I am a proponent of Common Core if it elevates the standards of students/ schools that would benefit from it. It ensures all students are ready for success after high school. The Common Core State Standards establish clear, consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to do in Math and English Language Arts from Kindergarten through 12th grade.
Common Core focuses on developing the critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills students will need to be successful. In cases where the high standards of a school system are downgraded or abandoned for the sake of common core, I am not a proponent.
Forty-one states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) have voluntarily adopted it.
It is now obvious that there is a persistent assault by the activist left on girls’/womens’ sports and safe spaces. Sadly, the goal appears to be making female sports irrelevant or nonexistent.
The equality act (California and Washington State) should never be allowed to pass in Georgia. Female sports should remain for (biological) females only.
The history of America (both good and bad) must be taught.
Some schools are now teaching that “White people are inherently privileged, while Black and other People of Color are inherently oppressed and victimized”; that “achieving racial justice and equality between racial groups requires discriminating against people based on their Whiteness”; and that “the United States was founded on racism.”
I look upon this as a distortion of history…a concentrated effort to judge an individual or group by skin color and not by the integrity/content of their character.
This is wrong.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is one of the greatest assaults on the health (mental and physical) and innocence of children. This is because unlike traditional sex education, comprehensive sexuality education is highly explicit and promotes promiscuity and high-risk sexual behaviors to children as healthy and normal.
CSE programs have an almost obsessive focus on teaching children how to obtain sexual pleasure in various ways. I support traditional sexual education (reproductive system, abstinence, and STDs) starting in middle school.
The parents must be informed of the classes and the content of the courses.
Georgia funds special education using a multiple student weights system, providing different levels of funding for different categories of students. Students are assigned to five different categories based mostly on their specific disabilities.
Specifically, students are assigned either to one of four weighted categories based on their particular disabilities and the proportion of the school day during which they receive services for those disabilities, or to a fifth category for students receiving services in the general education setting.
The state provides supplemental funding for students in these categories by applying different multipliers to the per-student base amount. Senate Bill 10, as signed into law on May 18, 2007, created the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program. It allows eligible special needs students to transfer to another public-school, public-school system, state school, or authorized participating private school.
In 2021, Gov Kemp provided $10.1 million in funds for special education. Only a fraction was claimed. Parents were not aware of the funding.
Sports are a very important part of a student’s education and wellbeing. Students should be encouraged to participate in a sport(s) of their choice. It builds character and promotes teamwork. The physical and mental benefits are tremendous. Funding should never lapse.
I hold music in the same regards. All students should be encouraged participate in a musical endeavor (instrument/singing) of their choice. Here, again, the funding should never lapse.
$50K is the average teacher salary at Fayette County Public Schools, which is $10K (22%) more than national average teacher salary ($40K).
Long-term substitute teachers work 10 or more consecutive days in the classroom. A long-term substitute teacher agreement is required.
A long-term substitute teacher’s daily compensation with a valid teaching certificate (any state) is $115.00/day. A long-term substitute teacher’s daily compensation with an expired teaching certificate (any state) is $110.00/day. A long-term substitute teacher’s daily compensation with a four-year college degree is $110.00/day.
These salaries are competitive; however, an upward adjustment is indicated due to inflation.
A bus driver’s average salary is $28K/year Fayette County Public Schools. This is +$3K (11%) more than the national school bus operator’s average salary ($25K).
Here, again, adjustments need to be made for inflation.
The recent increase in school shootings has prompted governing bodies at all levels (federal, state and county) to rethink their safety protocols to protect the students and employees of the school system. Some suggestions/recommendations are:
1. Increase the number of Resource Officer from 1-2 per school. This will ensure a presence of at least one resource at all times. The purpose of the resource officer is to assist with security and safety of the students and faculty. They also help with traffic logistics planning, work with students and faculty in promoting and implementing safe driving programs, serve as a guest speakers for classes where their expertise is beneficial, are available for students to discuss problems and questions concerning the law, and help in many other ways.
2. Legislate to allow teachers to carry weapons if they would like to. Not all teachers will be comfortable with a carrying a firearm. The goal is to give them a choice. The parents should be part of the legislative process.
3. More involvement of the Youth Service section of the CID and CHAMPS (Choosing Healthy Activities and Methods Promoting Safety Programs). “The Youth Services Section of the Criminal Investigations Division, in conjunction with the Fayette County Board of Education, provides on-site law enforcement services at a number of Fayette County Elementary, Middle and High Schools. The faculty and students of Inman Elementary, North Fayette Elementary, Flat Rock Middle School, Sandy Creek High School, Whitewater Middle School, Whitewater High School, Rising Star Middle School, and Starr’s Mill High School each benefit from the presence of one School Resource Officer (SRO) certified Deputy Sheriffs”. These programs should receive more state and county funding.
4. Increase the number of long guns from 1-2 per school. This will be consistent with the increased number of resource officers from 1 to 2. Also, in situations where intruders are armed with assault weapons, law enforcement officials cite the need to be able to return fire at long range. Pistols are accurate up to 20 yards = 22.86 meters. Without the right tools to combat a heavily armed intruder, SROs would be at a disadvantage.
1. Have you ever heard of a teacher pulling a weapon and killing students in a classroom? I haven’t.
2. Have you ever heard of an SRO pulling his/her weapon and killing students in a classroom? I haven’t.
3. Have you ever heard of a student bringing a weapon(s) to school and killing students? Sadly, this happens too often.
I’ve heard the argument against teachers being allowed to carry weapons if they choose to do so. One is that a teacher may “lose it” and kill students and fellow teachers.
The answer to this is in my first question.
The next argument is that teachers are there to teach. My response to that is that teachers are there to teach and protect the students and themselves. We often hear of teachers getting between students and stopping a fight…that’s protection. Or a teacher disarming a student after being told he/she is carrying a weapon…that’s protection.
The teachers that choose to carry a weapon will be trained, certified and will undergo a yearly
psychological evaluation. These are changing times and sadly, violent times.
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