During the General Assembly session, I testified before the Senate Education Committee in support of legislation to stop Critical Race Theory in Georgia schools. Many other activists from around Georgia contacted their state legislators about this issue and some spoke before Senate and House committees. The Georgia House and Georgia Senate listened and passed the bills we supported. We expect the Governor to sign the final version of this bill very soon.

Thank you for your phone calls and messages to legislators to push this legislation across the finish line. Together, we made a difference.

See below for details about the CRT bill and other key education measures that passed.

Jim Jess
Chairman
Franklin Roundtable

See the message below from Heritage Action for America, which has been working with Franklin Roundtable and other activists from across Georgia to end Critical Race Theory in Georgia schools.

Great news!

Last Monday night, the Georgia General Assembly passed the CRT bill which we have worked so hard for all session! Legislators also sent the Parents’ Bill of Rights to the governor’s desk and expanded Georgia’s private school choice tax credit program.

You can read more about those important wins in our statement below:

Georgia Legislature Moves to Break Up Big Education Cartel

PRESS RELEASE · APR 4, 2022

WASHINGTON — Today, Heritage Action, a conservative organization with two million grassroots activists nationwide, including thousands of Georgians, released a statement from Executive Director Jessica Anderson applauding the Georgia General Assembly for working to break up the Big Education cartel by passing three important education bills – The Protect Students First Act (HB 1084), The Parents’ Bill of Rights (HB 1178), and an expansion of Georgia’s private school tax credit scholarship program (HB 517).

The Protect Students First Act (HB 1084) incorporates policy recommended by Heritage Action and The Heritage Foundation to protect public school students and teachers from racial discrimination, compelled belief that any race is inherently superior or inferior, and any curricula, classroom instruction, or mandatory training programs that advocate for the divisive worldview of critical race theory.

Georgia’s students should be taught that they are valuable and can achieve anything they put their minds to in America, regardless of their race. Heritage Action thanks State Representatives Will Wade and Brad Thomas, State Senators Butch Miller and Bo Hatchett, and the entire Georgia General Assembly for their work to stand up for Georgia’s students against the Big Education cartel’s state-sanctioned racial discrimination in the form of the application of CRT’s destructive worldview. The Protect Students First Act delivers a massive victory for Georgia’s students and for equality in the Peach State.

The Parents’ Bill of Rights (HB 1178) acknowledges the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children, protecting parents’ ability to review all instructional materials intended for use in their child’s classroom.

Too often, the Big Education cartel seeks to keep parents from seeing what is being taught in schools. Parents have even had to resort to using freedom of information requests just to see what materials are used in their children’s classrooms. The Parents’ Bill of Rights removes obstacles to curriculum transparency so that families can make informed decisions about their children’s education.

Georgia’s private school tax credit scholarship program allows individuals and businesses in Georgia to make charitable contributions to non-profit organizations that award K-12 private school scholarships to eligible students. Currently, nearly 16,200 students in Georgia use these scholarships, but the cap on contributions and scholarship disbursements is hit every year, leaving a large demand unmet. HB 517 expands the cap by twenty percent, giving more parents expanded options for their children’s education.

No two children are the same, and a parent should not be forced to accept a one-size-fits-all approach to their child’s education directed by the Big Education cartel. School choice ensures every child receives an education best suited to their needs. We applaud the General Assembly for recognizing that more children should have education choice and Heritage Action looks forward to working with policymakers to expand these efforts next year.

Background:

In response to the Left’s smear campaign against HB 1084, Heritage Action released a Myth vs Fact sheet outlining the truths about The Protect Students First Act.
Heritage Action put together a representative list of egregious examples of CRT ideology in Georgia schools.
In August 2021, Heritage Action announced the launch of Save Our Schools, an initiative to support parents’ rights to fight for the values of their children and weed out Critical Race Theory and its divisive teachings.
In December 2021, Heritage Action joined a letter calling for state legislators to enact policies to reject the racial prejudice inherent in Critical Race Theory, maximize transparency around what is taught in K-12 classrooms, and secure education choice.
A June 2021 Heritage Action/OnMessage poll of likely Georgia voters shows Georgians oppose the application of CRT in their schools. 81% agree children should be taught about the American Dream available to them and not that their destiny and inherent value is dependent on skin color – a position that crosses racial, gender, geographical, and party lines with overwhelming majorities.

Thank you for contacting your state legislators during the legislative session. It made a real difference! Be sure to thank them for their work on behalf of Georgia students and parents.

Best,

James

James Quarles
Southern Regional Coordinator
Heritage Action for America