Nathan Deal (R) has released his proposal for education if he is elected for the Governor of the State of Georgia. I have read through the Deal plan as well as the Roy Barnes (D) plan that has been released. Overall both plans are similar and offer a lot of the same ideas but are still vague at the same time. I really don’t like either as Deal I don’t feel a lot of trust for and Barnes has shown he goes back on his word as he did with teachers the first time he was Governor. Did he learn from his mistake the last time or once a politician always a politician? I am interested in the thoughts of educators and others in Georgia so please post your comments below.
Barnes vs Deal Education Plan Comparison
| Barnes | Deal |
|---|---|
| Restore Funding | School funding priorities will reflect a belief in the value of educating |
| End Teacher Furloughs | Provide significant flexibility to local school systems that are accountable for student outcomes |
| Keep Class Sizes Small | State’s classroom teachers will be treated as equal partners in the deliberation of how we improve Georgia’s educational system |
| Reach out to our youngest Students | Focus limited resources on classroom instruction |
| Train our future workforce | Continue the development of world-class curriculum |
| Evaluate Progress and aptitude | Provide ever-increasing options for families of Georgia |
| Remove funding disparities | Encourage Grade-Level reading for all students by the age of 8 |
| Provide equitable school facilities | Allow students to move on when ready |
| Maintain accountability and standards | Provide additional opportunities for high school students |
| Protect HOPE Scholarship | Protect the HOPE Scholarship for generations to come |
| Provide adequate pay for teachers | Develop multiple STEM charter high schools throughout our state |
| Offer incentives for excellence | Provide service-cancellable incentives for post-secondary math and science majors who commit to work in Georgia |
| Protect the Teachers’ Retirement System for all educators | |
| Protect Pensions | |
| Make educators part of the process |
Full plan from Roy Barnes is located here and full plan from Nathan Deal is located here.
