THE ASHE ADVOCATE – February 9, 2007

Ashe proposes pilot project for longer school year

By Rep. Kathy Ashe

For years, the United States has been lagging behind other countries in student achievement, and Georgia has consistently been near the bottom of all 50 states in education rankings.

Just last month, Georgia ranked 38th in a “Chance for Success” index published by Education Week magazine. Below-average elementary reading and middle school math scores, high school graduation rates and the number of adults with college degrees were cited.

It is high time to at least experiment with innovative approaches to improving Georgia students’ opportunity for success. This why I have introduced House Bill 347, which would provide a three-year grant to one school system and another school outside that system to establish a pilot program that would lengthen the current 180-day school year to 200 or 220 classroom days.

My legislation is focused on helping student achievement, as opposed to HB 262, which would give school systems the option of reducing the number of days of classroom instruction in order to give longer summer breaks to boost the tourism industry.

There is evidence that shows more time in the classroom helps improve performance. At the Atlanta charter school KIPPS WAY Academy, for example, nearly all students score well on the standardized Criterion-Reference Competency Tests. Those students, 80 percent of whom qualify for the school lunch program, have weeks off for summer and are in class on some Saturdays.

We need to at least try this approach in our other public schools to find out if more time to learn results in greater success. HB 347 has been referred to the House Education Committee for its consideration.

Unfortunately, there was nothing but bad news this week about the future of Georgia’s PeachCare for Kids program. First, President Bush refused to include funding that would cover the current $131 million federal shortfall in a special appropriations bill. Then, Georgia Department of Community Health Commissioner Rhonda Medows announced the program would stop accepting new enrollees effective March 11 unless the funding is approved.

PeachCare, which provides affordable health care to the children of working Georgia families, serves about 270,000 children throughout the state. PeachCare is a vitally important program, and it is essential that a solution be found to the current funding crisis.

In the House, two pieces of legislation have been introduced that would provide at least temporary relief. House Bill 236 would allow the state to fully fund the entire shortfall instead of relying on the federal government. This could be an additional option in case Congress fails to act in time to stop an interruption in the program. HB 324 would increase the number of children eligible for coverage and thus increase premium payments to the state.

The new Congress hopefully will act swiftly to avert a crisis caused by the failure of the previous Congress to address problems with the federal funding formula, which penalizes Georgia and other states that have worked hard to enroll uninsured children. If not, we will have to find a way to do so at the state level.

On Tuesday, I was honored, along with Rep. Tom Rice (R-Norcross), to receive the Changemaker Award from the Georgia Breast Cancer Coalition Fund at its annual legislative breakfast. I will continue to support legislation that raises breast cancer awareness and fights the disease through early detection and expanded research and treatment.

• Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) represents the 56th District (Fulton County) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact her at 409 Coverdell Office Building, Atlanta, GA  30334; by phone at 404-656-0116 or by e-mail at kathyashe56@mindspring.com.