Newspaper Page Text
Governor gives hard-hitting talk to educators about Georgias schools
Barnes, Walker, Perdue speak to Professional Association of Georgia Educators at Agricenter
Br Torey Jolley
Home Jouiwal STA?r
Several hundred Profes
sional Association of Geor
gia Educators members
gathered in Perry Sept. 25
to hear projections for the
2000 Legislative session.
Addressing the crowd were
Gov. Roy Barnes, Rep.
Larry Walker, and Sen.
Sonny Perdue.
Barnes said, “Georgia
has made tremendous
strides in education. I can
see the advances we have
made in the last few years,
but we need to do more.”
“When we were children
growing up. there were jobs
available. Not anymore.
Better educated students
are what it takes to bring
jobs to Georgia," Barnes
said.
Barnes added that there
is a “major Japanese tire
manufacturing company
looking for a new plant site.
It would be a S6OO million
investment with 200 new
jobs at an average salary of
S2O per hour, but they are
having doubts about the
education level of our peo
ple.
“People believe it is man
ual labor. It isn’t. It is high
tech.” said Barnes of the
tire manufacturing dbmpa
ny.
“I told the company I
would guarantee the work
ers if they come. I’ll train.
I'll educate. I told them
about Quickstart and ICAP.
People, this is what I am
tallting about it is dollars
and cents. Better education
is the key to Georgia's
future. We need to pre
pare," Barnes said.
Barnes said of 10 chil
dren starting in first grade
this year, only six will grad
uate from high school.
From that six, only three
will go to college and only
one of those will graduate.
Barnes said confidence
in public schools needs to
be built, but people ques
tion how students can pass
the graduation test and still
not fill out an employment
application.
“The high school gradua
tion test is only a eighth or
ninth grade level of basic
stuff. That won't do. The
public, industry, and busi
ness demand more. Howev
er, it is a shared responsi
bility. It involves parents,
children, teachers, admin
istration, and government."
Barnes told PAGE mem
bers he is working to
arrange financial rewards
for improvement, and to
have 1.000 nationally certi
fied teachers by the end of
2000.
He recommended tech
nology training for teachers
and students so strongly
that he said, “I recommend
no child will graduate
unless they can pass a
basic technical computer
test.”
School nurses are anoth
er priority for Barnes.
"Teachers are too valuable
of a resource to be spend
ing time dispensing medi
cines all day. We need
school nurses. Now that
doesn’t mean we are trying
to give abortions in the
school bathrooms. Some
people will jump to that but
that is not what school
nurses are doing." he said.
One area Barnes is eye
ing to fund his educational
dreams is the money Geor
gia receives from the tobac
co lawsuits.
Increasing teacher pay
and incentives for quality
Gome f/(ome /
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Home Journal Photo by Torey Jolley
GOVERNOR SPEAKS Georgia Governor Roy Barnes
addressed the Professional Association of Georgia Edu
cators during their 1999 Legislative Rally September
25. Also pictured is Houston County Schools Superin
tendent Charles Holloway.
trained teachers are other
educational areas of inter
est for Barnes.
“Income for teachers in
Georgia is SI,OOO off
national average. I suggest
a more performance-based
pay scale. Set goals such
as moving a child up at
least one grade level from
where you received him or
her. By doing that, the
teacher meets the goal and
is rewarded,” said Barnes.
“We are 1,400 teachers
jPS
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FOR EDUCATION Tahseria Club
gives the Perry Area Chamber of Com
merce a S2OO donation to their Education
Committee for use in the career develop
ment program. Gathered (from left) are
Steve Rodgers, education committee
I I I
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PTO Gift Tahseria Club donates SSOO
to the Perry Primary School PTO for play
ground equipment. Assembled are from
left) Perry Primary School Principal Dave
short in special education.
And we are short in math
and science areas too. We
have too many early child
hood teachers. We need to
make incentives give a
break to educators. Possi
bly stipends or signing
bonuses," said Barnes.
Barnes ended his speech
by saying, "Change is
always difficult and some
times it is resisted. But do
not mistake the passion to
make Georgia competitive
Home Journal Photos by Torey Jolley
chairman Mary Jane Kinnas, club presi
dent Peggy Barnett, club vice-president
Angela Westmoreland, and club treasurer
Brook Brown. Not pictured was club sec
retary Susan Gentry.
Crockett, club president Peggy Barnett,
club treasurer Brook Brown, and club
secretary Susan Gentry. Not pictured was
club vice-president Angela Westmoreland.
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for displeasure. What you
see is energy. I want the
legacy I leave behind to be
improved education for
Georgia."
Walker said, “Predicting
weather is easier than pre
dicting what
will happen
during the
next session
of the Legis
lature."
He contin
ued by say
ing educa
tional reform
efforts are a
high prioritv.
“The Gov-
Classrooms must be scife. I just hope
that in making schools scife we do not
have a knee-jerk reaction and make
classrooms incarceration centers. -
Governor Roy Barnes
ernor is determined to
improve the education
within our state." Walker
said.
Walker told the educa
tors that north Georgia
does not suffer from lack
of progress, but from too
much progress. “The dirty
water, dirty air and the
traffic are symptoms of
lack of problems."
He said, “When you
drive south to Perry, you
see they don’t have any
problems of progress, but
when you drive south of
Perry, you see the prob
lems from lack of progress.
Georgia will see more
attention to this area in
the year 2000 and beyond
from the state than ever
before.”
He noted that attention
will focus on ethics in
2000 as well. Walker said,
"Politics is cleaner than it
has ever been before in the
state. I certainly would like
to think that as political
leaders, we should conduct
ourselves as such. Howev
er, remember this is a citi
zen legislation- only a part
time position."
House Bill 489 and the
service delivery plan will be
another issue addressed
by the 2000 Legislature.
Walker noted that several
counties were arguing
about the plan and men
tioned Houston County
had serious issues con
cerning the plans and its
effect on the cities, county
and citizens.
Walker ended his predic
tions by saying, “The com
plexity of the state is
increasing. In the 1960 s
we were a backwater state
and we loved it; we bragged
about it. But it wasn’t
great. In education, we
ranked between 47 and 49.
Today, we are in the mid
dle of the pack and getting
better every year."
Perdue said, “Zell Miller
was known as the educa
tion governor. He put the
spotlight on education in
the state of Georgia. How
'&-4S&Z--& iHi .4? •.•* fll
BAND GIFT Tahseria Club donated S3OO to the
Perry High Marching Band for purchase of a new band
uniform. Together are (from left) Perry High Band Direc
tor Joe Hutcheson, club president Peggy Barnett, and
club treasurer Brook Brown. Not pictured were club vice
president Angela Westmoreland and club secretary
Susan Gentry.
Tahseria Club making plans for
annual charity fund-raiser
From Staff Reports
Members of the Tahseria
Club are gearing up for
their annual fund-raiser
scheduled for Oct. 29, 30,
and 31.
This year’s fund-raiser is
entitled “Photos of 1999
with Ellis Photography.”
Frank Ellis will be the pho
tographer.
According to Angela
Westmoreland, Tahseria
Club vice-president, the
fund-raiser will help raise
the funds the club needs to
sponsor several projects,
such as needy families,
education, and Perry Play
ers.
The photographs will
have three backgrounds to
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Wed., Oct. 13, 1999, Houston Home Journal
ever, we let other things
slide during that time.
Governor Barnes has
increased the spotlight on
these areas and is working
hard to keep improving
education in our state.”
Perdue believes safety in
“Parents have the ulti
mate responsibility for
their children," said Per
due. “We want to see our
young educated. We want
them to be all they can be.
Our society is becoming
more and more complex.
Education is the only way
to succeed in society.
“Classrooms must be
safe. I just hope in making
schools safe we do not
have a knee-jerk reaction
and make classrooms
incarceration centers,"
said Perdue, adding, “In
public systems, we have to
accept everyone, but we
don’t have to settle.”
He ended by saying.
“Things can move very very
fast in legislature, but we
need feed back. 1 urge you
to contact your senators
and representatives on
issues that are important
to you.”
choose from: indoor, out
door, and Christmas.
There will be $lO sitting
fee. Twenty-five percent of
all orders placed will go to
the Tahseria Club for their
charitable donation fund.
For more information or
to schedule an appointment
for the photographs, call
Angela Westmoreland at
987-7995.
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; Keep up w ith '
vour community!
Kent I votir
I lomrlown IVipcr
The Houston
Home Jour not
L J
Page 7A
schools will be
an important
topic in the
2000 legisla
tion. However,
he did not
think putting
metal detectors
on every door
in Georgia pub
lic schools
would be effec
tive.