As America and the world adjust to the new normal caused by the worst pandemic known to mankind, the 2021 Georgia General Assembly is in high gear with many education bills in both the House and Senate chambers for consideration. The Georgia PTA Board of Directors is committed to the continued growth of advocacy by their local units, councils and districts. You can become a part of their efforts! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 2nd at 9 AM for their virtual 2021 Georgia PTA Day at the Capitol. This event is designed to help child advocates speak up for the health and well-being of all children at Georgia’s State Capitol. This event will provide leaders the resources needed to strengthen their state level advocacy efforts.
2021 Georgia PTA Day at the Capitol is open to everyone!
There are 40 days in Georgia’s Legislative session. Tuesday, February 16, 2021 was Day 17 of the 2021 legislative session. Here are the many bills up for consideration:
HOPE Scholarship:
2021 Georgia PTA Day at the Capitol is open to everyone!
There are 40 days in Georgia’s Legislative session. Tuesday, February 16, 2021 was Day 17 of the 2021 legislative session. Here are the many bills up for consideration:
HOPE Scholarship:
- HB 87 will provide HOPE grant eligibility for students seeking an associate degree at a branch of the Technical College System of Georgia. It also includes remedial and developmental courses required for such degree.
- HB 89 will provide students who do not qualify for the Zell Mill Scholarship freshman year a path to the scholarship.
- HB 283 Zell Miller Scholarship will remove the SAT and ACT requirements for students who graduate from eligible high schools.
Attendance:
- HB155 and SB 3 raise the compulsory school attendance age to 17.
- HB 262 will lower the compulsory school attendance age to 4 calling for mandatory Pre-K. Currently, Georgia’s children are required to attend school between their 6th and 16th birthdays.
Elementary school:
- SB 110 would prohibit homework in grades K-2
- SB 122 the mandatory Recess Bill would require 30 minutes of recess in grades K-8
Georgia PTA supports great programming and recess but cannot support legislators taking control away from local school boards. Bills like HB 287which includes Vaping and Tobacco in Health Education or SB 15 which requires coursework in Founding Philosophy Principles of the US and Black History provide for positive additions to education curriculum, however, we must urge our legislators, to work with local school boards to make those changes locally or through the state school board. Local school boards are more likely to know the needs of their schools and families. Regarding Vaping and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: Georgia PTA supports legislation, regulation, and local measures to address the manufacturing of and ingredients in e-cigarettes and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery System as well as to prohibit the advertising, marketing and sale of e-cigarettes and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery System, to youth (18 years or younger) and to prohibit the use of e-cigarettes and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery System in public places and school grounds. These are but a few issues that will be discussed at their virtual 2021 PTA Day at the Capitol.
Here are other bills the Georgia PTA is following:
HB 54: Education; instruction on the best practices for and risks associated with the use of tampons; provide
HB 60: Education; Expand eligibility of who qualifies for Education Savings Acct.
HB 87: Education; HOPE grant eligibility for students seeking an associate degree; provisions
HB 89: Education; eligibility as a Zell Miller Scholarship Scholar for students who do not qualify as freshmen
HB 155 & SB 3: Education; raise age of mandatory education for children from 16 to 17
HB 195: Quality Basic Education Act; require course of study in sex education and HIV/AIDS prevention instruction is medically accurate
HB 201 & SB 17: Unlocking the Promise Whole Child Model Schools Act; enact
HB 259: Education; need based HOPE scholarship and grant; create
HB 262: Education; mandatory pre-kindergarten and kindergarten for all children prior to entering into first grade; provide
HB 276: Education; unlawful for public or private schools whose students compete against a public school to operate athletic programs that permit a person whose gender is male to participate in an athletic program that is designated for females; provideHB 283: Education; HOPE; revise definition of term Zell Miller Scholarship Scholar
HB 287: Education; tobacco and vapor products in course of instruction regarding alcohol and drugs; include
HB 372: Education; definition for the term gender; provide
SB 15: Coursework in the Founding Philosophy and Principles of the USA; new category of coursework dealing with the history of Black people and their contributions to American society; create
HB 54: Education; instruction on the best practices for and risks associated with the use of tampons; provide
HB 60: Education; Expand eligibility of who qualifies for Education Savings Acct.
HB 87: Education; HOPE grant eligibility for students seeking an associate degree; provisions
HB 89: Education; eligibility as a Zell Miller Scholarship Scholar for students who do not qualify as freshmen
HB 155 & SB 3: Education; raise age of mandatory education for children from 16 to 17
HB 195: Quality Basic Education Act; require course of study in sex education and HIV/AIDS prevention instruction is medically accurate
HB 201 & SB 17: Unlocking the Promise Whole Child Model Schools Act; enact
HB 259: Education; need based HOPE scholarship and grant; create
HB 262: Education; mandatory pre-kindergarten and kindergarten for all children prior to entering into first grade; provide
HB 276: Education; unlawful for public or private schools whose students compete against a public school to operate athletic programs that permit a person whose gender is male to participate in an athletic program that is designated for females; provideHB 283: Education; HOPE; revise definition of term Zell Miller Scholarship Scholar
HB 287: Education; tobacco and vapor products in course of instruction regarding alcohol and drugs; include
HB 372: Education; definition for the term gender; provide
SB 15: Coursework in the Founding Philosophy and Principles of the USA; new category of coursework dealing with the history of Black people and their contributions to American society; create
SB 47: Expands who qualifies for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship to include students with select Section 504 Plans, children of active military parents based in GA, and children in foster care
SB 110: “After School Recess Act”; enact prohibit the assignment of graded homework for students in grades kindergarten through two
SB 122: “Quality Basic Education Act,”; scheduled recess periods of 30 minutes each school day for students in kindergarten through grade eight; provide
If you have any suggestions for bills to follow or questions, please email the Georgia PTA Legislative Chair, Vernetta K. Nuriddin at legislation@georgiapta.org.
