The MAC policy team this session worked on two important education and workforce bills, both of which now await the Governor's signature.
The MAC policy team this session worked on two important education and workforce bills, both of which now await the Governor's signature.
The first is HB 801 which would incentivize students to take more rigorous coursework in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields. MAC workforce policy director Amy Lancaster provided valuable input on the bill which was sponsored by Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones (R-Milton). The bill allows for weighted GPA in these more academically demanding classes. Students often opt not to take the challenging coursework because of concerns that a drop in their GPA would put them in jeopardy of losing their HOPE scholarships.
SB 364,which changes the way teachers are evaluated and students are tested, also cleared the legislature and is on the Governor's desk. MAC education policy director Tim Cairl worked in support of efforts by Senator Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta). This bill reforms teacher evaluations by reducing emphasis on student testing results. It also reduces the number of tests students must take in a given academic year and places more emphasis on early reading and math proficiency scores.
