by Georgia Center for Opportunity | Jan 8, 2015
With Congress returning to work this week and the Georgia General Assembly doing so on Monday, many voters are watching to see what issues are tackled (or not) in the coming months.
A new poll released this week suggests Georgia lawmakers ought to carefully consider advancing school choice.
Georgia voters rank K-12 education as the most likely issue to motivate them to vote in 2016: more than jobs, more than taxes, more than pre-K, more than any other single issue.
It makes sense. People believe students deserve an excellent, effective, education. If a child graduates from high school, he/she is much more likely to have success in life, family, career and society. If a child doesn’t graduate, or graduates without the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue college or a career, that child is much more likely to struggle. It doesn’t mean they are doomed. It just means they’ve got a tougher road ahead, one more likely to lead to detours involving public assistance, incarceration, family instability and so on.
The instinct of voters (and humans, generally) is that every child deserves a shot at a great education that prepares them for success in life. The problem, if we are willing to be honest, is that far too many of Georgia’s students are in schools that aren’t meeting their needs. Maybe it’s a chronically poor-performing school. Maybe it’s a generally good school that just isn’t the right fit for that child.
Perhaps this is why more than two in three Georgia voters favor school choice (66%/29%). What’s more interesting is that support for school choice generally, and certain programs specifically, transcends traditional partisan political and demographic boundaries.
For instance, sixty-three percent (63%) favor the creation of the Georgia Opportunity Scholarship Program, which would “allow parents to use the money the state has set aside for their child’s education to send them to the public, private or church-run school of their choice”—even when told this is sometimes referred to as a “voucher,” traditionally a highly polarizing term (support is higher without including the “v-word” disclaimer).
Dig a little deeper in the poll’s crosstabs and the story gets more interesting. Seventy-one (71%) of GOP primary voters favor creating this type of scholarship program. That may not be a surprise. But it turns out almost two-in-three Black voters – regardless of partisan affiliation – support the program, even more than White voters (64%/61%). Support among female voters – again, regardless of partisan affiliation – is stronger than that of men (67%/59%).
Eight-five percent (85%) of Georgia voters support Georgia’s current Special Needs Scholarship, currently the state’s only K-12 voucher program, including a whopping 92% of Black voters and 81% of GOP primary voters.
If I were an elected official (mercifully, for everyone, I have no desire to ever hold public office), an issue that garners 60% or more support from every key demographic: men/women, White/Black, younger/older, would be a dream. Passing a law giving more students access to an effective education also happens to be a political winner.
Mom and apple pie, meet school choice.
As the pollster concludes in his official memo: “BOTTOM LINE: Georgians are showing a strong propensity to favor increasing school choice programs. Even in a highly polarized political environment, these policies garner support across many key voter groups. As the new legislative session approaches, lawmakers should be mindful of voters’ desires to increase educational options for students and parents and make scholarship programs more inclusive.”
by gaopp | Feb 3, 2014
Should you have any questions or comments about the content of this update, please email Eric Cochling.
Weather Dominates Week
As the General Assembly meets today for day 14 of the session, the subject dominating the headlines is the two days of utter chaos on Georgia’s roads this week. With so many children stranded at school and commuters stranded in their cars, the official response to the snow quickly took on political dimensions.
Our 5th Annual School Choice Celebration and Rally was cut short by the weather, but not before many of our participants were able to voice their support of school choice with their legislators. Thanks to all of our partner organizations, volunteers, and participating schools for braving the weather to show their support for more school choice options in Georgia. We’d like to especially thank the Georgia Charter Schools Association, Agudath Israel of America, Americans for Prosperity, Grace Scholars, Students First, and Hennessy Transportation for their partnership in hosting the event.
Legislation, Study Committees, and Rumors to Watch
– Education –
Given the high demand for Tax Credit Scholarships, Rep. Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs), introduced House Bill 759 that would raise the cap on the program from $58 million annually to $100 million, nearly doubling the size of the program.
In other education news, supporters of Parent Trigger legislation (House Bill 123) are hoping to see it resurrected this year after gaining some traction last session but ultimately failing to make it out of the General Assembly.
Finally, whatever your thoughts about the DeKalb School Board, it does seem strange that the private organization accrediting our school districts (SACS) is, itself, not subject to transparency, especially in regard to how it makes its accreditation decisions. Those decisions impact the public interest in a major way and should be open to public scrutiny. The Attorney General is right to be pressing the case.
– Adoption and Child Welfare –
Rep. Buzz Brockway (R-Lawrenceville) introduced House Bill 524 last session with the goal of making it easier for adopted individuals to access their original birth certificates and the information about birth parents they contain. The legislation, which is being reconsidered this session, was met with opposition by those concerned that disclosing information about birth parents could discourage adoption.
House Bill 771, sponsored by Rep. Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine), would effectively lift the statute of limitations related to civil claims for damages brought by victims of childhood sexual abuse. Currently, the law requires these claims to be brought by a victim within five years of turning 18 years old. Should this bill become law, suit could be brought against a defendant at any time.
– Constitutional Convention? –
Citing a crushing federal debt burden, continued overspending, out of control federal mandates, and overreaching constitutional interpretations, Senate Resolution 736, sponsored by Sen. Cecil Staton (R-Macon), calls for a constitutional convention of the states to amend the US Constitution. Presumably, the convention would allow for the states to address the problems cited by the resolution. Of course, any convention would also open the Constitution up to mischief, so caution is in order.
– Expansion of Medical Marijuana –
Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) introduced House Bill 885, referred to as Haleigh’s Hope Act (warning: link is to a heartbreaking video) on Tuesday which would expand the permissible medical uses for marijuana to include the treatment of seizure disorders. Under current Georgia law, extracts made from marijuana may be used to treat cancer and glaucoma patients only. Unlike other states that have recently legalized the recreational use of marijuana, House Bill 885 specifically states that it is not intended to encourage recreational use and requires the delivery of the drug to be accomplished in the ways virtually all other drugs are delivered (i.e. via pill, liquid extract, etc.) and forbids smoking as a form of delivery.
Upcoming Events
Our friends at the American Federation for Children are hosting a nonpartisan candidate training school in Atlanta on February 22nd. The training is free but requires registration to attend. For more information, please see this flyer for the event or email Brian Pleva to register.
Thanks to Jamie Lord, our director of government affairs, and Jacob Stubbs, our legislative intern and John Jay Fellowship alumnus for their able contributions to this update.
by Kimberly Sawatka | Nov 6, 2013
There are many pathways that will lead students to success later in life. We just have to get them started. Courtesy: Experience
The dream of an abounding future for folks in Georgia obliges a closer look at the current pathways for our young ones to reach success as adults. College attendance is shifting from a privilege for a small group, to a growing necessity for the majority of us. Sources such as the Lumina Foundation project that by 2025 60% of all jobs in America will require an Associate’s degree or higher. Currently only 36% of working Georgians have reached this mark.
In addition to preparing more students for traditional college settings, it is imperative that we build new pathways that lead directly to thriving jobs. Technical colleges, apprenticeships, public-private partnerships and other training programs remain underutilized resources that could provide new possibilities for student outcomes. To create a seamless transition from high school to postsecondary education, and on to careers, we must remove barriers to opportunity now.
The Georgia Center for Opportunity is excited to launch its College and Career Pathways Working Group this November. With a mission to discuss the issues that bar students from postsecondary success, GCO has assembled a cohort of experts across the education space to lend their experience and insights to creating sustainable solutions.
Key Focus Areas of College and Career Pathways
- Defining college and career readiness
- Teacher quality in Georgia
- Use of virtual learning for college and career readiness
- Identify important components of the transition to postsecondary education
- Impact of the rising cost of college attendance
At GCO we look forward to creating a new dialogue for college and career readiness in Georgia. Finding solutions for the problems that threaten to keep more Georgians off the path to middle class by middle age will undoubtedly require that we draw support not only from experts, but also schools, communities and at home. What part can each of us take to adequately prepare youngsters to make their dreams a reality? Let’s share the work of making tomorrow a little peachier!
by gaopp | Oct 4, 2013
GCO’s Breakthrough Communities initiative is modeled, in part, on the collective impact framework developed by the Strive Partnership in Cincinnati, OH. Over the past few months we have participated in numerous opportunities to learn from Strive, most recently we attended Strive Together’s third annual Cradle-to-Career Network Convening, in Dallas, TX.
To kick the convening off Jeff Edmondson, Strive Together Managing Director, shared a list of “Knowledge Nuggets” that he had gathered over his years of work in the world of educational collective impact. Below are a few that resonated with the work that is taking place in our first Breakthrough Community, Peachtree Corners & Norcross.
“I don’t care where it lives, I care how it behaves.”
One of the first questions I was asked at the convening was, “Where do you live?” To which, I answered “Buford, GA.” The woman asking the question was quick to clarify what she was asking, “No, What is your anchor entity? Where does your partnership live?” Now I get it. I shared briefly about GCO and how it is serving to support the Breakthrough PCN initiative. This really framed this Knowledge Nugget for me. One axiomatic realization from the Convening is that there is no normal for cradle to career partnerships. Some “live” in universities, others in United Ways, some in community foundations, a cohort are backed by chambers of commerce. The bottom line is that it should not matter what organization is serving as an anchor entity or backbone support role, what matters is behavior – how successfully is the partnership achieving its collective impact goals.
“There is a difference between engaged and committed.”
This resonated with me immediately. Of course, as one sits across a table from a community leader and brings up the topic of education the leader will be engaged in the conversation. Often community leaders will even be very excited about the efforts that are developing. However, what keeps the wheels of collective impact turning is not engagement, but undoubtedly, commitment. The process simply requires an organizational trust and vulnerability that all but prohibits success without the true long-term commitment of all involved parties.
“Action looks different now.”
Why must you be committed? Because, inevitably, this process is going to open your eyes to ways that action is going to change. Whether you are a funder who has to learn to look past outputs to true measurable outcomes, a non-profit who realizes that a program is ineffective and must be modified or eliminated, or maybe a business who realizes that the true battle ground for work force development is not what you expected – action looks different. There is no room in collective impact for a program that doesn’t push an indicator. Collective impact depends upon continuous improvement, and always pushing toward what proves to be the best solution. It was clear in discussions with partnership directors from around the country that action does look different now.
Through efforts to begin developing a collective impact here in the Norcross and Peachtree Corners communities, we are seeing the truth of these simple quotes lived out, and learning how deeply interconnected they are. The reality is, what matters about an intervention or support program is not who provides it or where it is offered – what should be the bottom line is its efficacy. However, growing that perspective requires some collaboration, which will demand the commitment of involved parties. Ultimately, as this starts to happen action will begin to look very different – and hopefully fare more successful!
by gaopp | Sep 17, 2013
Who is responsible for our children’s education? Parents? Schools? Most would probably quickly agree that these parties are of paramount importance in insuring the education of future generations. However, what if businesses, faith-based groups, and non-profits were added to that list? What if there was community-wide shared responsibility for education?
Norcross high school is ranked 8th in Georgia. It boasts numerous athletic state championships, and is an International Baccalaureate World School — carrying a rigorous curriculum track that attracts students from other districts across Gwinnett County. However, only 70% of NHS students graduated in 2012.
At first glance, many would be shocked at this reality. How does a school of this undeniable high academic quality produce a graduation rate barely above the state average (69.72% in 2012)? In order to fairly answer that question, it helps go a few layers deeper into school data.
The Norcross cluster served just under 12,000 students in the 2011-2012 school year, of which 25% were classified as English learners and 72% as economically disadvantaged. The state averages for those classifications are 5% and 57%, respectively. This reveals a valuable insight: there are complexities impeding education that are rooted outside of the classroom. Given the external factors in place, Norcross is truly doing a phenomenal job at educating our children.
Demographic trends show that these emerging complexities are only growing in scope. So what is the solution?
You probably guessed it…that old “ it takes a village” cliché; except with a bit of a twist. Granted, the parent and teacher have a bit different role than the town blacksmith, but the blacksmith should still have a great interest in the education of his future clientele.
Because a community is impacted by its schools (e.g., property values, attractiveness to employers, etc), it should take a vested interest in their performance. As evidenced by the Strive Partnership in Cincinnati, OH, cross-sector community investment in education is proven to effect significant change in educational outcomes. They have adopted a philosophy of varied accountability, but a fully shared responsibility.
Breakthrough Communities is GCO’s approach to taking the proverbial bull by the horns in the Norcross school cluster. We believe that by establishing a community-wide common agenda, participating in mutually reinforcing activities, utilizing shared data measures, and implementing continuous improvement, we can see the systems of support changed for our students.
Imagine how student performance could be changed if after school programs, summer day camps, community based mentoring efforts, tutoring initiatives, and teachers were all watching the same numbers, and each one knew exactly how their efforts played an integral role in improving those numbers.
What if, through a collective alignment of efforts, the Norcross High graduation rate increased to 90%? Don’t you think that the benefit of that change would impact more than the additional graduates and their families? The represented cohort of 195 graduates would increase the gross state product by $3.1 million each year and spend an additional $215,000 each year exclusively on purchasing vehicles.
So, next time you read an article or hear a news report that is blasting poor school performance, stop and ask yourself two questions: 1) What is the rest of the story behind the alleged poor performance numbers? 2) How can you be a part of changing the future realities for students?
