Conservative Budgeting: Less is more

What innovative practices are state and local governments using to adjust to the “new normal” of lower tax revenues and budget shortfalls?

Leonard Gilroy, Director of Government Reform, Reason Foundation; Moderator: Eva Galambos, Mayor, City of Sandy Springs, Ga.

"A Budget Reform Toolkit for State Governments," by Leonard Gilroy (Powerpoint presentation)

The Promise of Digital Learning

How Georgia can take advantage of the coming disruptive innovation of digital learning.

Susan Patrick, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Association for K-12 Online Learning; Chris Klaus, Founder and CEO, Kaneva, Inc.; Vicki Davis, Co-Founder, Flat Classroom Project and teacher and IT Director at the Westwood Schools (Camilla, Ga.); Moderator: Sajan George, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal

"Hybrid Schools: Turning Around K-12 Public Education in America," by Sajan George

"Online Learning: An Opportunity to Transform Public Education in Georgia," by Michael Horn

K-12 Education: Accountability, Funding and Teacher Quality

How do we encourage accountability in education without going too far?

Dr. Ben Scafidi, Chairman, Georgia Charter School Commission; Dr. William L. Sanders, senior manager of value-added assessment and research, SAS Institute Inc.; Moderator: Russ Moore, Founder, Seamless Education Associates, Inc., and former CEO of Central Educational Center in Newnan, Ga.

"Teaching Effectiveness: The single most important factor affecting student academic progress," by Dr. William L. Sanders (Powerpoint presentation)

"A Summary of Conclusions Drawn from Longitudinal Analyses of Student Achievement Data over the Past 22 Years," by Dr. William L. Sanders

"Improving Teacher Quality," by Dr. Ben Scafidi (Powerpoint presentation)

"When Does Teacher Licensure Make Sense?" (excerpts) by J. J. Arias and Ben Scafidi

"An Analysis of the Retention Rates of Georgia Public School Teachers," by Ben Scafidi

"Do Teachers Really Leave for Higher Paying Jobs in Alternative Occupations?" by Ben Scafidi et al

Getting Criminal Justice Right: Less Crime for Less Money

How to bring corrections costs under control, while reducing crime, making victims whole and putting more offenders on the path to becoming productive, taxpaying citizens.

Marc Levin, Director of the Center for Effective Justice, Texas Public Policy Foundation; Jerry Madden, former Chair and current Vice Chair of the Texas House Committee on Corrections; Moderator: Adam Gelb, Director of the Public Safety Performance Project, Pew Center on the States

"Thinking Outside the Cell: Solutions for Public Safety, Victims & Taxpayers," by Marc Levin (Powerpoint presentation in PDF form)

"What Conservatives Are Saying About Criminal Justice Reform," by Marc Levin

"Getting Corrections Policy Right: 10 Tips for Tough Budget Times," by Marc Levin

"ALEC Takes a Strong Stand on Criminal Justice Reinvestment Models," by Rep. Jerry Madden

"Thinking Outside the Cell: Texas Innovates To Correct Course in Prison System", by Mike Klein

"Georgia prison population, costs on rise," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 4, 2010

"South Carolina’s Public Safety Reform," Pew Center on the States, June 2010

"1 in 31: Georgia fact sheet," Pew Center on the States (full study)

"National Research of Public Attitudes on Crime and Punishment," Pew Center on the States, September 2010

21^st Century Transportation Systems and Funding

Innovative approaches to address Georgia's transportation challenges and improve mobility.

Bob Poole, Director of Transportation Policy, Reason Foundation; Todd Long, Director of Planning, Georgia Department of Transportation; Moderator: Robert Brown, Board member, Georgia State Transportation Board

"HOT Lanes 2010: A Brief Overview," by Bob Poole (Powerpoint presentation)

"Overview of Transportation Sales and Use Tax," by Todd Long (Powerpoint Presentation)

"Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan - 2010-2030," Georgia Department of Transportation

Investing in Georgia's Economy: A Prescription for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Venture Capital

How health care innovation can serve as an economic growth engine in Georgia.

Ross Mason, Founder, HINRI Labs; Bob Bozeman, General Partner at Eastlake Ventures; Mike Cassidy, President and CEO, Georgia Research Alliance; Moderator: Bill Ide, General Counsel, EastWest Institute and Partner, McKenna Long & Aldridge

"How Healthcare Innovation Can Serve as an Economic Engine for Growth in Georgia," by Ross Mason

Tax Reform: Flatter, Broader, Lower

Learning from the lessons of other states, what are the principles to follow to ensure a simpler, pro-growth tax code?

A.D. Frazier, Chairman, Special Council on Tax Fairness for Georgians; Scott Hodge, President, Tax Foundation; Clint Mueller, Legislative Director, Association County Commissioners of Georgia; Moderator: Kelly McCutchen, President, Georgia Public Policy Foundation

State Opportunities in the Health Care Arena

Now that the federal government has passed health care reform, what can Georgia do to maximize market-based solutions?

Ron Bachman, President and CEO, Healthcare Visions, Inc.; Nina Owcharenko, Director of the Center for Health Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation; Moderator: Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, former President, Georgia Ob-Gyn Society

"Health and Wellth for Georgia," by Ron Bachman (Powerpoint presentation)

Federal Health Care Reform Impact on the States, The Heritage Foundation

How Federal Health Care Reform Burdens State Budgets, The Heritage Foundation

Water: Solutions to a Future of Shrinking Supply

Steven Woodruff, President and CEO, Woodruff & Howe Environmental Engineering, Inc. and Board member, Georgia Department of Natural Resources; Dr. Aris Georgakakos, Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech and Director, Georgia Water Resources Institute; Moderator: Benita Dodd, Georgia Public Policy Foundation

"Georgia Water Resources: Waste not, Want not," by Dr. Aris Georgakakos (Powerpoint presentation)

"Georgia’s Water Woes Facts and Solutions," by Steven Woodruff (Powerpoint presentation)

"Cap and Trade for Water Conservation," by Gregory W. Blount

Water Survey

Opening up Georgia Government: Operating with Transparency and Taxpayers in Mind

How governments are using innovative tools to increase transparency and efficiency.

Joe Lonsdale, CEO of Addepar; Dan Miller, Executive Vice President, INgage Networks; Moderator: Patrick Jones, Black Turtle Media

California Common Sense - http://cacs.org / Mission: To harness technology and new media to inform the public about the inefficiencies and abuse that pervade the California state government; to propose solutions to get our state back on fiscal track; and to empower citizens to take action against government waste. (Joe Lonsdale will use this Web site in his presentation.)

"State of Georgia - Open Government," by Dan Miller (Powerpoint presentation)