Education is a complex business. Schools are democratic institutions owned by the people but impacted by several layers of governance, leadership, and management at the federal, state, and local levels. At each level, various entities have the power to enhance the educational program that schools and school districts are able to provide, or to create conditions that detract from the delivery of quality education for every child. Because of their power and influence, agencies, organizations, and individuals with governance and leadership responsibilities for public education must be accountable for how effectively each carries out its respective roles. Understanding those roles—and how they interrelate as well as how they differ—is crucial to ensuring the quality governance, leadership, and accountability Georgia’s students and schools deserve.
This component of the Vision for Public Education in Georgia identifies and describes the governance, leadership, and accountability elements that are essential for Georgia’s educational system to provide the state’s children a world-class education that prepares them for learning, work, and life in a global society.