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Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005
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I love what I am doing at midpoint of termFive questions for Kathy CoxBy J. FRANK LYNCH Halfway through her first term as state Superintendent of Schools, Kathy Cox has hit her stride. In just two years, the Peachtree City resident and former Fayette County high school social studies teacher has literally redefined the office of state superintendent and turned the Department of Education into a streamlined, effective, accessible resource to improve Georgia schools. Her oft-repeated goal of leading the nation in improving student achievement no longer seems so far-fetched. Georgia students this year posted gains on standardized tests and SATs, and more than 80 percent of state schools made Adequate Yearly Progress. Implementation of a new curriculum called the Georgia Performance Standards will start in the fall, raising the bar on what Georgia school kids are expected to learn. With less than two years remaining until she seeks reelection, the Republican finds herself sharing in the first GOP-controlled state government in modern history. But it remains to be seen how willing this legislature is to negotiate education spending, which accounts for more than half of the states proposed $17 billion budget. Recently, The Citizen asked Cox to respond to five midterm questions. Q. In your first two years, the General Assembly cut education spending by an estimated half billion dollars to shore up funding in other areas of the state budget, and Gov. Perdue didn't always appear to be on your side in that fight. With the GOP now the majority in both the House and Senate for the first time since Reconstruction, has that process changed? And how committed is the governor to your cause of improving Georgia's schools? A. This is an exciting time to be part of public education in the state of Georgia. We have the opportunity to make real progress - and a close look at our state's test scores shows that we are steadily improving. I am focused on doing everything in my power to improve our public schools and insure every student is receiving an excellent education. Gov. Perdue is also committed to improving and supporting public education. He has taken the bold step of convening the Governor's Education Finance Task Force, which is examining the way we currently fund public education. The tack force will develop a new formula for financing "educational excellence" in our state. On Jan. 27, the governor and I are holding a statewide Community Conversation and the public is invited to join us. We'll be developing a definition of educational excellence that will set the expectations for the continued work of the Task Force. More information is available online at www.ie2.org The governor has also shown he's committed to our state's teachers by proposing a 2 percent pay raise. It was difficult for Gov. Perdue to find $104 million to fund teacher raises in an already tight state budget. This is the same budget that funds hospitals, Medicaid, prisons, roads, emergency services, and more. Its truly a challenge to find that money without shortchanging other vital governmental functions. The governor and I believe that there is no group that deserves a pay increase more than our hard-working and dedicated teachers. We agree that the proposed raise should be given to teachers at the beginning of the next school year, rather than the delayed raise the House gave them last year. I applaud the governor for his willingness to make teacher pay raises a priority. Q. Your exhaustive overhaul of the state's curriculum is nearly complete. When will parents and students actually start seeing the changes brought on by the new Georgia Performance Standards? A. The creation and implementation of the new Georgia Performance Standards curriculum is the single most important thing our state has done to improve student achievement in the last 18 years. Setting clear expectations and aligning the curriculum to our states testing program will assure that all students are being taught the same material, with the same rigor, in all corners of Georgia. Teachers across our state are currently receiving curriculum training and next year the first pieces of the new curriculum will be seen in Georgias classrooms. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade will be taught to the new Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) English/language arts curriculum. Sixth graders will be learning new GPS math standards. Sixth graders, seventh graders, and high school students will be taught our states newly strengthened science curriculum. The entire new curriculum will be fully in place in all subject areas and all grade levels by the 2008-2009 school year. Q. It's been exactly one year since the infamous "evolution" debate reared its ugly head, but most people seem to have forgotten about it. What lessons did you take away from that clearly unpleasant experience? A. The most important lesson learned from that experience is that rich public dialogue is an extremely valuable piece of the puzzle as we work to reform public education in Georgia. I firmly believe that Georgias new science curriculum is among the best in the nation. National experts agree that, when fully rolled out, Georgia students will leave high school prepared to tackle college and beyond. Public input helped us get to this point and all of Georgias students will benefit. Q. You're fond of telling folks that the only Constitutional requirement of your job is to visit school systems, which you do frequently. What do you hear from Georgians as you traverse the four corners of the state? A. Visiting with teachers and seeing them at work is one of the things that I enjoy most about being state Superintendent of Schools. The thing I see and hear most is optimism. Teachers are encouraged by the improved student achievement were seeing in our state. Theyre completely focused on helping all students learn at high levels and encouraged that their hard work is paying off. Change is difficult, and the classroom environment has changed. I think it is important for teachers to know that the state Superintendent of Schools recognizes this reality and is trying to get them the training and the resources needed to make the transformation successful. I also hear about their daily challenges as well as their personal success stories. The visits help remind me how difficult a teachers job really is. The trips keep me grounded and seeing the students always helps bring me back to the real reason I became state Superintendent of Schools, to help Georgias children achieve. Q. You just turned 40 in August, and I know you miss the classroom. Assuming you won't be state superintendent forever, do you see yourself returning to Fayette County to teach one day or do you have even higher aspirations? A. It may sound passe, but I really do take one day at a time and I dont spend too much time speculating about my future. I love what I am doing, and every day I try to do something positive to get Georgia to the goal of leading the nation in improving student achievement. |
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