As the 2013 session of the Georgia General Assembly moves closer and closer to the end, it is still in committees where most of the action of interest to the education community continues to reside.  This day was no exception.

 

A subcommittee of the Senate Education and Youth Committee was the scene of hearings on two House bills, HB 70 (expansion of the special needs voucher program) and HB 123 (the "parent trigger" bill).  Considerable discussion was held on each.

 

Ultimately, after some testimony, HB 70, which calls for the State Board of Education to be able to waive the public school attendance requirement for certain medically-fragile students so that they can qualify for the special needs voucher and go straight to private school with state money, will once again be amended before it goes to the full Senate.  The chairman of the Senate Education and Youth Committee, Senator Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta), is resolute in his belief that private schools who accept these students should receive no more state funds than those received by the local systems who would otherwise have them.  What a refreshing (and, in this General Assembly, unusual) viewpoint.

 

HB 123, the well-known "parent trigger" act that, in its original form, would give either parents or teachers the right to demand either charter status or another reform for schools that are struggling, is also on the amendment "chopping block."  Already removed from the version that will go to the Senate floor (if the bill goes that far) are provisions allowing a school's faculty to "pull the trigger."  In addition, there would be no "secret ballot" opportunity for parents (The chairman's belief is that, if folks are going to make a complaint about how a school is running, they ought to identify themselves and stand behind what they say!).  Other minor, more technical changes could also be included, and the debate between the House and the Senate on this issue has now officially "heated up."

 

Rumors around the Capitol abound that HB 244, the much-ballyhooed House bill calling for various levels of "accountability with flexibility," has run into serious Senate opposition and may not even be heard in a committee (let alone go to the Senate floor and pass).  This bill, calling for top school systems to get an automatic "pass" on state laws and rules while others search for flexibilty or charter system status, seems to have run afoul of the wishes of Lieutenant Governor Cagle, a huge proponent of charter systems (a status for which this particular bill seems to have removed the motivation for top systems to pursue).  Stay tuned.

 

Finally, though no committee substitute is available for review, reports are that the Governor's attempt to provide more transparency to the controversial tax credit scholarship program through SB 243 have taken what public school supporters can only see as a turn for the worst.  Many of the transparency provisions of the bill are welcomed, for this program has been shrouded in secrecy for far too long.  However, reports are that the latest version will include a raise in the contribution limit from $51.5 million to $65 million (money that would be donated to the organizations that provide vouchers to provide scholarships to private schools) and thus, never come onto the state's tax rolls.  One cannot help but wonder why state money can always, always be found for private schools and vouchers and tax credits, but the infamous austerity cuts never seem to go away (or, even be reduced).  To quote former governor Perdue, "If you want to see what is important to Georgia families, look at their checkbooks."  The corollary to that is:  "If you want to see what is important to a state, look at its budget."  Or, look at where the tax breaks go.....

 

Day thirty-six of the session is set for Thursday, March 21.