With the beginning of Fiscal Year 2002, Georgia's technical education
system entered a new era. Thanks to Governor Barnes' A + Education
Reform Act of 2000 (House Bill 1187), our colleges are named to
reflect their capabilities, and we have a funding formula that will
help enable the system to meet increasing demand.
As our system continues to grow, the basic structure that we have
put in place must continue to be maintained and examined in the
interests of continuous improvement. The means by which we
implement statewide innovations-our yearly initiatives system-
has proven itself useful from the start. As innovations surface
from throughout the system-from individual faculty members,
administrators, departments-research is performed, focus groups
developed, pilot projects engineered. Certain of these, it begins to
become apparent, offer the possibility of significant impact for
communities across the state. These innovations, tested in successful
pilot projects, are then implemented throughout the technical
college system. Results and progress are closely monitored;
statewide reports are generated and shared with the commissioner
and all the technical college presidents each quarter. Annually, each
innovation, termed initiatives at this point, is considered and analyzed.
Often, the decision is made to continue the monitoring phase
for another year or more. It is important to keep the initiative in
this phase until we are certain that all necessary improvements have
been implemented.
Once we are sure of the value of the initiative, in a most natural
progression, it becomes a standard business practice. This system
has proven most successful for our system. Several of the programs
that began as initiatives have been adopted as models by other
states.
Our seven FY 2002 Initiatives include programs that reach out to all
segments and levels of Georgia's workforce, addressing needs from
literacy to high-level information technology, delivering support to
business, industry, families, and communities.
We look forward to continuing our history of service to Georgia as
we use this process as one way we remain responsive to the demands
of the workplace.
Dr. Kenneth Breeden
Commissioner, Georgia Department
of Technical and Adult Education
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