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Rep.
Hackworth invited to participate with Governor Phil Bredesen in a
round-table discussion on pre-K Education with Parents and Students of
Oak Ridge.
(May 3, 2008) This past week I was invited by Governor
Phil Bredesen to participate in a round-table discussion on pre-K
education with parents and students of Oak Ridge. I got to hear
from lots of people on the topic of education and I want to thank
everyone who participated in the round-table for taking time to share
their thoughts.
Budget talks continue to dominate the
headlines with many saying that it is going to get a lot worse before it
gets better. The House of Representatives is waiting for Governor
Bredesen to present his proposed budget for Tennessee. Current
expectations place the shortfall as high as $550 million, meaning that
serious cuts will need to be made in order to produce a balanced budget.
While talk of cuts has a lot of people
worried, I want to stress that I am going to do all that I can to see to
it that education is NOT one of those areas that has to endure
significant cuts. Our children deserve the best education
possible, and thanks to the “Schools First Initiative” and BEP 2.0
reforms we passed last year, I believe we can continue to improve the
situation in our schools during this slim budget year.
Now, we may have to put further
expansion of our education spending on hold, and it may mean that we
limit our opportunities to grow this year. But, what I will not
settle for is a scale-back or reduction in teacher pay or in the funding
that is currently being put into Anderson County schools. Families
are already suffering from high food and gas prices. The children
don’t deserve to also suffer in their education opportunities as well.
These next few weeks are going to be
tough ones for all of us, but rest assured that the education of
Tennessee’s children will be a priority of mine and for the lawmakers
here in Tennessee.
If you would like to know more about
education funding, or if you have an issue you’d like me to address,
then please contact my office at (615) 741-4400 or e-mail me at
rep.jim.hackworth@legislature.state.tn.us.
Thank you again for taking the time to
learn more about what your state government is doing for you and I look
forward to speaking with you again soon.
Rep. Jim Hackworth
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