Web Exclusive - More Solutions To Georgia's Education Crisis
October 22, 2007
A call to arms
Education resources that make a difference
If you're looking to make a difference in the state's education system, here are some
organizations that can help get you started.
Achieve (www.achieve.org)
Helps states raise academic standards and achievement so all students graduate ready for
college, work and citizenship
Atlanta Partners for Education (www.macoc.com)
This partnership between Atlanta Public Schools and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
helps the community get involved in schools.
Bright from the Start, Georgia Department of Early Care & Learning
(www.decal.state.ga.us)
Provides resources for parents, childcare providers, school systems, early childhood policy
makers and local communities concerning early education and childcare services
Business Roundtable (www.businessroundtable.org)
CEOs from leading U.S. companies advocating public policies that improve education
performance and workforce competitiveness
Communities in Schools (www.cisga.org and www.cisnet.org)
Assists educators and social service providers in creating a learner-centered environment
through training, individual consultation, and technical assistance
The Education Trust (www.edtrust.org)
This national nonprofit education organization provides detailed information and advocacy
tools impacting national and state education issues.
Georgia Chamber of Commerce (www.gachamber.com)
Promotes education as one of the resources necessary to keep the state's business community
prosperous
Georgia Department of Education (www.gadoe.org)
Offers information on public school policies, operations, curricula, calendars and contact
information as well as details on testing, exceptional students, classroom instruction, technical
career education, and more
Georgia Family Connection Partnership (www.gafcp.org)
Tracks critical information relevant to the influences of early life experiences on education
Georgia's Leadership Institute for School Improvement (www.galeaders.org)
Focuses on leadership development, policy influence, and research and analysis to support and
equip educational leaders
The Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education (www.gpee.org)
Provides advocacy, policy, and communications support to business, government, and education
leaders to raise academic standards
Georgia School Council Institute (www.georgiaeducation.org)
Provides current information on school performance, with comparisons available by region,
system and state; test scores, including SATs, profiles and information on other schools
Governor's Office of School Achievement (www.gaosa.org)
Provides the latest information to support student achievement at every grade, including
annual accountability report cards on K-12 public schools
Junior Achievement (www.ja.org, www.georgia.ja.org)
Uses hands-on, experiential programs from volunteer business leaders and educators to educate
K-12 students about entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce (www.macoc.com)
Provides initiatives such as the regional education policy committee, a cross-section of
business leaders tasked with identifying ways to improve student achievement in 15 school systems
across 10 counties
National Education Association (www.nea.org)
The nation's largest professional employee organization helps advance the cause of public
education with affiliate organizations in every state.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce (www.uschamber.com)
Provides information and data relevant to education and workforce training
Voices for Georgia's Children (www.georgiavoices.org)
Provides relevant data and links to organizations addressing the well being of Georgia's
children
Four ways to identify your critical talent
1. Which strategies, skills and capabilities are crucial to your current and future success?
2. What emerging workforce trends (e.g., low high school graduation rates) will impact your
ability to deliver value?
3. Who supports your critical segments of talent within their network? Are these supporting
people difficult to replace?
4. Within your critical workforce segments, who possesses the greatest current and future
potential?
Source: "It's 2008: Do You Know Where Your Talent Is? Deloitte Consulting
Education's new 3 R's
In today's quest to improve the education system across the board, the old three R's –
readin', ritin' and ‘rithmetic – have been updated with a more action-oriented acronym: rigor,
relationships and relevance. Following this mantra will keep you focused on what's needed to
improve our state's school system.
- Rigor. Research shows more rigor in the classroom keeps students more engaged and involved
in learning. Educators are seeing the correlation between increased rigor for all students
and academic improvements. The lack of rigor in school is often cited as a reason students are
uninterested in high school and eventually drop out.
- Relationships. Studies show when a student has someone who is interested in his/her
academic success, these students are more likely to do well in school. Students claim having
a teacher/coach/parent/mentor involved and interested keeps them engaged and interested in
completing high school.
- Relevance. Often students claim they don't see the relevance in the subjects they must take
in order to complete a high school education. Business leaders and educators are doing more to
bring relevance into the classroom through real-life examples of use of math, science and other
subjects, showing students how certain subjects prepare them for careers, providing apprenticeship
opportunities in private business, etc. When students see why they must learn what schools require
that they learn, they are more engaged and more interested in the subject.
SOURCE: METRO ATLANTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE