Lovinggood PTSA eNews!    

Hoops for Heart
Tuesday March 30, Wednesday March 31, & Thursday April 1
8:15-8:50 a.m.
   
 There will be Basketball Activities on these days.   A minimum of a $10 donation due Tuesday, March 30 will allow students to participate on any or all of the 3 days.  All money raised will go directly to the American Heart Association.  Cash, checks made out to the American Heart Association, and on-line payments (visit www.americanheart.org/hoops for directions) are ways to make donations.  Any questions see a P.E. staff member.
 
 
Hey Hey it's FCA!
Lovinggood on the Lawn is on the way!
April 30th is the big day!
 
How can you help, you say?
By donating fun gift cards which are designed for play!
Collections will begin this Friday at FCA!
 
What??   Donations of gift cards and games for Silent Auction baskets(Examples: board games, restaurants and pizza places, tickets to sporting events, spa treatments, Blockbuster, movie theatre gift certificates, Target, Claire's, American Eagle, Brusters, etc.)
 
When and Where??  Friday morning (8:00 a.m.) FCA meetings for the months of March and April
 
PTA                      
Takes
Action
 
Advocating for every child
Georgia PTA’s weekly update on legislative activity – Mar. 15, 2010
 
Welcome to the weekly reporting of legislative activity for the 2010 session. The General Assembly is scheduled to reach Crossover Day, the 30th day, on Mar. 25th.  Any bill that has not passed out of one chamber to the other, or ‘crossed over’ as it is called, is considered dead for the rest of the legislative session.  The language of a bill may still be appended to another bill (as long as it pertains to the same area of Georgia Code) so it becomes very important to watch for substitute language now as bills move.
 
The revenue numbers for February were released recently and they don’t look positive.  As a result of the continuing declining dollars, the Governor revised his FY 10 and FY 11 budgets.  The remaining ARRA dollars have been moved from the FY 11 budget to fill the over $300 million hole in the FY 10 budget.  That means the estimates for revenue in FY 11 were reduced by over $300 million.  Education’s budget continues to shrink. One well founded rumor is that the 2010-11 school year will be funded only for 170 schools days, not the 180 required by law, and teacher work days will be limited to 4, not the 10 as required.  That would save nearly $600 million, on the backs of school children.  The local boards of education could continue for 180 days, with their own revenues, like the property tax, which means they will take the heat for raising taxes, but the General Assembly will not.
 
Common Core State Standard Initiative (CCSSI)
 
The draft of the Common Core State Standards has been released.  This initiative, lead by the National Governors Association and the Chief Council of State School Officers, is designed to create common standards across the states. They are internationally benchmarked and are intended to prepare students to be college and career ready.  In an increasingly mobile society it is critical that a student’s education does not suffer because the child moves from one state to another.  The goal is to have every state voluntarily adopt these standards so that what a child learns in Massachusetts is the same as what the child learns in Georgia. These standards will establish what students need to learn, but they will not dictate how teachers should teach. Instead, schools and teachers will decide how best to help students reach the standards.
 
GA PTA supports this voluntary state initiative and encourages its members to read more about it.  The standards themselves are open for review and public input is welcome and encouraged.  Public comment will be accepted until April 2.  Please forward this information to other parents and to the teachers in your school so they, too, can learn more about this initiative.  The standards can be found at www.corestandards.org.
 
Legislation to Watch
 
Every week we will report on legislation that we believe is critical to you.  In the next week we anticipate that there will be many committee hearings as legislators try to push bills so they can ‘cross over’.  Legislation passed at the Capitol will have a big impact on your child, your school, your community and you. If PTA has an official position it will be shown next to the bill number. Please note, if PTA has an established position, a local unit cannot take an opposing position.
 
HB 1097: Establishes a school calendar start date not before the third Monday in August. This removes the local board of education’s ability to set the date that best meets the needs and wishes of the local community.  Voted down in House Education committee.
 
HB 927: Anti-bullying: Expands the definition of ‘bullying’ to include electronic bullying that physically harms a person or damages the property of another, has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education, creates an intimidating or threatening education environment, or substantially disrupts the orderly operation of the school. DOE is required to develop a model policy and make it available on the department’s web site for use by local school systems. SUPPORT Tabled on House floor.  Please contact your legislator by Mar. 22 and ask them to support this bill.
 
SB 319, Money appropriated for 'textbooks’ can also be used to purchase computer hardware and software. PASSED Senate and House Science and Tech committee
 
HB 1100: Eliminates the CRCT in grades 1 and 2.  The SBOE can waive any required test if insufficient funds are appropriated. PASSED House Education Committee
 
HB 1121: Tampering with state test answer sheets shall be a misdemeanor such as copy a test booklet, make answer keys available, give inappropriate guidance to students taking the test.  Superintendents and principals are included if they fail to follow testing procedures established by the state.  The penalty is up to a $1000 fine and/or 30 days in jail and is in addition to any other process currently in law, such as loss of certification by the Professional Standards Commission.  The governor’s recommendation. PASSED House Judiciary Non Civil
 
HB 1130: Class sizes can be increased until 2013 by the following:

K-5 can be exceeded by one student
6-12 can be exceeded by two students
State Board of Education may authorize up to one additional student per class upon requests by a local school board.

A 30 notice and a public hearing must be held by the local school board.  The state board may ask for performance measures in exchange for the additional class size authority such as higher graduation rates, SAT or ACT performance, CRCT or EOCT score increases.  Also removes expenditure controls on QBE programs and the 20 additional instructional day program.  PASSED House Education Committee
 
SB 360: Use of a cell phone or texting while driving for those age 18 and under will get points added to their drivers licenses.  Exceptions are in an emergency, reporting or averting a crime, public safety personnel and public utility service folk.  Fine is $500. PASSED Senate Public Safety
 
SB 308: OPPOSE  If one possessed a concealed weapons permit, one may carry it anywhere except a college dorm and a school building.  Shifts issuance of weapons permits to the Secretary of State rather than the local probate judge.  Current law also forbids guns at school functions and within the 1000 ft school safety zone around a school. PASSED Senate Special Judiciary
 
Key: HR- House Resolution,   HB – House Bill, SR– Senate Resolution, SB– Senate Bill
 
Karen Hallacy
GA PTA
2nd Vice President
 
Note: To learn more about Georgia PTA's priorities and position statements, please visit http://www.georgiapta.org/issues-legislative-priorities.html.
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