ATLANTA -- The Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education has released the fifth edition of its annual “Top Ten Issues to Watch” report. The 2009 list covers a variety of topics:
• Federal Education Landscape: Is Change Coming?
• In Dire Straits: Education Funding and Economic Crisis
• The Resurfacing Debate on School Vouchers
• Growing Our Supply of Effective Teachers
• Striving for School Board Excellence
• Early Learning: Our Work Must Continue
• The Vanishing Middle
• Grave Disparities in Student Achievement
• Five Georgias: Connecting Education and Community
• The Future of Public Education
Each subject area is broken down into three sections – an issue overview, the political context of the issue, and what’s next for Georgia. According to the report’s author, the Partnership’s Policy and Research Director Susan Walker, the value of the report is in its analysis of the issues and how they impact the state. “The report is based on thorough research of various state and national sources and provides non-partisan analysis of topics that will undoubtedly impact our schools and students in the coming year.”
This is the fifth edition of the “Top Ten” report. Georgia Partnership President Dr. Steve Dolinger says it has gained in popularity each year. “We distributed more than 4,000 copies last year and there were thousands of downloads from our Web site.” He added, “This is a document that can be used by every education stakeholder in Georgia as they inform themselves on the key issues facing us.” Legislators, college professors, educational leaders and businessmen and women regularly use the report as they do their parts to improve education in our state.
PARTNERSHIP’S 2009 TOP TEN REPORT 2-2-2
Dolinger stressed the value of the report to the general public. “Whether we have children in school or not, we are all education stakeholders. Education directly impacts the economic prosperity of each and every community in our state. We must be better informed and do all we can to make Georgia’s school system the best in the nation.” He continued, “We want to get this into the hands of as many Georgians as we can.”
The report is available on the Web site at www.gpee.org. The Partnership will provide up to two copies for free upon request. Postage costs will be charged for orders of more than two. Contact the Partnership at 404-223-2280 or by E-mail at bmaddox@gpee.org.
Founded in 1990 by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Economic Developers Association, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education consists of business, education, community and government leaders who share a vision of improved education. Working to be Georgia’s foremost change agent in education, the non-partisan, non-profit organization takes lead roles in efforts to impact education policies and practices for the improvement of student achievement. More information is available at www.gpee.org.
