Governor’s Race: Candidate Positions on Education Abrams the composition of the Retirement Board.
Georgia’s state school superintendent?
What role does assessment and standardized testing play in educator and student accountability?
Georgia’s governor must work in cooperation with the school superintendent, who can be instrumental in developing long-term policies that improve education across the state. I will ensure direct lines of communication between all levels of the Superintendent’s office and the Governor’s office, and I will also ensure that any planned enhancements of our K-12 public school system are administered with deep consultation and collaboration with the superintendent.
Regarding high-stakes testing, I supported SB 364 to reduce testing and will continue to support reasonable minimization of highstakes testing as governor. I will support efforts identified under Georgia’s ESSA plan to examine testing, develop greater flexibility on assessments, and partner with educators in making these changes. Further, I will support innovative assessments in teacher evaluations so that high-stakes testing is not used to penalize teachers and schools. What should the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement’s role be with regard to Georgia’s education system? The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) can help improve and ensure the quality of Georgia’s education system. As programs and policies are implemented to help provide our students and teachers the resources they need to thrive in our public schools, GOSA can help determine the initiatives that are working effectively and deserve greater investment. Regardless of GOSA’s specific role going forward to enhance Georgia’s school system, the governor’s office, school superintendent, and local school districts must work together collaboratively to guarantee an excellent education to every student in every region of our state. How would you work effectively with
Do you support private-school vouchers and Georgia’s tuition tax-credit program, which diverts $100 million annually to a voucher program? Would you support designating a portion of the $100 million for low-income family participation, exclusively? Under my leadership, we will not privatize our public schools or encourage private for-profit management of our schools. Profit should not guide the education of our children. I am the only candidate who strongly opposes diverting public dollars to private schools. Our constitutional responsibility as a state is to educate students through our public K-12 system. Shifting tax dollars to private schools through the tax system diminishes our ability to meet this fundamental responsibility. I opposed private school tax credits as a Georgia legislator, and I am the only candidate who has publicly stated she would eliminate such credits as governor. I will veto any leg-
islation that expands private school tax credits. If we have tax credits for education, those credits should focus on public schools. I voted YES to HB 237 in 2017 to establish the Public Education Innovation Fund Foundation, which offers tax credits for donations targeted to public schools. Similar to private school tax credits, I fought vouchers as a state legislator and will continue to fight vouchers as governor. Multiple attempts at altering Georgia’s school funding mechanism, the Quality Basic Education (QBE) Funding Formula, have fizzled since its inception in 1985. Are you considering any changes to QBE? Quality schools depend on attracting and retaining quality educators — ones who are paid competitively with other professions. However, research clearly shows even the most proficient educator cannot solve for the broader complications of poverty in our schools. Therefore, in addition to fully funding QBE, we must adopt a more comprehensive education funding formula that directly addresses the correlation between poverty and educational outcomes; supports educators as they seek to best serve our students; and invests in access to the technology that is an essential part of learning in the 21st century, but remains out of reach for too many of our kids. Some districts are able to supplement funding from external sources, but many communities do not have access to these resources. We must fully recognize our state commitment to funding public schools so that zip codes do not detern mine educational outcomes.
Kemp governor’s office, which will drive progress and coordinate the battle against adult and childhood illiteracy. How would you work effectively with Georgia’s state school superintendent? I look forward to working with the state superintendent and am confident that there will be an effective partnership between the sovernor, state superintendent, and State Board of Education. Do you support private-school vouchers and Georgia’s tuition tax-credit 10 PAGE ONE
program, which diverts $100 million annually to a voucher program? Would you support designating a portion of the $100 million for low-income family participation, exclusively? Yes. I am a proponent of school choice and allowing parents — not the government — to make the best educational decisions for their child — whatever option that may be. Data shows that our SSO programs are helping students from all parts of our state and from all walks of life. I will continue to support this program as governor.
On accountability, I firmly believe that every state dollar spent should be accountable and have a return on investment for hardworking Georgia taxpayers. Recently, accountability measures were strengthened through the legislative process for the SSO programs — and the State Commission on Charter Schools works diligently to ensure those programs meet or exceed requirements outlined in state law. If elected governor, I plan to hold every program, personnel, and service to the highest standards of accountability.
October/November 2018