Senate committee responds to some of Woods' recommendations for school turnaround bill, other concerns remain

AJC | The legislative proposal to improve Georgia’s lowest-performing schools got another hearing and some amendments Wednesday, but did not advance through the Senate.

One big requested amendment was not in there: Georgia Superintendent Richard Woods, elected by voters statewide, had asked to be in charge of the turnaround program. He’s argued that he and his Department of Education have improved some of the state’s lowest-performing schools during his two years in office, but in this latest version of the bill the turnaround chief still would report to the state Board of Education, which is appointed by the governor.

Deal, apparently irritated by pressure from Woods on that issue, sent the superintendent a testy letter in February that said the number of “chronically failing” schools increased since Woods took office in 2015. Deal asked him what he’s done “to reverse this downward spiral of failure?”

Woods responded that the failing schools Deal identified are not all considered low-performing under federal guidelines, which are what his agency uses. Only about half of the 153 schools on the governor’s list are also on the education department’s list of low performers, and Woods said he’s made progress with many of the schools on his agency’s list. In essence, the education department and the governor’s office use different yardsticks to measure schools.
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The superintendent’s method is getting the nod from the Senate: instead of directing the turnaround chief to target schools that are on the governor’s list, the new version of HB 338 refers to the education department’s yardstick.

​Read more: ​http://www.myajc.com/news/local-education/senators-consider-amend-georgia-house-school-turnaround-plan/shaVsxTyqXVU3Poa8PzQaI/

The superintendent’s method is getting the nod from the Senate: instead of directing the turnaround chief to target schools that are on the governor’s list, the new version of HB 338 refers to the education department’s yardstick.