Georgia Legislators Propose New Education Improvement Plan to Assist Low-Performing Schools

Georgia state legislators have just introduced HB 338 to create a “system of supports and assistance for low-performing schools in the greatest need.” Take a moment to look over the 12-page bill that Republican lawmakers dropped yesterday, and let me know your thoughts.

My initial impression is that this “plan B” school improvement plan (as opposed to Governor Deal’s Opportunity School District) is better, but I would like to know what indicators the Chief Turnaround Office will be using to determine which schools are “low-performing.”

As Code Section 20-14-25 of the bill states, the factors are a bit vague: “(a) The Chief Turnaround Officer shall annually identify the low-performing schools that are in the greatest need of assistance based on the number of years such schools have received an unacceptable rating and any other factors deemed appropriate by the Chief Turnaround Officer. The number of schools identified annually shall be at the sole discretion of the Chief Turnaround Officer, based on the capacity and resources available to the Chief Turnaround Officer.”

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Please comment below or feel free to email me at rebekahcmorris@gmail.com.

Rebekah Cohen Morris

l’m passionate about public education, especially its role in fighting poverty. Education gives people a chance to succeed, even when the odds are stacked against them. I write about education in Dekalb County as it relates to the state and to the nation as a whole. Before founding Los Vecinos, Rebekah taught English for four years at Berkmar High School in Gwinnett County Public Schools and for two years at Cross Keys High School in the DeKalb County School District (both Title I schools). During her time as a teacher, she coached volleyball and basketball, served as the Co-President for the Berkmar High School PTSA, participated as the teacher liaison on the School Council at Cross Keys High School, and helped spark the student-led initiative Unify BuHi (which now operates as the student advocacy arm of Los Vecinos). In the past, she has also worked for the Center for Pan Asian Community Services (CPACS) doing advocacy and civic/community engagement. She has served on the Board of Directors for Presencia, a non-profit located on Buford Highway that exists to provide economic, educational, and social support to refugees and immigrants through after-school programs, job creation, and leadership development. In addition to this work, she has also worked for the Atlanta Children's Shelter and for the Latin American Association teen summer program. Throughout the past two years, she has spent her time co-founding Vecinos with an incredible group of Cross Keys cluster students, alumni, and residents to establish a community association within the apartment complexes along Buford Highway. The idea of vecinos or neighbors working alongside one another is integral to the idea of a strong, healthy community. Rebekah lives in Doraville, Georgia, with her husband, Andrew Morris, who works for the Metro Water District at the Atlanta Regional Commission. She has two beautiful daughters who attend school in the Cross Keys cluster. Please email rebekahcmorris@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. To submit a guest piece, please send the article (up to 1400 words) and a brief biographical note.

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February 12, 2017

Georgia Education Policy, Metro Atlanta Schools

Chief Turnaround Officer, Education Policy, Georgia Legislative Session 2017, Governor Deal, HB 338, Low-Performing Schools, opportunity school district, Plan B

One thought on “Georgia Legislators Propose New Education Improvement Plan to Assist Low-Performing Schools”

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pcaldarella
February 12, 2017 at 12:15 pm

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I have a long list of questions, but will begin with a couple of first impressions:

1. What is the methodology the State BOE will follow for choosing the Chief Turnaround Officer?
2. Will parents/communities have input into the process?
3. The Chief Turnaround Officer shall choose the Turnaround Coaches.
4. Again, what is the process and methodology?
5. “Turnaround coaches shall assist in creating local collaborations” This is very vague. Clarification is needed.
6. How much, if any, input and/or conversations will be held within the school communities affected?

It is my opinion that parents of children in persistently failing schools (again, we need to clearly define a “failing school”) would welcome help in “turning around” those schools. However, those parents also want a voice in those efforts and will be not be silenced. In my view this was one of the reasons for the failure of the OSD. It allowed for little to no partnership with parents/school communities. If that partnership is not part of any legislation it will fail as badly as the OSD.

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