Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
BARROW JOURNAL
PAGE 5A
Schools on Trial
House passes bill to decrease
burden of school testing
If you’re a parent with a child in
public school, you may want to read
Schools on Trial: How Free
dom and Creativity Can Fix
Our Educational Malpractice
by Nikhil Goyal. Nikhil Goyal
is an accomplished twenty-
year-old journalist (he’s one
of Forbes’ 30 under 30) who
wants to change our public
school system for the better.
Seeking real solutions, he trav
eled the country visiting sever
al alternative and democratic
schools to see what he could
learn from them.
You may not agree with
Goyal on every point he makes.
In the first few chapters, he’s very criti
cal of the current public education sys
tem, though there are many who agree
with him, at least partially. You only
need look at all the parents and teachers
protesting against the Common Core,
excessive testing, and even homework
for the younger grades. Homeschooling,
as well, is becoming more mainstream,
but this is still a small percentage of the
U.S. student population.
The best part of Goyal’s book is his
in-depth look at democratic schools. A
democratic school is a private school
where the students have significant
control over their education, and some
schools even give them voting rights
when administrative or disciplinary
issues come up in the school. Goyal
believes that public schools should give
kids more control over their education
as well.
As I was reading this book, I kept
thinking, “Goyal, you’re preaching to
the choir.” I’m a homeschooling parent
because I believe kids should have a
more individualized education, and I
think they should have a say in what
they’re learning. It should be common
knowledge that we learn more when
we’re interested in what we’re learning.
Still, I’m not as democratic as some
of these schools. I make my boys work
on reading, math and some other sub
jects. But unlike public school, I work
with my boys to find curriculum and
resources that they like, and I don’t rush
them. If they need more time with the
material, I give it to them. Most of our
day is spent pursuing interests we love,
and that does make a huge difference.
As Sir Ken Robinson says in his
famous Ted Talk, I think schools are
killing kids’ creativity, but I also
know it’s very hard to cater to
individual students when you
have 20-30 students to teach
at once. I have always won
dered how schools could give
kids more autonomy and make
learning more relevant to their
lives and interests. The schools
Goyal writes about in his book
offer hope.
He writes, “After visiting many
democratic and free schools
around the country, I have con
cluded that I had never met more
articulate, unorthodox, curious,
and happy children before. The students
at these schools have a purpose. They
are lifelong learners. They love reading
books and playing and learning. They
can go on for hours about their interests
and passions. They can communicate
better than most adults can.”
I would like to see more research done
on the graduates of these schools, espe
cially those that are working to foster a
diverse student body and admit lower
income families.
I think any kind of school is hard-
pressed to help a child who doesn’t have
a supportive, loving family at home.
While the research and anecdotal evi
dence is showing that kids who attend
these schools benefit, most of them do
not come from a disadvantaged back
ground, as Goyal notes in the book.
(By the way, there are two democratic
schools in Atlanta.)
Goyal knows how hard it is to make
changes in our education system. He
knows that the majority does not agree
with the proposals he is making in the
book, yet as he also writes, many parents
and teachers are fed up with the system
as we know it, and this is promising. If
enough parents and teachers stand up,
perhaps eventually there will be more
positive changes in public schools. But
first we must become more educated and
aware of the alternatives. Goyal’s book
is a good place to start.
Winder resident Shelli Bond Pabis is
a contributing columnist for the Barrow
Journal. You can reach her at writeto-
spabis@gmail.com or visit her blog at
www. mamaofletters. com.
The Georgia General Assembly is now
in the final week of the 2016 legislative
session.
Before we adjourn Thursday, we will
take final action on several House and
Senate bills, the most important of which
is HB 751 — the appropriations bill that
sets spending levels for every area of
state government for FY2017
starting July 1.
Other House and Senate lead
ers are serving with me on a
conference committee that is
finalizing the appropriations
bill. What I do know at this
point is that the final bill will be
good news for state employees
who have not had any signifi
cant raises in eight years.
Georgia teachers, who also
will receive 3-percent raises,
should have another reason to
be excited about the 2016 ses
sion.
The House last week unanimously
passed a Senate bill that revises annu
al performance evaluations for pub
lic school teachers and makes several
important changes in state-mandated
testing policies. SB 364, in fact, is the
first education bill in a long time that
every education group has supported. It
will give teachers more freedom to teach
and will lighten the testing burden on
both teachers and students.
It now awaits only the Governor’s sig
nature, as do other Senate bills passed by
the House last week. Among them were:
• SB 402, which would enact a morato
rium on new applications for the licens
ing of narcotics treatment programs and
create a committee to study existing
licensing requirements. We have had
a virtual explosion in the number of
these clinics that often leave addicted
individuals in worse shape than before
they received treatment. We are hoping
the moratorium while the issue is studied
will give us an opportunity to get a han
dle on this problem.
• SB350 and SR 558. which together
would allow voters in a statewide ref
erendum to amend the Georgia Consti
tution to allow the allocation of excise
tax revenues on fireworks as follows:
55 percent to the Georgia Trauma Care
Network Commission that maintains the
state’s trauma center network; 40 percent
to the Georgia Firefighter Standards and
Training Commission for the equipping
and training of firefighters in order to
improve departments’ Insurance Services
Office (ISO) ratings; and the remaining 5
percent to local governments for public
safety and 9-1-1 systems.
• SB 193, which would make the
charge of family violence a felony pun
ishable by a prison term of 1-5
years, if the offender previously
had been convicted anywhere in
the world of a forcible felony
against a household member.
• And SB 367, which would
update Georgia’s earlier criminal
justice reforms that are giving
many offenders second chanc
es to turn their lives around.
Among the new provisions is
one to add to our accountability
courts an “Operating Under the
Influence” division for boaters.
Juvenile Courts also would be
able to create a “Family Treatment” divi
sion to address through the courts addic
tion issues within families. Accountabil
ity courts have improved many lives and
also have reduced Georgia’s costs of
incarceration.
Finally, it was a great experience for
those of us in the House last week to
welcome special guests baseball legend
Henry “Hank” Aaron and his wife Billye.
Mr. Aaron made history on April 8. 1974
by breaking Babe Ruth’s record with a
715th home run. Since then, he and his
wife have improved the lives of other
African-American citizens through their
work with the Andrew Young Foundation
and the Morehouse School of Medicine.
This is my report for the 10th week of
the session. Thank you again for allow
ing me to represent Barrow County in
the Georgia House of Representatives.
May God bless you and your family, this
wonderful county, and our great state.
Rep. England has served in the Geor
gia House since 2005. He represents
District 116, which includes most of
Barrow County. In addition to chairing
the House Appropriations Committee,
he is an ex-officio member of the Ways
& Means Committee and a member of
the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs
Committee, the Education Committee,
the Industry and Labor Committee, and
the Natural Resources and Environment
Committee.
With life getting busy with
the warm weather and all kinds
of sports going on we need to
prepare food that is easy and
quick.
1 find that making casseroles
is the answer to this since they
can be made ahead of time and
frozen.
My sweet friend, Vicki Payne
from Cleveland, recently
shared with me some new cas
serole recipes that I am sharing
with you. I think you will enjoy
them.
Chicken and Dumpling
Casserole
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (cooked
and shredded)
2 cups chicken broth
14 cup butter
2 cups Bisquick
2 cups whole milk
Casseroles are perfect for busy spring evenings
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 tsp. chicken bouillon
Vi tsp. sage (dried)
1 tsp. black pepper
Vi tsp. salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. In a 9”xl3”
casserole dish, melt Vi
stick butter. Spread
shredded chicken
over butter. Sprin
kle black pepper and
dried sage over this
layer and do not stir.
In a small bowl, mix
milk and Bisquick.
Slowly pour over chicken and
do not stir. In a medium bowl,
whisk together 2 cups of chick
en broth, chicken bouillon and
soup. Once blended, slowly
pour over the Bisquick layer
and do not stir. Bake casserole
for 30 to 40 minutes or until the
top is golden brown.
Joyce
jacks
Cheesy Mac
and Smoked
Sausage Casserole
Ingredients:
1 package elbow
macaroni noodles
cooked
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
Vi tsp. salt
14 tsp. pepper
Vi lb. Velveeta cheese,
diced
Vi cup sharp Cheddar
cheese, shredded
1 lb. skinless smoked sau
sage
1/8 tsp. paprika
Directions:
Cut skinless smoked sausage
in half lengthwise and then
chop into Vi inch “half moon”
cuts.
Cook in a frying pan for
about 15 minutes, turning
frequently to slightly brown.
Meanwhile put cooked elbow
macaroni noodles in a 2 quart
casserole dish. Add cooked
meat and give it a gentle toss.
Mix all remaining ingredients
(except for the shredded cheese
and paprika) in a saucepan over
medium heat until warm, melt
ed and smooth using a whisk
and stirring constantly. Pour
cheese sauce on top of noodles
and meat.
Sprinkle shredded sharp
Cheddar cheese on top and
then sprinkle paprika evenly
over the top. Bake in a pre
heated 350 degree oven for
34-45 minutes (watching until
golden brown on top).
Baked Cabbage Casserole
Ingredients:
1 large head of cabbage
(shredded)
1 large onion (sliced)
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste
splash of Tabasco sauce
(optional)
2 cups of heavy cream
raw bacon chopped (about 7
pieces)
Directions:
Place cabbage and onion in
a buttered 9”xl2” baking dish.
Mix cornstarch, salt and pep
per. Add cream and whisk.
Pour over cabbage. Top with
crumbled raw bacon. Cover
with foil and bake for about 1
!/2 hours. Remove foil for the
last few minutes so bacon will
brown.
See Cooking on Page 12A
Community CPR & First Aid
National Safety Council basic First Aid. Heartsaver adult, child and
infant CPR with choking rescue (not for healthcare providers).
Receive 3-year First Aid certification and 2-year CPR certification
at end of course.
Community CPR
Tuesday, April 19 - 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. -$40’
FirstAid
Tuesday, April 26 - 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. - $25*
*scholarships offered
Call 706.475.1029 to register or for more information.
Register online at www.athenshealth.org/calendar.
Athens Regional
Health Matters
MEDICAL CENTER
WANTED
HOMES THAT NEED ROOFING 1
A select number of homeowners in your area
will be given the opportunity to have a lifetime
Erie Metal Roofing System installed on their
home at a reasonable cost.
Call today to see if you qualify. Not only will
you receive the best price possible, but we
will give you access to no money down bank
financing with very attractive rates and terms.
^Ask how an Erie Metal Roof will keep your home)
cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
An Erie Metal Roofing System will provide
your home with unsurpassed “Beauty and
Lasting Protection”!
DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE;
Call Now!
1-877-460-4050
www.ErieMetalRoofs.com
