ATLANTA – Yesterday the House Education Committee voted 12-9 to pass the committee substitute to SB 10 – Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act. Representative David Casas (R-Lilburn) has been working tirelessly with Senator Eric Johnson in order to provide Georgians with choice when it comes to the education of their special needs children.
“We are one step closer to giving parents a choice when it comes to their child’s education,” said Rep. Casas. “Not only will this bill provide parents with more options, it will allow both public and private schools to provide the best education for these children.”
Containing many provisions from HB 199, authored by Casas, the bill, if passed by the House, will give parents the option to educate their child in a public or private school of their choice. Private schools participating in the program must be located in Georgia, accredited, and employ teachers that posses a Bachelor’s degree or higher. The public and private schools, parents, children and the Department of Education will all have a role in the scholarship process, allowing for large measures of accountability in the program.
“Parents are experts on their child’s disabilities and best equipped to choose the best education for their child. The bill empowers the people who know these children best: the parents,” said Rep. Casas.
In addition to his duties as a legislator, David Casas teaches High School American Government and economics in a Georgia public school.
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