As we move closer to the end of the 2017 session we have to pay close attention to the many bills that have crossed over from the senate. Senate Bill 134, also known as "Save, Earn, Win Act Authorizes banks and credit unions to offer cash prizes to winners of drawings held for people that set up and contribute to savings accounts. SB1 will require close attention in that it creates a State Board of Homeland Security and redefines "Terrorism" in a way that appears to leave it up to a Judge to determine if an act of violence against citizens rises to the level of terrorism or not. SB5 increases the amount that the Lottery would contribute to the HOPE scholarship and to pre-K. 

We also saw this week that President Trump is convinced that President Obama  wiretapped his phones and Trump Tower (no evidence to back it up) and that Trump appointee  Ben Carson, thinks that Slaves were Immigrants on the bottom of slave ships dreaming about all of the opportunities waiting for them in America . See for yourself  look at this video.  

House Bill 338, would lay the groundwork for a state-run school accreditation system and create penalties for school systems with low-performing schools, including removal of school board members and school takeovers by the state Board of Education through the new Chief Turnaround Officer.

Under terms of the bill, the state can terminate the contract or charter of low-performing schools or systems that decline when the Chief Turnaround Officer "extends an opportunity" to amend the charter contract with the state to allow the state to come in. If the local school board declines, the state school board, whose members are appointed by the governor, would also be able to impose other sanctions on locally elected school boards if they won't enter into an " intervention contract for the purposes of agreeing to receive assistance."

The job of turnaround coaches is to evaluate why a school is low-performing, according to the legislation.

At the discretion of the Chief Turnaround Officer, a third party may be retained to assist in the evaluation, at the expense of the state. The outside agency or company would be picked by the local school board from a list approved by the CTO.

If there's no improvement after two years, the CTO can appoint a new management team, including removing teachers and administrators, or even reconstitute the school or force the school to become a state charter school, among other sanctions.

Parents with children at those schools would have the option to move to another public school in the system, from "available options provided by the local school system."

The local system, not the state, would have to pay for the additional transportation costs.

The sanctions on failing schools or systems also include possible changes in administration of the school to "a successful school system" or "a private nonprofit entity."

The bill would also create an "Education Turnaround Council" to advise the state Board of Education, including submitting to the board the names of potential candidates for the Chief Turnaround Officer.

The council would have five members - the president of the Georgia Parent Teacher Association and the executive directors of the Georgia School Boards Association, the Georgia School Superintendents Association, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators and the Georgia Association of Educators.

One far-ranging part of the bill would create a "Joint Study Committee on the Establishment of a State Accreditation Process," most of whose members would be appointed by the governor and state House and Senate leaders.

The committee is charged with, among other things, considering "the possible consequences of losing state accreditation that could be administered, such as removal of local board of education members" and the creation of a "school board review commission."

The law also changes some of the other rules governing charter systems and charter schools. Initial contracts for charter systems could be for six years, one more than the current five, and renewal contracts for individual charter schools and charter systems could be up to 10 years.

While the funding sources are different both proposals are about controlling public education and not helping students.  

The Georgia House passed the bill by a 138-37 vote. It now sits in the Senate.