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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 / We invite you to come and be a part of our family. Loving and Caring in Jesus’ Name. First Baptist Perry 1105 Main Street • 987-2002 Service Times: '' v Wednesdays, 6:45 p.m. f I Sundays: 8:45, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. E-Mail FBCP««hom.net Home Page WWW.hom.net/-FBCP I f I X. / / r I \// y&jfc _ I -cJaL * * ‘ ;ip , ' , TIP*™ 1 il '■"H ■* B 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 v mil jflf Ji 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 •ST: gg i. JgF* . aflßfc. «€£c>p * jBCJH 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. %tiu fa %uafa* TMutoi Swtm cuitmm ti Hayneville • Elko • Henderson The Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 1998 is available at: OMI, INC. 186 Woodard Road, Kathleen For information on obtaining a copy, you may call 987-0462 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. A copy pf the Annual Drinking Water Quality Report has been posted at your local post office. The report will be available each year by July 1. 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 Mortgage Loans l miMilul.iinm ilumc Improx eitient Slow Credit Caxlv I’ureh.ixe I (V<. eS, 1.2 5". 1 oanx Rural I’ropertx M.inut.u lured I luuxmp Slated Income Amount Payment <&' 5;75%* "40.000.00 . $231.41 500,000.00 $ HO. 14 $80,000.00 s4bh.Bb 8 100,000.00 $581.57 5120,000 00 $700.29 Apply Online: WWW.AMFINC.NET Accelerated Mortgage f unding, Inc. 1-800-414-4274 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. r, —^ ; 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.