Groups Call For More Educators on Reform Commission

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Five organization, including a Cherokee County-based organization fighting for better health insurance options for state employees, are calling on Gov. Nathan Deal to include more educators and parents on his newly minted Education Reform Commission.

Deal in January released the names of the members appointed to the commission, which Deal said will “study the state’s education system, including its funding formula, and provide recommendations intended to improve the system, increase access to early learning programs, recruit and retain high-quality instructors and expand school options for Georgia’s families.”

However, according to a joint press release from the Georgia Association of Educators, Georgia Federation of Teachers, Georgia Retired Educators Association, Professional Association of Georgia Educators and Cherokee-based Teachers Rally to Advocate for Georgia Insurance Choices, the commission as it stands “lacks fair representation from those who would have first-hand knowledge of our state’s public education system.”

“This commission is charged with an extraordinarily wide examination of our public education system,” the groups said. “Unfortunately, the members of the commission do not represent a wide array of backgrounds.

The organizations note Deal’s commission has no active classroom teachers and includes one principal and five Georgia superintendents. In contrast, the groups note the committee has 10 legislators and seven representatives from charter schools or education consulting firms.

“The commission does not include representatives from our state’s leading teacher organizations or parent representatives whose own children are subject to the reforms that might be suggested by this commission,” the educator groups argue.

Each of the organizations, which say they represent thousands of educators, parents and students who have a direct stake in the success of the public education system, have issued a joint resolution calling on the governor to implement fair representation. Specifically, the groups want the governor to place representation from their respective organizations onto the commission.

“Our organizations exist to see Georgia’s public school systems remain strong and vibrant, while serving the educational needs of all of Georgia’s children,” the organizations said. “We believe current and active educators and parents must be included in any discussion regarding the future of Georgia’s schools.”

Members of the commission are:

• Robert Avossa, Fulton County Schools Superintendent
• Madelyn Adams, Director of Community Benefit, Kaiser Permanente of Georgia
• Matt Arthur, Deputy Commissioner, Technical College System of Georgia
• Greg Beadles, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer, AMB Sports and Entertainment
• Brad Bryant, Director, REACH Scholarship program
• Brooks Coleman, Chairman, House Education Committee, Georgia General Assembly
• Tom Dickson, Chairman, House Education Appropriations Subcommittee, Georgia General Assembly
• Mike Dudgeon, State Representative, Georgia General Assembly
• Kent Edwards, Superintendent, Carrolton City Schools
• Terry England, Chairman, House Appropriations Committee, Georgia General Assembly
• Tina Fernandez, Partner, Bellweather Education Partners
• Mike Glanton, State Representative, Georgia General Assembly
• Barbara Hampton, Sixth Congressional District Member, State Board of Education
• Tyler Harper, Chairman, Senate Public Safety Committee, Georgia General Assembly
• Hannah Heck, Attorney, Vice Chair and Founding Board Member, Westside Atlanta Charter School
• Jack Hill, Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee, Georgia General Assembly
• Kylie Holley, Principal/Superintendent, Pataula Charter Academy
• Bonnie Holliday, Executive Director, Georgia Charter Schools Commission
• Amy Jacobs, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
• Audrey King, South Region External Affairs Manager, Georgia Power Company
• Cynthia Kuhlman, Director of Educational Achievement, Cousins Family Foundation, Inc
• Fran Millar, Chairman, Senate Higher Education Committee, Georgia General Assembly
• Nels Peterson, Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs, University System of Georgia
• Hunter Pierson, Vice Chairman, New Schools New Orleans, co-founder of Young Professionals for Education Equity
• Noris Price, Superintendent, Baldwin County Schools
• Elizabeth Rhodes, Retired Teacher, Educators First
• Will Schofield, Superintendent, Hall County Schools
• Freddie Powell Simms, State Senator, Georgia General Assembly
• Lindsey Tippins, Chairman, Senate Education and Youth Committee, Georgia General Assembly
• Anthony Townsend, Principal, Locust Grove Middle School, Henry County
• Alvin Wilbanks, Superintendent, Gwinnett County Schools
• Pam Williams, 2011 Georgia Teacher of the Year, Appling County High School
• Dick Yarborough, Columnist, retired BellSouth Corporation executive, managing director of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games

The commission will convene throughout the year to comprehensively review the state’s education system and Quality Basic Education, or QBE, funding formula in order to provide recommendations on possible executive, legislative and agency fixes.

The recommendations will be sent to Deal by Aug. 1 of this year, with some going into effect as early as the 2016-17 school year. Chuck Knapp, former president of the University of Georgia, will chair both the commission and the subcommittee on funding reform.