ATLANTA — State Representative Sandra Scott (D-Rex) today announced the introduction of House Bill 550. This bill would create a peer review committee to make recommendations to the Governor regarding the removal or suspension of local school board members.
“We use peer review processes in the business world and creating a peer review committee for school board members would be beneficial,” said Rep. Scott. “It is important that local boards of education operate effectively and look out for the best interests of our children.”
This bill establishes a peer review committee that would make recommendations to the Governor to suspend or remove local school board members under certain circumstances. The committee will consist of fourteen elected school board members from each of the public school districts recognized by the Georgia School Board Association.
The peer review committee will assure that the actions of all school accrediting agencies are consistent with the best interest of the students and their families. According to HB 550, if a local school loses accreditation, the local board of education will notify the peer review committee within three business days. The peer review committee will then conduct a review between 10-30 days and recommend to the Governor whether or not to suspend all eligible members of the local board of education with pay. If the peer review committee makes the recommendation that members be suspended or removed, the Governor can then suspend or not suspend all eligible members of the local board of education with pay and appoint temporary replacement members.
If passed and signed into law, these committees will be created on July, 1 2013.
For more information on HB 550, please click here.
Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes portions of Clayton and Henry counties. She was first elected into the House Representatives in 2010, and currently serves on the Human Relations & Aging, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, Science and Technology, and Special Rules committees.
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