Senate Bill 386, sponsored by Senator Renee Unterman, would allow three additional groups of students with special needs to attend a participating private school through the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program. The three groups are students:

• With 504 accommodation plans;
• Who attended a public special needs preschool program; or
• Who were adopted from foster care.

Currently, only students who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) can participate. Other states, like Florida, ensure all students with special needs can participate in scholarship programs like these. The bill would also improve program transparency and responsiveness to families.

“All Georgia children, especially those with unique abilities, deserve a school that best fits their learning styles and needs.

“We would like to thank Senator Unterman, Chairman P.K. Martin, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and our partners at GeorgiaCAN, the Georgia Center for Opportunity and the American Federation for Children for their leadership and commitment to ensuring all students with special needs can attend a school where they will learn and thrive.”

Ryan Mahoney, Senior Legislative Director, ExcelinEd in Action

The legislation now moves to the House. For more information on the transformative power of educational opportunity, visit the ExcelinEd policy library.

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The Governor signed SB 108, a priority this session for Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, in a ceremony at Cobb County’s Wheeler High School, whose STEM program was recently ranked No. 2 in the nation by Study.com.

Together with $1 million in the 2019-20 budget, the new law will directly benefit students interested in pursuing careers in computer science, while helping those considering jobs in other fields learn logical thinking skills that are valuable in any profession. SB 108 was sponsored by Senate Education Chair P.K. Martin and carried in the House by Rep. Todd Jones.

“We commend Governor Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Duncan, Chair Martin and Rep. Jones for their leadership in preparing today’s students for the 21^st century workforce. We also thank our coalition partners at Code.org, the College Board, GeorgiaCAN, the Georgia Chamber, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the National Math + Science Initiative, Project Lead the Way and TAG-Ed for their hard work in making today a reality.”

Ryan Mahoney, Senior Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action

The post Georgia Governor Signs Comprehensive Computer Science Legislation appeared first on ExcelinEd in Action.

• Computer Science: Legislation by Senate Education Chairman P.K. Martin (SB 108) will make high-quality computer science coursework available to middle and high school students statewide over the next few years, while building a pipeline of qualified teachers to support this expansion. The bill also provides $1 million in funding in the final 2019-2020 state budget.
• Charter Schools:
  • The budget (HB 31) also includes a record $2 million in facilities grant funding for both state and locally authorized charter schools. Coupled with $1.5 million in existing funds and one-time safety grants of $30,000 per school, every Georgia charter school should for the first time receive roughly $70,000 next year to assist with critical facility needs.
  • In other charter news, Representative Dave Belton sponsored legislation (HB 59) to resolve a state ruling that otherwise would have made it difficult for certain charters to attract and retain quality board members. The bill, which passed both the House and Senate unanimously, also makes it easier for military students to enroll in charter schools.
• Tax Credit Scholarships: HB 68, a good governance measure sponsored by Representative John Carson, ensures that organizations granting scholarships to students to attend private schools cannot also accredit schools.
• Early Literacy: SB 48, also by Chairman Martin, creates a statewide screening program to detect dyslexia in kindergarten students and may help identify and support other struggling readers.

“ExcelinEd in Action thanks our many partners in this work, including GeorgiaCAN, Georgia Center for Opportunity, Georgia Chamber, Georgia Charter Schools Association, Georgia Public Policy Foundation, Metro Atlanta Chamber, TAG-Ed, American Federation for Children, Americans for Prosperity, Code.org, College Board and Project Lead The Way.”
Ryan Mahoney, Senior Legislative Director, ExcelinEd in Action

For more information on the power of transformational educational policies, visit ExcelinEd’s policy library.

The post Georgia Lawmakers Pass Student-Centered Policies as 2019 Session Concludes appeared first on ExcelinEd in Action.

The decade-old scholarship program has routinely had long waiting lists of families hoping to pursue educational options that were out of reach. The program is funded by donations from businesses and individuals who receive an equal amount as a state tax credit. HB 217 increases the cap on tax credits available under the program from $58 million to $100 million. By nearly doubling this amount, thousands of additional students can finally move from waiting lists to the school of their choice.

Georgia lawmakers also took important first steps forward, as part of a longer-term plan, to create more financial parity between all public schools with House Bill 787. This bill provides an estimated $18.6 million increase in funding for tens of thousands of students in public charter schools overseen by the State Charter Schools Commission, Georgia’s statewide charter authorizer.

HB 787 helps reduce the gap in funding between public charter schools and traditional public schools, with additional funds ideally following in future years. It boosts per-student funding, adds new capital funding, provides “forward funding” to cover the cost of significant growth and allows these schools to benefit from membership in Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs).

“Traditional schools serve most families very well, but education is not one-size-fits-all. Regardless of income or where they live, families deserve the power to find the best educational fit for their children’s unique needs. When students thrive, our entire state benefits.

“ExcelinEd in Action would like to thank the many leaders who have worked diligently to help Georgia’s families, including the sponsor of HB 217, Rep. John Carson; the sponsor of HB 787, Rep. Scott Hilton;  House Speaker David Ralston, House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, House Education Chair Brooks Coleman, House Ways & Means Chair Jay Powell,  Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and Senate Finance Chair Chuck Hufstetler.

“We also thank our partners including GeorgiaCAN, the Georgia Center for Opportunity, the Georgia Chamber, the Georgia Charter Schools Association, the Georgia Independent Schools Association and many more.”

Ryan Mahoney, Southeast Legislative Director, ExcelinEd in Action

For more information about the power of educational opportunity, visit the ExcelinEd policy library.

The post Georgia Expands Opportunities for Students to Access Schools That Best Meet Their Needs appeared first on ExcelinEd in Action.

Sponsored in the House by Rep. Buzz Brockway, which amended it to include his HB 963, the bill identifies opportunities for middle and high school students to earn industry-recognized credentials that are linked to high-wage and high-demand occupations.

Industry-recognized credentials help students to learn real-world skills, as well as provide students a pathway to postsecondary education and career success. These credentials may also save parents, students and taxpayers in college costs.

The bill also allows local school systems, charter schools, and career academies to submit career pathway recommendations to the State Board of Education for approval in recognition that there may be significant employer demand for certain skills in local areas.

The bill now returns to the Senate.

“The entire state benefits when students graduate high school with a jumpstart on a high-paying job that meets the needs of Georgia employers. ExcelinEd in Action thanks Rep. Buzz Brockway, the Georgia Chamber, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the Georgia Association for Career and Technical Education and many other employers and trade groups for their support of key language in SB 139.”

Ryan Mahoney, Southeast Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action

The post Georgia Lawmakers Make Strong Commitment to Help K-12 Graduates Find High-Paying Jobs appeared first on ExcelinEd in Action.

Excel National Applauds Georgia Senate for Bill to Customize Education
Georgia Senator’s bill would provide increased education options

ATLANTA, Ga. – Excellence in Education National (@Excel_National) today praised Senator Hunter Hill for filing Education Savings Account (ESA) legislation that would allow parents to direct their child’s funding to the schools, courses, programs and services of their choice. This bill is the Senate companion to Representative Mark Hamilton’s bill filed last week.

“I commend Senator Hill and Representative Hamilton for their leadership in seeking to empower Georgia’s parents with the ability to customize their child’s education,” said Patricia Levesque, Executive Director of Excel National. “Through ESAs, education spending is focused around the learning needs of each student, not of any system of schools, whether public or private.  I encourage Georgia lawmakers to pass this legislation swiftly, bringing them one step closer to providing Peach State parents and students the high-quality education options they deserve.”

“Most of us are familiar with the idea of Flexible Spending Accounts, which allow consumers to choose from a range of providers to meet their health care needs,” said Senator Hill. “ESAs bring the same concept to education, providing quality options for students that many of them have never had, and giving parents a real say in their children’s academic future.”

Close to 30 percent of Georgia’s high school students aren’t graduating on time, and only a quarter of those who do graduate are ready for college across English, math and science. In addition, with 320,000 new students entering Georgia public schools by 2030, providing innovative, effective and efficient K-12 education will be increasingly critical and difficult, according to new research by the Foundation for Excellence in Education, Turn and Face the Strain: Age Demographic Change and the Near Future of American Education.

ESAs offer one policy solution to this challenge. Excel National, the American Federation for Children and the Georgia Center for Opportunity are working with Georgia leaders, advocates and parents to expand school choice options as a cost-effective and efficient way to improve academic outcomes for Peach State students.

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Background on Education Savings Accounts:

• Education Savings Accounts (also commonly referred to as Education Scholarship Accounts or ESAs) are an innovative way to bring customization to K-12 education.
• ESAs allow parents to direct their child’s funding to the schools, courses, programs and services of their choice – including tuition and fees, curriculum materials, tutoring, online learning, dual enrollment, and licensed services such as therapy for students with disabilities.
• Parents are able to save unused funds for higher education expenses – creating an incentive for parents to judge all K-12 service expenses not only on quality but also on cost.
• ESAs create a personal approach to education, where the ultimate goal is maximizing each child’s natural learning abilities.

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