Despite an unrelenting pandemic, a culture war at the expense of schools and a continuing drumbeat for vouchers, education advocates and leaders in Georgia are generally upbeat at this week’s start of the 2022 General Assembly.
Yes, they expect ersatz drama around critical race theory and the banning of “obscene” books. But most speakers at the recent annual Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education pre-legislative forum don’t foresee carnage.
“The average lawmaker is not interested in picking a fight with their local public schools, especially rural lawmakers who see public schools as the essential bedrock of their communities,” said Stephen Owens, senior policy analyst of the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute.
Owens predicted a few opportunistic lawmakers will use masks and school closures during COVID-19 to push private school voucher legislation. But he doesn’t see an app
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