Did you
KNOW?
The 2009 Legislative Session
Sine Die is Latin for
adjournment without recall.
“The legislative
session may be
over, but our work
does not end.”
Jeff Hubbard
GAE President
“You can’t win or be
effective if you aren’t
there to be heard.”
Marcus Downs
GAE’s Director of
Government Relations
and where GAE stood.
Your 2009 Legislative Session Wrap-up by GAE
The 40 days of the 2009 Georgia Legislative Session have ended.
It was a year fraught with economic problems, furloughs, and cutbacks.
We faced vouchers. The nurses in our schools were threatened.
Incentive pay for National Board Certification faced elimination.
Yes, the challenges confronting public education in Georgia were
great, yet GAE continued to stand up for public education. GAE was
there every day at the Capitol—to make sure our voices were heard.
All of us must continue to remind lawmakers that if Georgia
wants a bright future it begins right here, right now with quality
public schools.
www.gae.org/know
| 19
The Legislation.
HB 100 - Student
Scholarship Organizations
What it does: This bill revises
definitions provided in the
original legislation that allowed
for contributions to be made to
Student Scholarship Organizations.
GAE Position: Opposed.
Legislation was filed that would
have repealed the law passed the
prior year and GAE supported
that legislation. Unfortunately it
never received a hearing.
(Passed: Sent to the Governor 4/13/09)
HB 149 - Move on When Ready
What it does: This bill allows 11th
and 12th grade students to attend
post-secondary colleges and schools
for high school credit.
GAE Position: Supported.
(Passed: Sent to the Governor 4/13/09)
HB 193* - Elementary and
Secondary Education;
180 Day School Year
What it does: This bill provides for
a 180-day school year calendar or
the equivalent of such and revises a
provision that locals may offer fullday kindergarten programs. This bill
also provides that schools shall be
closed on November 11 in honor
of Veterans Day.
GAE Position: Supported.
(Passed: Sent to the Governor 4/13/09)
HB 280 - Math & Science
Teacher Additional
Compensation
HB 229 - Student Health &
Physical Education Act; Fitness
Assessment
What it does: This bill requires
local school systems to conduct
an annual fitness assessment and
to comply with state physical
education instruction requirements
(beginning in 2011-2012). This bill
applies to students in grades one
through 12. The assessment is only
to be conducted during a physical
education course taught by a
certified physical education teacher.
GAE Position: Supported.
(Passed: Sent to the Governor 4/13/09)
HB 251* - Public School
Students May Attend Any
Local School
What it does: This bill allows
parents the choice to enroll their
child in any school within the
district for which they are zoned
to attend provided there is an
available space within the classroom.
The child will have the option of
remaining at that school until the
child completes each grade the
school offers. Parents must assume
the responsibility of transporting
their child to and from the school.
Additionally, the bill provides for
nepotism restrictions for eligibility
for members of local boards of
education and for local school
superintendents.
GAE Position: Supported.
(Passed: Sent to the Governor 4/14/09)
20 | KNOW • Volume 7 Issue 4
What it does: This bill provides
additional compensation for math
and science teachers at the high
school level and for elementary
teachers who had received either
math or science endorsements.
GAE Position: Opposed.
GAE assumed a posture that there
are several difficult and relevant
subjects that pose challenges to
finding teachers and there are
several geographical areas that are
hard to staff. These factors should
also be considered when
determining where incentives
should be disbursed
(Passed: Sent to the Governor 4/13/09)
HB 371 - Public Retirement
Systems Investments
What it does: This bill revises
the definition of the term “large
retirement system.” The bill also
allows Retirement Systems to
invest up to 75% in equities. Large
retirement systems can not invest
more than 65% of its assets in
equities prior to 7/01/10, not more
than 70% prior to 7/01/11, and not
more than 75% prior to 7/01/12.
These investments will only be
made if market conditions are
favorable for such action.
GAE Position: Support.
(Passed: Sent to the Governor 4/14/09)
HB 243-Repeal National
Board Certification Program
What it does: This bill originally would
have repealed the law that established
the national board certification
program. Because of advocacy efforts
by groups including GAE and the
National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards, a House
committee substitute was drafted. In
this substitute, individuals currently in
the program will receive the stipend
(to be paid according to the original
legislation). New entrants post March
1, 2009 will not be able to receive the
stipend. GAE Position: Opposed.
GAE opposed the original bill to
eliminate the program but supported
the House Committee Substitute Bill.
(Passed: Sent to the Governor 4/13/09)
HB 455*-Modify School Contracts;
Extend Deadline
What it does: This bill originally
extended the deadline for which an
employee could be offered a contract.
The date changed from April 15 to
May 15 for the 2009-2010 school years
only. Additionally, the bill removed the
sunset provision for the Master Teacher
program. Finally, this bill received a
provision that discontinues a teacher’s
ability to be paid for a leadership
degree if they do not hold a leadership
position (if the degree was earned
on or after 7/01/10). This does not
apply to an educator who possessed
a leadership degree prior to 7/01/10
regardless of whether or not they are in
a leadership position.
GAE Position: Opposed.
(Passed: Signed by the Governor 4/06/09)
SB 178*-Capital Outlay Projects
SB 60-Compulsory Attendance
What it does: This bill sought to
change the compulsory attendance
age from 16 to 17 or 18. Locals were
given the autonomy to determine
which age was more appropriate for
their circumstances.
GAE Position: Supported.
(This bill was pulled and was therefore
unable to receive a vote in committee).
SB 90-Voucher Bill
What it does: This bill would have
allowed children to attend a private
school and receive funding from the
public’s general coffer.
GAE Position: Opposed.
GAE offered several alternatives to
vouchers. (This bill remained in the
Senate Rules Committee and was not
allowed to receive a floor vote).
What it does: The bill initially
extended the sunset for capital outlay
grants. This bill includes a provision for
the weighting of students in certain
dual enrollment courses under QBE.
Additionally, the bill provides for a
temporary waiver of expenditure
controls related to funds earned
for direct instructional costs, media
center costs, staff and professional
development costs, and additional days
of instruction.
The BRIDGE Bill
(Building Resourceful Individuals to
Develop Georgia’s Economy Act) was
added to this bill.
This portion of the bill provides
the authority to develop programs
that will improve the graduation
rates and students’ preparedness for
postsecondary education and careers.
Students will develop a more focused
course of study and will be provided
counseling through career awareness
programs.
GAE Position: Supported.
(Passed: Sent to the Governor 4/14/09)
SB 122-State Employees Insurance;
Divide the Georgia Retiree Health
Benefit Fund
What it does: Primarily a clean-up
bill for accounting purposes, this bill
allows the Department of Community
Health to have a separate spreadsheet
for teachers and other school personnel
and a spreadsheet for Georgia State
Employees.
GAE Position: Monitored.
For more information
on the bills, go to
www.legis.state.ga.us
(Passed: Sent to the Governor 4/15/09)
*Christmas in April: Each bill with a star beside it was used as a “Christmas Tree Bill.” A Christmas Tree Bill is one that attracts many
floor amendments. They are viewed as vehicles that have the potential of passing through both legislative chambers and are attractive to
legislators’ whose bills may not be as promising. There were several of these types of bills passed.
www.gae.org/know
| 21
How will the
Budget
affect you?
Great question. Across the board, most state government agencies were cut by
six percent. The state education budget, which provides education for more
than 1.7 million Georgia children, was cut by just three percent.
A three percent cut is a big hit to the state’s $9.785 billion education budget.
Still, there have been NO furloughs for educators during an economic crisis
that has furloughed nearly 32,000 state employees. We were able to keep most
of the money allocated for school nurses, National Board Certification, and
some for RESA even though the Governor’s version of the budget cut monies
for all of these programs. And while state educators will not see a salary increase
in 2010, they will have their jobs in the midst of layoffs.
The 2010 budget has been about give and take. We knew that in this economic
climate, cuts would be inevitable. GAE worked with House budget writers
during several phases of the budget process. Throughout this process, it has
been our responsibility to minimize the impact of those potentially disastrous
cuts, while reminding the decision makers of the vitally important role public
education plays in the state economy.
We stayed. We fought. We prevailed.
What You Can Do Now.
Thank your legislator for working to
help support the 1.7 million children
in Georgia and for keeping furloughs
out of the budget.
Are you sure GAE has
the most up-to-date
contact info on you?
Spread the news. Tell your
colleagues, friends, neighbors,
and family members.
Be sure. Go to www.gae.org to
update your contact information.
Please include a personal email
address (some school systems
block emails), your phone numbers
(including cell), and your mailing
address.
Speak Out. Voice your opinion to
your elected officials.
Help GAE keep
you informed.
Stay informed. Read the info that
comes from GAE.
Get Involved. Find out how you
can help Build Better Schools to
Make a Brighter Georgia
22 | KNOW • Volume 7 Issue 4
The Budget.
FY 2010 Budget Highlights
(As Passed)
Academic Coach Program
ELIMINATE funds for Academic
Coaches ($1,366,710)
Central Office
ELIMINATE funds for Teacher
Liability Insurance ($300,000)
Dropout Prevention
REDUCE Grad Coach funds
by providing only for middle
school Grad Coaches who serve
in feeder high schools with
graduation rates at or below 85%
and provide funds for a training
and experience adjustment
($3,675,735)
ELIMINATE start-up funds for
the JROTC Program ($240,000)
National Board Certification
ELIMINATE funds for NBCT
($5,085,142)
Non-QBE Formula Grants
INCREASE funds for Special
Needs Scholarships $5,978,162
TRANSFER all funds and activities
for Classroom Supply Cards to
the QBE program ($11,473,726)
QBE Equalization
REDUCE funds from QBE
formula ($147,202,564)
School Nurses
ELIMINATE funds by 3%
($900,000)