January 28, 2010
.jpg)
In this month's CEG Education Reform Newsletter: CEG Director Ben Scafidi Speaks to Georgia Chamber of Commerce
School Choice Leader Tapped as Virginia Education Head Commentary: Head Start - The Hype Does Not Match Reality
Georgia General Assembly Convenes for 2010 Legislative Session
The Georgia General Assembly convened on January 11 to begin their annual 40-day legislative session. Education reform is a hot topic among legislators, even in the first couple of weeks of work.
You can read the first two Capitol Updates and get up to speed with all the exciting action under the Gold Dome by clicking here.
Also, be sure to sign-up to receive our weekly Capitol Update. Throughout this year's legislative session, CEG will be bringing you the education reform news and analysis you need to know.
Back to Top
CEG Director Ben Scafidi Speaks to Georgia Chamber of Commerce
CEG continues to spread the word about the benefits of school choice and education reform in Georgia.
On Monday, January 11, the Center's Director, Dr. Ben Scafidi delivered a speech to about 300 business leaders at the annual Georgia Chamber of Commerce meeting. At the Chamber's request, Dr. Scafidi spoke on "Education Reform 2010: Innovations Georgia Should Consider" and took questions from the audience.
In his remarks, he discussed why reforming education is needed in Georgia. He also touched on the educational options currently available in Georgia and what more can be done to get kids the quality education they deserve.
Dr. Scafidi also highlighted three of the Center's publications - the Faces of School Choice student profiles, the Return on Investment education spending and state graduation rate study and the results of a parental satisfaction survey of families using the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship.
CEG is dedicated to helping families access the best education possible for their kids and ensuring that all Georgia children have access to a quality education. If you would like more information about school choice options available to Georgia families, visit the Center's website at www.educatedgeorgia.org.
Back to Top
School Choice Leader Tapped as Virginia Education Head
President of the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and CEG friend Gerard Robinson has been picked by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to serve as the state's new Education Secretary.
“This is a great day for Virginia,” said Ben Scafidi, director of the Center for an Educated Georgia. “I’ve had the privilege to work closely with Gerard Robinson as our organizations have worked together to reform education in Georgia. I am confident that he is the right man for the job. GovernorMcDonnell has made a wise decision and Virginians will not be disappointed.”
Robinson’s leadership has been instrumental in expanding the number of options available to minority and low-income children throughout the nation. A tireless advocate for charter schools, Robinson and BAEO were leaders in advocating for the creation of an alternate authorizer in Georgia. He has also been influential in support of the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship and Tuition Tax Credit Scholarship program, the state’s two private school choice initiatives.
Back to Top
Commentary: Head Start - The Hype Does Not Match Reality
By David Pusey
Head Start programs have been heralded for years as a success and their expansion as crucial to our kids’ long-term development. These programs have been billed as a way to better prepare low-income three and four-year olds for elementary school by focusing educational and other services on the whole child. But the enormous amount of money it costs to run Head Start would be better spent expanding educational choice options so that families can choose their own school and students can reap the long-term benefits of a quality education.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released its final report on the impact of Head Start initiatives on the kids they serve. Investigators found that while children make some immediate cognitive gains, the majority of progress was lost by the end of kindergarten and absent by the end of first grade. In other words, within three years, kids not enrolled in a Head Start program have caught up to those who were.
Since the program’s inception, inflation-adjusted per pupil spending on Head Start has increased a whopping 323 percent from $1,788 in 1966 to $7,571 in 2008. These federally-funded programs served 908,412 children nationally and 23,436 Georgia children in 2008. During an era of exploding federal deficits, it is simply unacceptable for Americans to subsidize a program that has had such a fleeting effect on our most needy students.
Policymakers must recognize the results of this impact study and begin to explore alternatives. More money for a program that is ineffective over the long run in not the answer.
Instead, it’s time to explore options like expanding educational choice for parents with students in the K-12 system. Results from studies of another federally funded initiative, the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program, show that taxpayer-funded scholarships for children to attend the private school of their parents’ choice raise student achievement. Similar results are seen in Milwaukee, where a program funded by Wisconsin taxpayers has been in place since 1990.
It’s alternatives like these that result in life transforming gains in student achievement that should be supported by our scarce taxpayer dollars.
David Pusey is the Education Policy Specialist at the Center for an Educated Georgia. You can email him at david(at)educatedgeorgia.org
. Back to Top