State Senator Curt Thompson's
Monthly News Letter
June 2011 Vol. 6
Hello My Friends,
I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the warmer weather. Seems like we have gone right into summer without much of spring, but it is a nice change from the cold we had up until recently. I know most of us are enjoying getting outdoors more after all that snow we had this past winter. The school year is ending for most here in Georgia and we are looking forward to the summer off, but we must all remember that our children will be returning to school and university in the fall and we must do more for the future of our schools. Democrats and Republicans need to work together to reform No Child Left Behind at the federal level. President Obama is pushing for this reform and hopefully we can see both sides working together to accomplish reform, because education should not be partisan.
Part of what that means is that we need accountability, but we cannot have a system that produces teachers that only teach to the test and where it's all about testing, rather than learning or "learning how to learn". Finding great new teachers and training our hard working dedicated professionals that are in our school system now and giving them the support that they need, should be another goal. Without the proper support teachers can not do their job. I hear from teachers how they want better training and development, because they want to be better teachers. They also want to be able to do their job with all the resources available to them, without worrying that they do not have enough for their entire classroom of children. If we continue here in Georgia to defund our school system we are hurting not only the future of our children, but we are also hurting the future of our schools and teachers, because we won’t be attracting the brightest and the best to positions that are temporary or schools that are cutting jobs each year. We can’t say that when the economy picks up we can go back to funding our schools, a year in the life of a child can not be replaced, and a year with less resources and less training for teachers affects all of the students.
The Georgia Supreme Court’s recent ruling that GA Charter Schools were not established legally means that the whole issue of Charter schools will be back, front and center (possibly in the Special Legislative Session) and there too we need to focus on ways to be creative about teaching kids to learn and meeting them where they are at, without abandoning or gutting the public schools funds. School districts are already struggling to find enough funds for teacher’s salaries and student resources without the added strain of having to provide extra funds for Charter Schools. Allowing communities and local school boards to have a say in the education of their children is key, even if that means Charter schools for their districts, but it should not be imposed on districts that can not afford them. Focusing on the future and how to better things for schools and teachers here in Georgia is the right thing to do.
So, this summer as you enjoy your kids time off of school and family gatherings, remember to contact your local school board representatives and local elected officials to voice your opinion, and while you are at it call your representative in Congress and tell him or her to vote for education reform.
This month we will not be having a Citizen Advisory Forum but instead will be having a Summer Fundraiser. You are all cordially invited to join me and my staff, along with Friends of Curt Thompson on June the 15th 2011 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Iron Horse Tavern located 29 Jones St. in Historic Norcross, GA 30071. The phone number there is 678-291-9220. Light appetizers will be served. If you are unable to attend and would like to make a donation you can go online at https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/entity/25553 and make a contribution, or make your check payable to Friends & Family of Curt Thompson, 6320 Glenbrook Dr., Tucker, GA 30084
You can always contact me with your issues and ideas by responding to this email, by emailing me directly at curt@curtthompson.com, going to my website www.makingyourvoicecount.com or by simply getting on the phone and calling me at 404-643-2649.
I look forward to seeing you all at my summer fundraiser!
Thanks for all you do,
Curt
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Curt at May 2011 CAF meeting.
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