After the stinging defeat of the Opportunity School District in November, Georgia lawmakers are now attempting to achieve with legislation what voters would not allow through the ballot.
House Bill 338 could be described as a kinder, gentler OSD, where the state does not big-foot its way into seizing control of struggling schools but rather dances a delicate waltz with willing districts. Yes, the state could eventually compel dire remedies for schools that fail to improve –replace staff or bring in charter management — but the path is less direct in HB 338 than it was with the OSD model.
Some lawmakers seemed puzzled over the rationale for the bill, which passed out of the House Education Committee Thursday. For example, state Rep. Scott Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners, wondered if the state already had school improvement experts it could tap.
“There is in the Department of Education a group that deals with school improvement. They not only focus on the lowest-performing schools that we’re talking about but they work with all schools,” said sponsor state Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville.
Some legislators asked: Given that Georgia has school improvement experts on the DOE payroll already and current law contains levers that enable the state to intercede now in failing schools, why is HB 338 necessary?
House Ed Chair Brooks Coleman, R-Duluth, agreed current law permits state intervention, but said it wasn’t happening.
“Everything there is already in existing law,” said Coleman. “The state Board of Education could do that now with the Department of Education. We tried to stay within existing law with what we’re doing. They could go in right now — but I am just going to say it — they are not doing it. So we’re going to see it is done.”
To read more, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.
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