High School Graduation
An important piece of a thriving workforce, and a growing economy, is the level of education in a state. Business leaders, and our membership, understand the importance of the school system and the impact it has on the operation of their companies. That is why a focus on high school graduation is a primary effort of the Chamber. We understand that our state cannot produce the skilled workforce of tomorrow unless our schools successfully educate the students of today.
In order to achieve this goal, the Chamber supports the following education initiatives:
- implementation of rigorous academic standards that are aligned with national and international standards;
- implementation of a standardized student information system for tracking performance through high school and beyond to measure the progress and achievement of students, teachers, schools and school systems;
- efforts to improve performance in appropriate competency measures, increase high school and post-secondary graduation rates, and reduce the need for remedial education;
- efforts to attract, train and retain high-quality teachers, especially in high-demand subject areas, and to link teacher compensation with improvements in student performance;
- efforts to develop and hold accountable strong educational leaders and administrators;
- efforts to hold school districts and boards accountable for student achievement to ensure quality governance;
- efforts to improve student performance through state- and locally authorized charter schools that enable greater academic and fiscal flexibility tied to greater accountability;
- efforts to improve student performance through public and private-sector incentives that, with appropriate accountability, empower students to attend the public or private school of their choice; and
- efforts to promote school readiness by increasing the quality and availability of early care and education for children from birth through age 5.
Georgia's business community is only as strong as its workforce. Developing and educating the leaders of tomorrow is our job today. With the combined support of business leaders all over the state, the Chamber is committed to advocating for educational reform that keeps the future of Georgia business bright.
