Article VIII. Education ~ Georgia Constitution Section I. Public Education The provision of an adequate public education for the citizens shall be a primary obligation of the State of Georgia. Public education for the citizens prior to the college or postsecondary level shall be free and shall be provided for by taxation. The expense of other public education shall be provided for in such manner and in such amount as may be provided by law.

An adequate education requires many factors.

Even though the absolute amount of State funds for K-12 education has increased in recent years, the increases have not kept pace with the growth in enrollment and the effect of inflation, much less the needs of our student. The total amount of all funds allotted by the State to local school systems decreased on a per-student, inflation-adjusted basis by 18% between Fiscal Year (“FY’) 2002 and FY 2009

The Georgia Supreme Court has declared that a constitutionally "adequate" education is more than a “minimum” education. McDaniel v. Thomas, 248 Ga. 644 (1981) The Georgia Supreme Court defined an “adequate” education as being “designed to produce individuals who can function in society” as responsible citizens in our democracy. 4To do so, these individuals must be able to obtain productive employment and qualify for and advance through higher education.

In FY 1998, State funds represented 60.9% of the combined total of state and local revenues for school operations By FY 2008 (the last year for which such data are available), the State’s share of this total had dropped to 55.5%. The magnitude of the shift is shown by the fact that the level of State support would have had to be $736 million higher in FY 2008 (with the amount of local revenues being that much less) to produce the same mix of state and local revenues that existed ten years earlier in FY 1998.

The unfortunate reality is that Georgia’s schools are being starved financially The students in 113 of Georgia’s 180 school systems, which serve 536,000 students or one-third of the total enrollment in Georgia, are receiving an education that is demonstrably less effective than the education offered to the other students in Georgia.

Quality Basic Education Act In 1985, the State of Georgia adopted the Quality Basic Education Act (O.C.G.A. § , et seq.) in recognition of the need to provide “an opportunity for a quality basic education to the citizens of the state and to discharge the responsibilities and obligations of the State to ensure a literate and informed society...” (1985 Georgia Laws, 1660)

The QBE Act established a formula (“QBE Formula”) that defines a designated cost per student for each of what are now 19 general programs, based on the instructional needs of the students in each program QBE “Earnings” + Categorical Grants (Federal Government) + Equalization = School Funding QBE “Earnings” = (Direct & Indirect Instructional Costs) – (5 Mill Share)

Uhhh...?

Millage Rate = local tax revenues / the assessed valuation/ 1000 The “5 Mill Share” in the QBE formula refers to the portion of the Direct and Indirect Instructional Costs that the state expects local systems to pay with locally raised funds “Millage” refers to the rate of the property tax levied. Tax rate applied to property. Each Mill represents $1 of tax assessment per $1,000 of assessed property value. For example, the millage rate for property taxes in the Bumpton school district is 20 mills. A home with assessed value of $100,000 pays $2,000 a year in property taxes to the district.

WHAT THE HE** DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH BEING A TEACHER!?

The reality for many school systems in Georgia is that they lack the funds necessary to recruit, hire, and retain experienced and effective educators. The inability of many Georgia school systems to provide competitive salary supplements or other attractive benefits prevents these systems from obtaining the highly effective teachers and the other staff they need to provide an adequate education for all of their students.

Uhhh.. what about the students?

Many high schools in Georgia do not offer Advanced Placement and honors courses Foreign language and advanced math and science courses are scarce in many of Georgia’s high schools Music, art, and physical education are limited in many elementary and middle schools After-school programming, including teacher tutoring, has been eliminated or cut to the bare minimum in many school systems

Solution?

It is of vital importance of having a capable teacher for every class, schools will have to redouble their efforts in attracting and retaining capable teachers, especially in view of the large number of teachers approaching retirement. It is critical to enhance the teaching profession. It is of vital importance of having a capable teacher for every class, schools will have to redouble their efforts in attracting and retaining capable teachers, especially in view of the large number of teachers approaching retirement. It is critical to enhance the teaching profession.