05 LC 19
6616S
The
House Committee on Education offers the following substitute to SR
21:
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the Joint Early Learning Initiative Commission; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
quality early care and learning opportunities for all children, especially for
at-risk children from birth to five years of age, are essential to improving
school performance for Georgia students; and
WHEREAS,
the state has invested lottery proceeds, state funds, and federal funds in the
Office of School Readiness and
Georgiás
Pre-K Program, for a total of $360,959,969.00 in the 2004 budget adopted in the
2004 session; and
WHEREAS,
there are proposals for delegation of authority and funding over certain federal
early learning programs to the states; and
WHEREAS,
a comprehensive review of early learning opportunities currently available that
support health, social and emotional, cognitive and physical well being of
children from birth to five years of age and recommendations for improvement of
quality early care and learning opportunities would be helpful to the General
Assembly in adopting education policies and appropriating funds for the most
effective uses.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that there is
created the Joint Early Learning Initiative Commission to be composed of 21
members, including four members of the House of Representatives to be appointed
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and four members of the Senate to
be appointed by the Senate Committee on Assignments. The Governor shall appoint
seven members, including one member with expertise relating to early care and
learning programs, one parent with a child enrolled in a pre-kindergarten
program, one parent with a child currently enrolled in Head Start or Early Head
Start, one representative from the child care/early learning center community,
one private provider pre-kindergarten instructor, one public school
pre-kindergarten instructor, and one Head Start instructor. The Chancellor of
the Board of Regents, the Commissioner of the Department of Technical Adult
Education, the director of the Georgia Lottery Corporation, the director of the
Georgia Student Finance Commission, the Georgia State School Superintendent or
her designee, and the commissioner of Bright From the Start: Georgia Department
of Early Care and Learning shall be ex-officio members of the commission. The
Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
and the Senate Committee on Assignments shall designate a member of the Senate
who shall serve as cochairpersons of the commission. The commission shall meet
at the call of the cochairpersons.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission shall undertake a study of the
following: issues relating to the anticipated action of the federal government
in delegating authority relating to Head Start to the state; an examination of
federal and state early learning programs to define efficiencies in each;
options for combining federal and state programs if authority over federal funds
and programs are delegated to the state; an investigation of early learning
efforts statewide, including federal, state, and private programs to assess
innovative approaches and to recommend effective practices; an investigation to
develop and align early learning standards from birth to five years of age and
from kindergarten through 12th grade, thus providing Georgia students with a
seamless system of learning standards; investigate research that demonstrates
that training and credentialing of early care and education teachers is critical
to obtaining positive child outcomes and investigate and improve the
professional development opportunities/system for early care and learning
teachers by the creation of a statewide articulation agreement between
community-based, tech school and colleges and universities that support the
professional development of
Georgiás
early care and education teachers; possible expansion of early learning programs
for at-risk three-year-olds; the creation of a statewide data base system that
ensures a measure of accountability across state programs; an economic impact
study that measures and demonstrates the value of federal, state, and local
investments made in quality early care and education programs in Georgia; and
the impact of an early education income tax credit for families with incomes
under 200 percent of the federally designated poverty level that would allow
low-income families to afford early education options that wealthier families
can afford at institutions of their choice. The commission may recommend any
actions or legislation which the commission deems necessary or appropriate. The
commission may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may
deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its
powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this
resolution. The members of the commission shall receive the allowances
authorized for legislative members of interim legislative committees but shall
receive the same for not more than three days unless additional days are
authorized. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution
shall come from the funds appropriated to the House of Representatives and
Senate. The Carl Vinson Institute at the University of Georgia is authorized and
directed to provide staff services to the commission. In the event the
commission makes a report of its findings and recommendations, with suggestions
for proposed legislation, if any, such report shall be made on or before
December 31, 2006. The commission shall stand abolished on December 31, 2006.