Are We Furloughing Teachers or Furloughing Education?
Recently, our Governor Sonny Perdue suggested that all Georgia teachers take three mandatory, non-paid furlough days in an effort to save money. Georgia is no doubt in an economic challenge with the rest of the world; however, let’s address the ramification of furloughing teachers.
Already, most county systems have implemented a 2% pay cut on teacher salaries in spite of high inflation. Teachers already are responsible for purchasing so many of their own supplies for their classrooms to facilitate learning (now with even less money). How then, will we continue to stand idly by while those who help usher our children into their adult leadership positions are cut down and cut back over and over again?
Mr. Perdue has already scheduled a $346 million dollar cut in education funding this year with the majority of the cuts found in the Quality Based Education program. With such a focus on saving money, why then has our Governor scheduled a 2.5% raise for himself?
It is no surprise that Georgia continues to rank among the lowest in academic performance, just look at the message we are sending to our students. How can we ask our students to take their education seriously when our leaders obviously do not themselves? Although we should hold our students accountable, we cannot stand by and allow some to continue to call them “lazy” and “unmotivated” because of their lack of achievement. We need to stand together and hold those who set the example as leaders accountable for their actions?
At home when money gets tight the first expenses to go are “luxuries.” Educating our children properly is not a luxury; it is most assuredly a necessity. Many of the educators that we have met on the campaign trail, have stated,” They were led to believe that our Governor was for education, but his actions are contrary to his words.” Others were quick to say, “Our children are now seeing what educators have seen for quite some time...the only concern our Governor has about education is cutting funding, furloughing teachers, and sending a message that his salary is more important than investing into our children.” We all know that at home when money gets tight, you certainly wouldn’t put your children out on the street for three days to save money on feeding them. Well, our state’s leadership isn’t starving students of food; but rather, starving them of the opportunity of learning which ultimately will determine their ability to provide food for themselves. Despite the fact that most county school system employees will take their furlough days while students are not in class, teacher workdays are just as vital for planning and preparation for classroom teaching. The argument may be that is there are no short-term ill effects on students; however, what will be the long term effects on our teachers, how our students perceive the importance of their education, and the fate of our state?
Carl Camon we lead the effort to unite for the cause of our students and teachers in this state. Most of the problems that we are faced with in our state today can be linked to a lack of education. We will do what is necessary to provide them with a quality-based education and we will stop cutting their funding. We will consistently send a message to our students that providing them with a fully funded Quality-Based Education is what’s most important to us. In order for this to become a reality, we must find alternative means of saving money. Furloughing teachers is not the solution.
Committee of Hope
Camon For Governor
www.camonforgovernor.com
