Concerns over the No Child

Left Behind Act, low-ranking Georgia SAT scores and school funding cuts

predicted for next year's General Assembly session have prompted

three area state senators to organize a Dec. 1 town hall meeting for the

region.

Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg,

whose 28th District covers most of Coweta County and western and south

Fayette County, is cohosting the open forum with fellow Republican senators

Dan Lee of LaGrange and Bill Hamrick of Carrollton. It takes place from

6:30-8:30 p.m. at White Oak Elementary School, 770 Lora Smith Road off

of Ga. Highway 34 in Coweta County.

They will be joined by Sen.

Joey Brush, a Republican from Martinez in Columbia County outside Augusta,

who heads the Senate Education Committee, and Stuart Bennett, Deputy Commissioner

of Policy and External Affairs for the Georgia Department of Education.

Bennett was head of curriculum

in Fayette County before being wooed away a year ago to work in the administration

of State Superintendent Kathy Cox of Peachtree City. Cox is not scheduled

to attend the meeting.

Brush said he has been busy

in recent weeks traveling the state to hear the voices of those on the

front lines of education in Georgia.

"It is impossible to know

how well education policy is working or what improvements need to be made

just by sitting on Capitol Hill debating it," said Brush. "We

need to get out and travel the state and hear from the teachers, principals,

parents and students who see it firsthand."

The senators and Bennett will

review current education policy and proposed legislation for the 2004

session, which opens Jan. 12.

The town hall meeting is open

to the public and Sens. Hamrick, Lee and Seabaugh encourage teachers,

parents and the general public to attend and share their ideas.

For more information, contact

Sen. Brush's office at 404-657-0406.