, Governor Nathan Deal is going to have an uphill battle when it comes to his education agenda. But unlike many of his critics, I’m probably a bit more hopeful that he will approach this legislative session with renewed insight.
I had
not originally been against the idea of the Opportunity School District; but upon further scrutiny, I felt that the amendment did not outline a sufficient plan for success for struggling schools. I (along with 60% of other voters – Democrat and Republican alike) voted “No” on this amendment. However, Governor Deal has re-committed to addressing his education priorities during the last two years of his second term.
The major priorities include:
- Increasing flexibility regarding school choice
- Revising the school funding formula
- Increasing state oversight of public schools
In this article, I want to take a look at these three focus areas and offer some recommendations of my own. continue reading
