Georgia Governor Gets Behind New Education Budgeting Bill
by Jim Brown
February 13, 2006
(AgapePress) - - The governor of Georgia is pushing a proposal aimed at improving student achievement that would require 65 percent of all education dollars to be spent directly in the classroom. The bill introduced by State Senator Ronnie Chance would require all Georgia school systems receiving state funding to dedicate 65 percent of their total budgets to classroom instruction. The "65% Solution," as the plan is being called, would include spending on teachers, textbooks, computers, and teacher aides, but not on administrative salaries, maintenance, or food services costs.
Georgia's Governor Sonny Perdue says the 65 percent goal is attainable and does not take away local flexibility in spending, as opponents of the legislation claim. In fact, he notes, "We do provide a disclaimer, really a waiver, for those systems that are already achieving."
Perdue says his plan, rather than taking away schools' autonomy, instead "incentivizes" educators in under-performing schools. "I'm a strong believer in local control of schools," he asserts, "and since this is all about student achievement, if those systems are already getting results at average or above average, then this 65 percent wouldn't apply to them."
According to the governor, his plan is based on national research that shows public school test scores are significantly higher in systems where at least 65 percent of the educational budget is spent in the classroom.
"I'm about results and student achievement," Perdue says. "And for any educator, any administrator who wants to say, 'You're telling me how to do my job' ... well, mediocrity is not an option for me. If you want to show that you're doing the job, then let's just be above average in Georgia, and you don't have to worry about me looking down your neck at all."
In pushing the plan proposed in Senator Chance's bill, Purdue says he is merely giving school systems a ramp to get to the 65 percent mark. He says the educational plan is not focused on penalizing schools that fail to reach that goal.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
