Representatives Nix and Davis Lead Charge on Ensuring Career and College Readiness
ATLANTA – State Representative Steve Davis (R-McDonough) announced House Bill 186, legislation he co-sponsored with Rep. Randy Nix (R-LaGrange). HB 186 would establish broader education options for high school students to ensure their career and college readiness by requiring a stronger coordination between high schools, colleges, and technical schools. This legislation builds on Rep. Davis’ Graduating Everyone Matters (GEM) Act from the 2009-10 legislative term.
“When experiencing my own concern for my children’s education and hearing the concerns of other parents, I chose to register as a substitute teacher and find out first hand what needed to be done to improve our state’s education system,” said Rep. Davis. “After seeing the difficulties faced by teachers and students, I began working with education and government leaders to find meaningful solutions. That work ultimately led me to write and introduce the GEM Act during last year’s term.”
“Working with Representative Davis and the Education Study Committee has shown us that we need to put the focus back on the student and give them options in terms of what it takes to get their diploma,” said Rep. Nix. “We’ve must provide options that lead all Georgia students to success, whether they plan to go to college, technical school, or immediately enter the work force.”
HB 186 would require the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and the Board of Technical and Adult Education to develop course standards that ensure the core curriculum of all Georgia public high schools will be accepted at any institution of higher education in the state beginning with students entering high school in the fall of 2011. This coordination will ensure the readiness of students wanting to continue their education and lessen the need for remedial classes in Georgia colleges and technical schools.
Additionally, the legislation would require students on the Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education (CTAE) pathway to take academic core subject courses and pass end-of-course assessments. These assessments would allow CTAE students to receive credit upon demonstration of proficiency, rather than attendance of a mandatory number of classes. Each student’s proficiency would be graded based on a state wide plan to be developed by the State Board of Education, which will provide standard methods for recording demonstrated proficiency on high school transcripts.
Further, the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development would be required to establish a certification in soft skills for students. Some of the areas included in the certification are punctuality, ability to learn, working as a team, reading for information, and applied mathematics. This soft skills certification will help students strengthen the life skills required for success in the workforce, while continuing to receive the standard education.
Educators are rallying behind this legislation.
“The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) is lending their support for HB 186,” said GAE President Calvine Rollins. “HB 186 will be in the best interest of the students of Georgia.”
“PAGE is in complete support of the new pathways initiative in HB186 and we want to thank Rep. Davis and Rep. Nix for their hard work on this bill,” said Margaret Ciccarelli, a representative for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE).
HB 186 is the culmination of work resulting from the GEM Act that Rep. Davis introduced during the 2009-2010 legislative session and the work of an education study committee that met this past summer. The GEM Act would have brought back the Technical Diploma, which the state is currently phasing out, while also adding personal finance classes that would have taught students financial responsibility.
“This summer’s education study committee really produced a great piece of legislation,” added Rep. Davis. “HB 186 follows the spirit of GEM Act and creates multiple pathways for Georgians to gain a High School diploma. This vital step recognizes that all people are different, having different interests and different ways of learning. Rather than forcing those differences to all fit one set rigid system, HB 186 allows Georgians to specialize their public education to fit their unique talents and interests.”
For more information on HB 186, please click here.
Representative Steve Davis represents the citizens of District 109, which includes portions of Henry County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2004, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Information & Audits Committee and as the Secretary of the State Planning & Community Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Insurance, State Institutions & Property, and Transportation committees.
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