Governor Perdue Announces Programs Furthering Education and the Economy at Eggs & Issues Breakfast

VIP Recruiters, Education Scoreboard and Venture Capital Fund Announced

ATLANTA– Governor Sonny Perdue announced today three new programs to continue furthering Georgia’s educational system and economy.  Governor Perdue made these announcements as part of his annual address at the Eggs & Issues Breakfast hosted by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce at the Georgia World Congress Center.

“Education remains my top priority, and focusing on critical involvement by parents and guardians is the next vital step in ensuring student success,” said Governor Sonny Perdue.  “The VIP Recruiter Program will help parents take a vested interest in their child’s education and remain involved throughout their child’s academic career.”

The VIP (“Very Important Parent”) Recruiter Program will target 551 Georgia elementary, middle and high schools with high truancy levels.  The program will provide a grant for a VIP recruiter in each school to ensure that parents, who might otherwise not be involved, become engaged in their child’s education.  The recruiter will aid parents in navigating the educational system, foster connections between teachers and parents and provide resources for parents to use with their children to raise academic achievement.   

The VIP Recruiter Program builds on the success of the Graduation Coach program.  The program, launched by Governor Perdue in 2006, has placed coaches in Georgia’s middle and high schools to ensure that at-risk youth successfully graduate from high school.

In order to help Georgians monitor the state’s progress in education, Governor Perdue also announced today the launch of the Education Scoreboard.   Georgia’s Education Scoreboard is a website that provides education stakeholders with a straightforward indication of student achievement in Georgia, from pre-kindergarten through postsecondary education. 

This scoreboard is the first single source available to education stakeholders that clearly and concisely reports the quality of Georgia’s education system.  Previously, stakeholders had to visit multiple sites to piece together an understanding of the overall system.  The Education Scoreboard fills this gap and reports the “bottom line” of education in Georgia.  The scoreboard will be available today on the website of the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement at http://www.gaosa.org.

Governor Perdue also launched today the Georgia Research Alliance Venture Capital Fund.   This fund will allow the state to partner with the private sector to provide early stage financing for businesses formed around intellectual property developed in Georgia’s research universities.  The state’s $10 million investment will be matched 3 to 1 by private dollars for a total of $40 million for the fund. 

Maintaining a robust transportation infrastructure is also a priority for Georgia’s economic growth and development.  Governor Perdue wants to keep Georgia’s ports the gateway to American commerce for importers and exporters.  Governor Perdue’s budget will include $52 million in total funds to deepen the Savannah Harbor to 48 feet.   This expansion project will allow the port to accommodate growing volumes of cargo carried by today’s larger ships, allowing our state to capitalize on new international trade opportunities.  Total tonnage for the Port of Savannah in the first six months of FY08 grew by 26.3 percent over last year.  

Governor Perdue is also determined to ensure that taxpayers receive the best value for every dollar spent in transportation.  He will work with the Georgia Department of Transportation to ensure that the Governor’s Fast Forward Program provides effective and efficient use of transportation dollars.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, January 16) Governor Perdue will make his annual State of the State address in the chamber of the Georgia House of Representatives at 2 p.m.  His remarks will be streamed live on Georgia Public Broadcasting’s website at http://www.gpb.org/stateofthestate.

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