ATLANTA — There’s a huge geographical gap in Georgia education, according to an analysis by a researcher who examines trends in the rural part of the state.
The blog "Trouble in God's Country" shows a fresh take on an old concept that there are light years of difference between metro Atlanta and the rest of the state.
The analysis shows metro Atlanta school children do more with their educational opportunities than do those in rural Georgia.
Researcher Charlie Hayslett looked at U.S. census data. He factored in the number of high school dropouts, high school graduates and those who took college courses or earned college degrees.
The research Hayslett posted found that if ranked among the 50 states, 12 core metro Atlanta counties would rank third in the nation in educational attainment – behind Colorado and Massachusetts.
But it also found the remaining 147 Georgia counties – if ranked among the states – would rank No. 49 in the nation – behind Mississippi and ahead of West Virginia.
"Georgia’s got maybe a dozen counties that’ll be at the top of most national lists. But it’s got 40 to 50 to 60 that will always be stuck at the bottom," Hayslett said. "It’s like you're going from one world to another."
Hayslett said it would be next to impossible for the state to effectively bridge the educational gap. Former Banks County school superintendent Chris Erwin says lawmakers will need to try.
"We well know that in education, that the attainment of our young people is often correlated with the attainment level of their parents," said Erwin, now a GOP state representative who is vice chair of the House education committee. "I do think it is our state’s responsibility to improve that access."
Hayslett said the gap between Georgia’s haves in metro Atlanta – and the have-nots in rural Georgia -- is getting larger and not smaller.
The bright spot, statistically, is that metro Atlanta is getting geographically larger. Dawson and Coweta Counties are among the exurban counties now showing higher levels of high school and college degrees, data shows.