Two Georgia teacher associations are wary of Gov. Nathan Deal’s recent promises about education and the upcoming legislative session, but one is guardedly optimistic while the other sees a grim future.
“We were pleased to hear [Deal’s] proposal to make sure there were no furlough days for next school year and to guarantee that students are in school for a full academic year,” said Marcus Downs, director of government relations for the 43,000-member Georgia Association of Educators.
“While we’re very excited about that, we’re cautiously optimistic about it as well because we understand what the budget numbers look like,” Downs said.
Deal said during last week’s inaugural address that his proposed budget increases education funding by a net of $30 million and would “end teacher furloughs and keep students in school for a full school year.”
To save money, some school systems have scaled back from the standard 180-day school year. Murray County, for instance, has dropped to 160 days but made school days longer. Chattooga County has gone to four-day school weeks.