Share: Day 3: Governor Nathan Deal gave his State of the State Address in a joint session of the House and Senate. During his address Governor Deal took the liberty to highlight some of the successes of his first term in office, some of which are being realized during the onset of his second term. “The state of our State is strong and growing stronger every day!” exclaimed Governor Deal. According to the Governor, 93,000 jobs were created in the state in 2014. He noted Mercedes Benz recently choosing Georgia for its new North American headquarters as evidence of the state’s improving economic stability. The luxury automaker follows KIA, which employs over 3,000 Georgians, in making Georgia its center of operations. Additionally, home prices are higher than they were in 2011, another indicator of an economic recovery. But the Governor didn’t just tout the positives – he also noted some areas that need improvement. In addressing the need to protect Georgia and its young citizens, Governor Deal announced the formation of the Children’s Welfare Reform Council. The council will assess the Division of Family and Children Services and will implement strategic changes from the agency’s structure and function to its management and governance. Similarly, Governor Deal noted the implementation of the Department of Community Supervision, a new agency that will work to open the line of communication between Pardons and Parole, DFCS, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Corrections. Education was also expansively discussed in Governor Deal’s speech as an area needing improvement. Although his efforts may seem benevolent, his tactics are anything but for educators and students alike. The Governor cited a billion dollars in additional funding for K-12. However, that is stretched over a two-year period and counts what is already in place for the 2014-2015 school year, as well as the funds needed for enrollment growth. Moreover, the Governor proposed an Opportunity Recovery School District Constitutional Amendment (ORSD). This vote will require a 2/3rds majority in the House and Senate for passage, followed by ballot language on the 2015 November ballot to voters. While we have scant information on the ORSD, it may be fashioned after the New Orleans Recovery School District. The Governor cited data from the Office of Student Achievement Report that 23% of Georgia’s schools are failing and in need of state intervention. (See the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement Report here.) Also on the Governor’s education agenda is the formation of an Education Reform Commission, made up of legislators, educators and community stakeholders. They will have the charge of reviewing the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula, increasing access to early childhood education, expanding school options for families as well as recruitment and retention of high quality teachers. The Commission will bring recommendations to him by August 1, 2015. There was no mention of state workers or healthcare, but the Governor did discuss transportation at length. The budget was also not released in today’s State of the State. We expect it to be made available on Friday, January 16,
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 02:25:32 +0000
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