(The Center Square) – Changing the Quality Basic Education funding formula with a new weight for poverty is one of the legislative priorities for the Georgia Department of Education, the department said Monday.
The funding formula, known as QBE for short, should also be changed to give weight to bus drivers, custodians, paraprofessionals and school nurses, according to the department. The priority list also includes a request to “fully fund the QBE.”
Democrats attempted to make changes to the QBE last year with two bills. House Bill 3, led by main sponsor Rep. Sandra Scott, R-Rex, would have allocated an additional $300 million for students living in poverty. House Bill 712, also led by Scott, would have increased funding for transportation. Both bills failed.
The Center Square was unsuccessful getting comment from the department.
A cellphone policy that would “establish statewide model policies for cellphone use that minimize instructional distractions and bullying, while providing appropriate access in safety and medical situations” was part of a list addressing safety issues in schools. The list also includes bringing school resource officers to every school and creating a crisis alert system.
The department added several teacher incentives to the list, including a plan to increase the teacher salary step beyond 21 years of service. Giving teachers and classified staff a minimum number of personal days is another request.
Lawmakers on the Joint Education and Youth Committee and Higher Education Committee discussed the issues with hiring and retaining teachers as fewer enter and stay in the classroom at a meeting last week.
“It’s getting more and more difficult to convince 18-year-olds that they want to become a teacher,” Dr. David Slykhuis, dean of Valdosta State University, told the commission.
Funding for afterschool and summer learning programs, a character education program and facilities funding for charter schools are also on the priority list.
“We are at a critical moment in Georgia public education,” Superintendent Richard Woods said in a statement. “Building on the investments made by the governor’s office and General Assembly, and the work of the Department of Education and local districts and schools, we have the continued opportunity to ensure all schools can prepare all students for life. Our legislative priorities this year focus on steps we can take to ensure a safe, successful, supported education system – from enhancements to school safety to funding for ongoing literacy initiatives.”
