November 19, 2006

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John Dashler's Vision for Georgia

Education     Social Problems     Georgia's Economy     Governance- How We Are Governed

FOCUS ON EDUCATION

What's new? Education has been the number one priority for the 30 years I've lived in Dalton, Georgia! Yet, despite this high priority status, education in Georgia remains mired in mediocrity.

Georgia is losing good paying jobs. Why? Lack of education. Georgia loses opportunities of new business relocations to other Southern states. Why? Lack of Education. Tens of thousands of Georgians are so deficient in their level of education, they are not trainable to meet demands of the new millennium work place. Why? Lack of education.

The significant population of Georgians mired in poverty grows worse. Why? Lack of education. Georgia's demand for government assistance has outgrown manageability and continues its upward spiral. Why? Lack of education. Georgia's drug, gang and crime problems have resulted in the highest combined prisoner, probationer, and parolee population in the country. Why? Poverty and lack of education.

Georgia has one of the highest high school drop-out rates in the country. Georgia continues to perform in the bottom echelon of academic achievement. Georgia is at the bottom in SAT and ACT scores. Georgia has one of the worst college retention rates in the country. Other than Georgia Tech and UGA, an overwhelming number of Georgia's incoming freshman class must take remedial classes in English, math or science. Georgia has one of the lowest college populations in the country.

Why? Why? Why? All of the problems in education are attributable to the same reason: failure of leadership! What leadership? The governor is charged with the responsibility for the education of our children. Solutions are a responsibility of the top. That is where the buck stops!

Let's face it, Georgians. The existing model is not working. It is failing. It isn't that Georgians don't pay enough for the education of our children. We pay more than any other Southern state. Too many of our tax dollars are unwisely spent.

Not enough of our tax dollars are going where they make the most difference- in the classroom. Dedicated, properly prepared and fairly treated teachers, who are provided the resources they need, get good results. Period. They don't need more accountability. They need support. However, all teachers don't achieve good results. Many are capable, but aren't properly prepared, or well led. They need help, but don't get it. This is a failure of educational leadership. Some teachers are not capable of becoming good teachers. They need to be purged. This is a failure of educational leadership. Those failures hurt good teachers, they hurt the education of our children, they perpetuate poverty, they inflate the cost of education, they hurt our economy and they hurt Georgia.

Georgia needs good teachers. Frankly, Georgia needs more good teachers than we have. But, to attract and retain them, good teachers need good preparation and good leadership. But, Georgia needs more.

Performance results, dissatisfied stakeholders and demands of the new global economy, scream for change. We need some new mechanisms. We need some new ideas. We need a new approach. We desperately need a new model. Actually, we need to create a couple of new models: the "normal" model and the "anti-poverty" model (for inner city schools and communities with higher than average levels of socio-economically depressed populations). We also need the courage to do what needs to be done!

Finding the solutions and creating new models must be a collaborative effort. Georgia is blessed with a vast "brain-trust" and a lot of good ideas. I am not an "expert" in education, nor do I have all the answers. That doesn't matter. I am a skilled and experienced leader. I have a totally objective perspective and am properly motivated. I know how to get results. I know how to provide the leadership and direction to bring about new apolitical models for education in Georgia. I will not rely on "blue ribbon" commissions, task forces, or committees to "investigate and make recommendations". I will take the lead. I will assemble a team of proven achievers from every level of education. I'll sit at the table. I'll participate in all of the meetings. Only one credential will earn a seat at this table: an established track record of getting results in education.

In keeping true to my commitment to conduct an open and honest administration, there will be one more invitation extended. This seat will not be at the table, but there to observe and report what transpires at the table. I will invite the Georgia Press Association to submit recommendations for a representative to participate in all of the meetings- throughout the state. No rules. No "gags". No holds. No editing. That writer will be there to report what transpires. What was said. Who said it. Options discussed. Everything, but the final decision. That will be mine and our legislative leaders' privilege to disclose to Georgians. I will insist that every word written is furnished to every local paper, print and broadcast media in the state. That's what I call the spirit of our "Sunshine" laws (anti-secrecy, open meetings, open records laws)!

As a committee we will pursue one goal: create new models for our schools and a new model for education in Georgia that gets results previous efforts have failed to achieve. And when we've completed the task and I put my signature on the recommended package of legislative initiatives, it will not represent what's best for the education community, nor the Democratic Party, nor the Republican Party, nor Atlanta, nor any special interest group, nor the political fortunes of John Dashler. It will represent what is best for educating Georgia's children- all of them. It will represent a smart and cost efficient model that will solve the following problems:

• Governance in education (organization, leadership).
• Funding (adequacy, equality, taxation).
• Opportunities to reduce costs.
• Accountability: Students, parents, teachers, and school/system leaders.
• Educator compensation.
• Teacher development and retention.
• Any system requirements for teachers to pursue advanced degrees against their will.
• Conflicts between No Child Left Behind and what is best for Georgia.
• Safety, security, drugs and gangs in schools.
• Safe Schools Act: school discipline, fear of lawsuits.
• Testing: K-12 educational performance.
• Hope scholarship.
• Education to solve poverty, social issues that result from poverty, development of our rural areas and improving Georgia's economy.

Make no mistake about it. I mean business. Classroom teachers and school leaders want a voice. They will have one. And, Georgians will be informed. There will be no secret meetings. There will be no hidden agendas. Everything will be put on the table. No idea will be barred from discussion. But, decisions have to be made. All ideas can't be part of the finished product. We will pursue the best.

All that said to say this. I don't have the plan. I know where we need to go. And, I have ideas to get us there. I am quite committed to some, less committed to others. None are in concrete. Everything is open for discussion. Let's take a look at them.

Governance in Education

• Is it more logical that the state superintendent be appointed, not elected? I tend to lean in that direction.
• No Child Left Behind. Under constraints of NCLB, I am not convinced Georgia has the flexibility to do what is best for Georgia. Georgia spends $7,500 per child to educate our children. That is $500 to $2,000 more than any other Southern state, except one (Virginia spends the same as Georgia.) The federal government provides $450 (6%) of the total. That's what it may cost Georgia to tell the federal government, we are opting out of NCLB. Why did I say "may" cost us? The federal component of funding is the revenue side of the federal government's involvement in Georgia's schools. We can't know what it will cost us until we examine the state and local dollars expended to meet NCLB dictates. It may very well be that the costs for mandates exceed the revenue. Furthermore, it may be that Georgia's educators are not supportive of the mandates anyway. This subject needs to be on the table, too. We need to set upon a course that is best for Georgia. Period.
• State Boards, commissions, committees, task forces, etc. Do we have too many? Have any out-lived their original intended purpose? Do organizational lines of responsibility need to be re-defined? Tailored to meet today's needs? Eliminated? I think we have some work to do in this area.
• We have too many school systems. I would favorably consider consolidation of city/county systems and multi-county consolidations of small, adjacent school systems.
• Are roles of local boards of education, central offices and school administrators clearly defined? Are they consistent? Do local boards have too little latitude? Too much? I believe we need to establish statewide criteria that define these important roles.
• Leadership Improvement: long-term. Dr. Arthur Levine will be invited to establish an advanced degree leadership program for aspiring educational leaders. Note to educators: it is imperative that you click on this link to Educational Leadership under the Section Georgia: Where Are We Now in Education.
• Leadership Improvement: short-term. Education leaders have repeatedly stated their desire to take a "business approach" in many matters regarding education. And, we should. Consuming 35% of the state budget, Georgia's Public Education System is one of the biggest "businesses" in Georgia! Following is an element of a business approach. The most important person in any organization is the unit manager. In the Georgia Public Education System that unit manager is the school principal. Schools led by strong principals achieve good results. Principals of schools achieving unacceptable results clearly identify themselves as suspect. Some may simply need help. It will be provided. Most of those given the help will respond, but not all. Those that positively respond will be better managers of their schools and better leaders of their employees. And, they will achieve better results. Those that do not respond may be better suited to return to the classroom. My intentions are to employ a five step process:
  • Review present performance assessment criteria. Change as necessary. Rank schools based on this criteria. Those that exceed the criteria will be left alone. Those that are identified as under-achieving will undergo an assessment of the principal.
  • Teams of consultants will be assembled comprised of retired educators and high achieving active principals that desire to participate in the assessment of their under-performing peers. Personal visits will be conducted. Each team will allocate one day per assessment. The order of priority will be high school principals first, followed by middle school principals. Elementary school principals will be last. Why? This order of priority conforms to the most problematic to the least problematic by school type in Georgia's public education system. That is not to say that all high schools are under-performers, or that all elementary schools are satisfactory. It is simply focusing the most effort by category of most need.
  • Assessments of principals will be personally shared with their superintendents in the presence of the principal. Recommendations will be made for retention, dismissal, or probation (participation in leadership/management training).
  • Conduct leadership/management development training, which will be a combination of in-school and closed circuit classroom training conducted by peers and consultants. Participants in leadership/management development training will be on probationary status until the next cycle of data is available. Any principal failing to meet the criteria a second time will be automatically recommended for dismissal.
  • Criteria will also be established for school systems. A recommendation for dismissal of superintendents will be made to respective boards of education for any superintendent with "X" number of schools failing to meet the criteria established for individual schools.
• Professional Purchasing Agents. Purchasing is tough business. Nothing in the career paths of educators adequately prepares them to deal with a vast array of vendors or to manage large amounts of money transacted in the private market. Requiring these positions to be staffed with purchasing professionals is an area worth exploring.

Funding and Taxation

• The current formula for funding public schools in Georgia is the Quality Basic Education Act (QBE) of 1985. There are funding inadequacies. There is inequality of funding. All of Georgia's children should have equal opportunities in education. It is time to place the entire issue of funding back on the table. Debating tax increases, or "alternative funding" is futile without a comprehensive examination of every component of educational need and source of funding. Geographical wealth, assessed level of property, applied millage rates must be considered.
• How much we spend on education is not my concern. My objective is to achieve our educational performance goals in the most cost effective manner possible. If we must spend more for education, we will. But, it will be invested in new ideas. More money will not be spent doing the same things to get the same results.
• If funding is insufficient and the only option is to raise taxes, we will. But, I make this commitment to you. As the educational initiatives achieve their intended results, the need for funding will decrease. As problems are solved, programs will transform (diminish) and eventually be eliminated. Therefore, I commit to put an irrevocable "Sunset" provision on any tax increase I recommend.
• The present administration has been figuring out how to increase revenues without raising taxes. "Alternative Funding" is the name of the effort. They didn't figure out how to do it last year, so it was dropped. It will be back in the '06 legislative session. A committee toured Georgia in August and September. The tax of choice is a 3% increase in sales taxes in exchange for elimination of property taxes for education. Be wary. A 3% increase in sales tax on a $50,000 car is $1,500. And, it is not tax deductible. How often do you buy cars? How much of your "take home pay" do you typically spend on taxable items. Decrease that buying power by 3%. If you pay $3,000 in deductible property taxes for your home, your personal income taxes (federal and state) will increase. You must do the math to decide the net impact on you. Like I said, be wary. I favor continuing the "mix" (local property, sales and income taxes) as revenue sources.
• The Democratic candidates are simply talking about "more money" for education and decreasing class sizes. Both will necessitate increased taxes. The questions are, which taxes and how much?
• The other question is, will any of them admit their intentions to raise taxes during the campaign? Don't be fooled, folks. Press the issue.
• Of course, no discussion on funding is complete without addressing unfunded mandates- federal and state. If the funding isn't there, we must rely on leadership to challenge continued compliance with the mandate.

Opportunities to Reduce Costs of Education

Following is an index. Detailed discussions of the opportunities are addressed throughout my vision. Again, none are "in concrete", but need to be part of the discussion.

• Consider consolidation of some of our city/county systems and small, adjacent, multi-county school systems. Georgia has the most counties of any state. There are 181 school systems serving 1½ million students. That's too many.
• Consider extension of rotation cycles of textbooks.
• Examine policies of providing system transportation to all students, regardless of walking distance to school. Consider extension of life cycles of school buses.
• Examine effectiveness and cost/benefit of all educational programs.
• Consider adoption of "Special Education" guidelines contained in the American Disabilities Act (ADA) as opposed to those of "inclusion" prescribed by No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
• Examine the number of statewide educational conferences. Convert as many as possible to closed circuit video. (See "Georgia's Education Communication Network")
• Changes in pre-k. (See Pre-K)
• Utilize DTAE and campuses of regional University System of Georgia colleges that have vocational programs to provide vocational and technology programs to local high school students.
• Eliminate school systems' requirements for classroom teachers to obtain advanced degrees.
• Supplement pay only for participation in advanced degree programs approved by the State Superintendent that are germane to the job. Mostly, approved programs would be in the University System of Georgia. (All degrees obtained prior to enactment of this initiative would be honored. Additionally, there will be a transition phase, so as to honor most programs in which teachers are presently enrolled.)
• Development of subordinates to relieve necessity to recruit principals and superintendents from outside of the system. (State Superintendent will maintain list of qualified applicants.)
• Examine testing requirements. Eliminate those considered to be unnecessary.
• Re-think the "classroom size" issue.
• Re-think beginning/end dates of school year, unequal time allocations for slow learners and fast learners, hours per day, 180 day school year/year-round, etc.
• Use lower paid clerical help to administrate school testing, thereby keeping more teachers in the classroom.