Dr. Ben Scafidi, director of the Economics of Education Policy Center, said the conference will focus on two key issues facing education in Georgia today.

“The two most important questions facing Georgia's education system right now are how to improve achievement in high school and whether to pursue school choice,” Scafidi said. “This conference provides a forum to discuss these important issues. Also, our neighbor, Florida, has experienced impressive gains in student achievement. Our keynote speaker John Winn will talk about how Florida made those improvements.”

Conference coordinators sought the best experts on these two issues:

• George Israel, President of Georgia Chamber
• Ben Scafidi, Director of the Economics of Education Policy Center at GCSU
• Kati Haycock, founder and president of Education Trust
• George Leef, Director of Research at the John W. Pope Center for Higher Education Policy
• Dr. Matthew Ladner, Vice President of Research for the Goldwater Institute
• Gerald Robinson, President of Black Alliance for Education Options
• Kenneth W. Russell, former state president of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) and Social Studies teacher
• Keynote Speaker: John Winn, former Commissioner of Florida Department of Education and 35-year educator

Scafidi is a nationally recognized expert on education policy. He also serves as associate professor of economics at Georgia College and is the director of Center for an Educated Georgia. He serves as chair of the state of Georgia’s Charter Commission and is a member of the state’s Charter Advisory Committee.

There are four sponsors of the 2009 Education Reform Conference:

• The Economics of Education Policy Center at Georgia College & State University conducts research and technical assistance for the evaluation and design of state and local education policy. The objective of the Center is to promote the development of sound education policy and public understanding of education issues with the goal of maximizing student learning and achievement.

• The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is the unified voice of the Georgia business community at the state capitol and in Washington, D.C., aggressively advocating the business viewpoint in the shaping of public policy, encouraging ethical business practices, and ensuring the state’s future as economically prosperous, educationally competitive and environmentally responsible.

• The Georgia Public Policy Foundation is an independent think tank that proposes practical, market-oriented approaches to public policy to improve the lives of Georgians. Since 1991, the Foundation has conducted scholarly research and analysis of state public policy issues and worked to educate citizens, policy-makers and the media. Its philosophy is that good public policy is based upon fact, an understanding of sound economic principles and the core principles of our free
enterprise system – economic freedom, limited government, personal responsibility, individual initiative, respect for private property and the rule of law.

• The Center for an Educated Georgia (CEG) at Georgia Family Council is dedicated to ensuring that all children in the state have access to a quality education. To fulfill this mission, CEG conducts original education research to identify problems and devise solutions, works with communities and stakeholders to advance
education reform and school choice, and works with lawmakers and state agencies to advocate for comprehensive education reform.

For more information contact Ben Scafidi at ben.scafidi@gcsu.edu or (478) 445-2578.