October/November 2018
Election 2018
Candidate Positions on Education Testing Private School Tax Credit Poverty School Safety Rural Georgia School Funding Teacher Retention & Pay Teachers Retirement System
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Contents
October/November 2018
Vol. 40 No. 2
7
Features
07 Election 2018: Candidate Positions on Education • Candidate Responses to PAGE Questions
• Candidate Positions at a Glance • A Primer on Georgia Tuition Tax Credits and Vouchers • State School Superintendent Candidate Forum
Columns
Departments
4 From the President “You Gave Me the Will to be Respectful and Responsible”
Spotlight on Middle Georgia 20 Bibb County Top Teachers Address Emotional Needs of Students
5 From the Executive Director Your Vote May Impact School Funding, Student Services and Testing
PAGE News 27 Three Seasoned Educators Join PAGE Staff Professional Learning 28 Your Classroom, Your Students: Best Practices, Research and Going to Scale
20 Middle and South Georgia Has an Alarming Percentage of Impoverished Students Legal 22 PAGE Attorneys Brief Each Other on Topical Cases Involving Georgia Educators 24 Avoid Common Mistakes Made on Certificate Applications
Student Programs 30 PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon Curriculum Encompasses the 1960s, Lasers and Tom Stoppard 31 2018 PAGE Foundation Scholarship Recipients Announced
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20 PAGE One Official Publication of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators Our core business is to provide professional learning for educators that will enhance professional competence and confidence, build leadership qualities and lead to higher academic achievement for students, while providing the best in membership, legal services and legislative support.
October/November 2018
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PAGE ONE 3
From the President
“You Gave Me the Will to Be Respectful and Responsible” Dr. Hayward Cordy
“No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” — Dr. James Comer, MD, MPH, Professor of Child Psychiatry, Yale University
“I
’m doing this tribute to you because I think you deserve recognition for all that you have done to influence my life. There are a number of things to thank you for, but the three most important lessons you have taught me are to keep good grades, to have a positive attitude and to be responsible. … I always looked up to you because I don’t have my father around me all the time. I hope you understand that you gave me the will to be respectful and responsible. You remembered that I had a little brother and sister to look after. You reminded me that my mom needs me. Thank you for those encouraging words, and thanks for being there when I needed you most.” (Reginald, 1996) A 10th grader, who was a former middle school student of mine, wrote those words. He presented me with the message in a wooden picture frame he made in his industrial arts class. My interactions with that student were relational and personal. Upon seeing him in the hall one day, I did not berate him or tell him to come to my office for further discipline. Instead, I called him by name and let him know that I knew that he had an older brother and a younger
4 PAGE ONE
brother and sister who would model themselves after him. I demonstrated that I valued him enough to know his name and family situation. I used this as an opportunity to teach him that he was responsible for his behavior and that his situation was subject to change and that his future was bright. Christian writer Josh McDowell, author of “The Disconnected Generation” (2000), theorizes that children and adult caregivers are connected by relationships, not by rules. Rules without relationship result in rebellion, while rules as part of a strong relationship elicit positive outcomes. Building relationships with students does not mean becoming their buddy. It means getting to know students as individuals. It means insisting on high-quality work and offering support. It means managing classroom behavior without slighting a student’s dignity. It means separating the child from the behavior, realizing that behavior can change while who the child is remains constant. Educators build positive relationships with students in various ways. In “A Framework for Understanding Poverty” (2003), Ruby Payne and her colleagues
asked high school students to cite indicators of being shown respect by the teacher. Students identified the following: • The teacher calls me by my name. • The teacher answers my questions. • The teacher talks to me respectfully. • The teacher notices me and says “Hi.” • The teacher helps me when I need help. In his book “Motivating Students Who Don’t Care” (1995), Allen Mendler cites a technique that I have found useful. It is called the 2-Minute Intervention, whereby the teacher invests two uninterrupted, undivided minutes a day for 10-consecutive days for the purpose of building a positive relationship with a particular student. During this time, the teacher initiates contact with the student about anything appropriate, except negative academic progress or behavior. The teacher might speak to the child in the cafeteria or at a ballgame, for example. Until we teach to the souls of children, we will not see in them sustained academic and behavioral progress. When we reach students on an emotional level, their view of themselves and their ability to self-regulate improves, as does their n hope for a brighter future.
October/November 2018
From the Executive Director
Your Vote May Impact School Funding, Student Services and Testing
T
he political season is upon us — or maybe it never stopped. It seems it’s a 24/7/365 cycle these days with wall-to-wall news coverage and the constant back-and-forth on social media. PAGE is doing its part to inform educators on the views of key, statewide candidates who will directly influence education in the next four years, and we encourage you to read candidate responses to a PAGE survey in this issue of PAGE One. You also can hear directly from superintendent candidates Richard Woods (incumbent) and Otha Thornton from their participation in the PAGE Education Forum hosted by Georgia Public Broadcasting (http://www.gpb. org/pageforum). Additionally, Director of Legislative Affairs Margaret Ciccarelli and I summarized some of the major views of gubernatorial candidates Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp to kick off the GPB-hosted forum. Considering our survey responses and education policy discussions at various levels in recent months, there is reasonable anticipation for more supportive policy decisions for educators and students. This is indicated in three major areas: budget, wraparound services and emphasis on high-stakes testing. It’s impossible to know if we can make as much progress as we’d like as quickly as we’d like, but attitudes are moving in the correct direction, and PAGE will do all it can to push forward. The General Assembly eliminated austerity cuts for fiscal year 2019
Craig Harper for the first time in 16 years. By doing so, Gov. Nathan Deal took the final step in a multiyear effort to fund Georgia’s allocation formula for education. It was a wise and savvy political move because Deal can take full credit for ending austerity, which positively bolsters his legacy while virtually guaranteeing education funding will continue at that level — at a minimum — for the near future. Georgia’s economy is strong and growing stronger. The next governor cannot make a case fiscally or politically to implement austerity cuts now that funds have been restored. And, neither candidate has indicated he or she would reduce the education budget. Abrams proposes expanding the budget, especially for student support, and would make an effort to curtail or eliminate the tax-credit program, which takes money away from education and
Only a couple of years ago, any mention of poverty as a factor in how well a school and its students performed resulted in derision as a weak, unsubstantiated excuse by the education community for poor teaching and bad teachers.
other critical services. Kemp does not specifically discuss whether he would recommend expanding the education budget. He does mention increasing the state schedule for beginning teachers and extending it beyond the current 21 years of experience limit, which would require additional funding or funding adjustments within the budget. Other budget areas to watch are related to the Teachers Retirement System and healthcare benefits. PAGE will continue to be a strong advocate on these issues with legislators and agency heads. All candidates support wraparound services as a means to combat the negative effects of poverty and trauma and boost support in rural areas. While the term wraparound services is a fairly new way to describe the multitude of socialemotional supports that help students and families address non-academic needs so that students can be more successful, schools often have provided the only services a student might access. Policymakers and community leaders finally seem to have realized that outside-of-school influences are the major factor in school success. Only a couple of years ago, any mention of poverty as a factor in how well a school and its students performed resulted in derision as a weak, unsubstantiated excuse by the education community for poor teaching and bad teachers. The evidence existed all along. Educators and researchers repeatedly communicated their observations Continued on next page.
October/November 2018
PAGE ONE 5
and experiences and shared solid data, and now those efforts seem to be making a difference. That issue directly connects to the third issue: testing. So why does it seem that the foundational, underlying factors of academic success or distress finally have been accepted? It’s because parents got involved in pushback against high-stakes testing and the negative effects on their children and their teachers. Non-educator legislators and education policy groups inappropriately used high-stakes testing to make broad assumptions about students, educators and schools. Educators’ opinions were considered “unreliable” because they were just making excuses for their own failures. Once parents — as advocates for their children — began rejecting testing because they saw how it negatively affected their children AND how it narrowed curriculum
Succeeds Act with as much flexibility as it could manage and fought back against the governor’s late effort to rely more on high-stakes testing. The statewide candidates all have expressed a desire in a variety of ways to lessen required high-stakes testing and provide educators more flexibility to make decisions in the classroom. PAGE has engaged educational leaders statewide on an initiative for true accountability that seeks to help educators, schools and districts answer the question “For what am I accountable and to whom?” We believe that answer must involve the community, students, parents and educators, and that the solution is not a test-based accountability system and A-F grading of schools and districts. We’ll share more about this effort soon and its potential implications for Georgia educan tors and educational policy.
Once parents — as advocates for their children — began rejecting testing because they saw how it negatively affected their children AND how it narrowed curriculum and opportunities for teachers to teach as effectively as they can, opinions began to turn.
and opportunities for teachers to teach as effectively as they can, opinions began to turn. In the past two years, we’ve seen the General Assembly adjust the evaluation system to lessen the influence of test results and initiate an alternative assessment pilot. The Georgia Department of Education rewrote its accountability system for the federal Every Student
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6 PAGE ONE
gcsu.edu/education October/November 2018
ELECTION 2018 Candidate Positions on Education
O
n Nov. 6, Georgians will choose a governor and state school superintendent, both of whom will largely set the direction of education in Georgia. In this issue of PAGE One, the candidates for both key positions provide their views on school funding, private school vouchers, school safety, testing, teacher compensation and wraparound services for rural and/or impoverished children. Historically, Georgia educators have played a big role in political outcomes in our state — and you will again this year. To equip you with the essential knowledge needed to cast informed votes, PAGE submitted questions to each of the four candidates. Their answers follow. PAGE also hosted a candidate forum last month at
October/November 2018
Georgia Public Broadcasting. State school superintendent candidates — Richard Woods, the incumbent, and challenger Otha Thornton — both participated in a lively discussion moderated by GPB’s Bill Nigut. Both gubernatorial candidates — Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams — declined to participate, so PAGE leadership chose to kick off the forum with a summary of Abrams’ and Kemp’s stances on education based on their answers to our questions. We encourage you to read the following pages and be sure to vote. In counties throughout Georgia, you can vote early now through late October. Just search “early voting Georgia” for a list of locations. If you miss early voting, head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 6. In many ways, Georgia’s future depends on you.
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Governor’s Race: Candidate Positions on Education
Stacey Abrams What is your top priority for Georgia public schools? My top priority for Georgia public schools is full funding and access. Georgia serves more than 1.7 million students in our K-12 public schools. We must value investing in our public schools rather than defunding and diminishing their ability to give our students the best outcomes. Georgia schools endured 16 straight years of austerity cuts, combined with cost-shifting to local districts and educators. While the austerity cuts will end in 2018-19, we must now move towards increasing our investment in education, as it is the bedrock of our economic future. I commit to fully funding our public schools, identifying additional resources and rolling back measures that siphon funds from public school dollars. We must also invest in our special needs students, including the ability to wholly access federal funding available for their supports. What school security and safety enhancements should be made in Georgia schools? How would you fund these? Securing public schools requires a holistic approach that examines both external and internal threats. I am the only gubernatori-
al candidate who has consistently opposed laws to weaken gun safety in our state. I have released my gun safety priorities to keep guns out of the wrong hands. The safety of the learning environment must be our highest priority, as the ability to learn and to educate are wholly impacted by the security of our schools. I will support Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) initiatives, the Georgia Education Climate Coalition, mental health funding, school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists. Georgia schools using PBIS approaches and trainings have seen striking benefits; we must implement these statewide. We must continue to support our school resource officers. As governor, I will examine funding mechanisms for making resource officers and training available across the state. Safety and security must be a critical component of our
Brian Kemp I will be a governor who supports our public schools and works to enhance educational outcomes through early childhood learning and literacy initiatives. What school security and safety enhancements should be made in Georgia schools? How would you fund these?
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Georgia’s education leaders increasingly recognize the importance of student social-emotional health, and they struggle to address impacts of student poverty. How would you enhance and fund student wraparound services? Every child deserves an excellent, comprehensive education, regardless of their beginning. To ensure achievement and preparedness, our obligation is to expand and deepen the wraparound supports that facilitate learning for children, including for their students and their communities. State government should provide funding, consistent with what Gov. Deal included in this year’s budget, but local systems should ultimately make decisions on the best ways to secure their schools.
What is your top priority for Georgia public schools?
School safety is a topic that is on the forefront of every parent’s mind when they send their kids to school every morning — and it is certainly a thought that Marty and I have as parents of three teenage daughters. Safety of students, teachers, and faculty should be our highest priority as we look for innovative and cost-effective ways to secure our schools. I am encouraged by the
capital projects. Some schools have relied on ESPLOST funds to improve security, and we must explore allowing funds to be used for operations as well. I will also create a School Safety and Security Capital Task Force to ensure that resources for safety and security are directed where local sources are unable to meet those needs. Finally, we must break the school-toprison pipeline. In some areas, our state has gone too far in criminalizing behavior — student discipline issues must be addressed, but with mindfulness to students’ ability to hold hope for future success. I will focus on providing early interventions, intensive supports when needed, and a path back to school. We must effectively dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline once and for all.
work the legislature is currently undertaking — through both the House and Senate Study Committees on School Security — and look forward to reviewing their recommendations upon completion of their proceedings in December. As for the role of state government, I am a firm believer in local control and trust that local superintendents and boards of education know what’s best
Georgia’s education leaders increasingly recognize the importance of student social-emotional health, and they struggle to address impacts of student poverty. How would you enhance and fund student wraparound services? I recognize the need for wraparound centers that connect students and families with community resources. I am encouraged that GaDOE recently approved funding for a regional wraparound coordinator in each of Georgia’s Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs) and look forward to working with the state school superintendent and October/November 2018
access to public benefits, mental health supports, ESL assistance for children and parents, and health services. By engaging the whole life of the child through school and community resources, we can make our schools stronger and our communities more vibrant. Promising programs and initiatives like Marietta Student Life Center abound in Georgia and we must ensure those opportunities are spread across the state. Georgia, has a number of pilot projects right now, and as governor, I will ensure that we implement the projects that work and make progress. To fund wraparound services, we should adopt a more comprehensive education formula that directly addresses the correlation between poverty, student social-emotional health, and educational outcomes. Additionally, we must leverage our state dollars to take full advantage of federal dollars for mental health and early intervention supports. How would you work with local communities to attract and retain teachers to highpoverty rural and urban school districts? We know that high-poverty districts experience high turnover at disproportionate levels for first-year teachers, which creates equity gaps across our system. Resources and stability are often out of reach for local leaders to support this effort and expand as deemed necessary. How would you work with local communities to attract and retain teachers to highpoverty rural and urban school districts? As governor, I will work with PAGE on programs to recruit high-quality teachers to underserved areas and create strategies around housing and transportation needs in undeveloped areas. What changes would you make with regard to educator compensation? Educators should be fairly compensated for their service. As governor, I will partner with PAGE to create proposals that address compensation and retirement challenges in Georgia. For example, I want to raise salaries to improve recruitment. Additionally, I will improve retention by creating additional October/November 2018
the schools that need them the most. I am committed to competitive pay for all educators and recognize that additional incentives may be necessary to attract and retain teachers in high-poverty rural and urban school districts. I would support local districts as they incentivize attraction and retention of experienced teachers who choose to work in high-poverty schools. In rural areas in particular, schools are some of our largest employers. We can contribute to stable economies by offering competitive, family-supporting salaries. Our rural schools face challenges, including struggling tax bases, teacher recruitment, access to expansive AP courses, and transportation costs, among others. I commit to partnering with rural communities and educators to meet these challenges. In addition, I will work to ensure that our rural areas have access to important resources and infrastructure, like broadband high-speed internet, that other areas in our state take for granted. To attract and retain teachers to specific school districts in our state, we must work to offer their families the same opportunities and quality of life they would have in any other district. What changes would you make with regard to educator compensation? Salary sends a signal, demonstrating how steps in the salary schedule for teachers with more than 21 years experience. Finally, I know that teachers are tired of the fads, new directives, and unfunded mandates. I want local systems to respect teachers’ time by reducing paperwork, unpaid duties, and micromanagement so that teachers can actually teach. What is your position on potential Teachers Retirement System (TRS) changes, such as: a. Converting the plan from a defined benefit to a defined contribution? b. Is hybridizing TRS appropriate for new Georgia teachers? A healthy retirement plan is vital to recruiting and retaining quality teachers. I stand by the state’s commitment to TRS and applaud Gov. Deal and the General Assembly for shoring up the program when it became necessary. I am open to suggestions on how to keep the TRS solvent.
we value educators among our workforce. We must prioritize competitive pay for educators to demonstrate the value of this most critical profession and to strengthen our ability to attract and retain quality educators. I will prioritize educators in the budget process and bring teacher pay up to the national average. Additional compensation priorities will be to restore the National Board Certification bonuses and to explore models that recognize the contributions of mentor teachers. What is your position on potential Teachers Retirement System (TRS) changes, such as: a. Converting the plan from a defined benefit to a defined contribution? b. Is hybridizing TRS appropriate for new Georgia teachers? Retirement benefits in the form of defined-benefit plans are the promise made to educators who have chosen to serve our children and our state. It is essential that we honor that commitment. For the 2019 budget, I would explore the inclusion of a COLA for the state’s contribution to the Teachers Retirement System. I will oppose changes in the benefit model to a defined contribution or a hybrid model, and I do not support changes in Continued on page 10
What role does assessment and standardized testing play in educator and student accountability? I want testing to provide teachers and parents with diagnostic data that actually identifies issues and allows teachers to teach-not administer a laundry list of high — stakes tests. As governor, I will reduce the number and impact of standardized tests by adopting the federal testing minimum allowed by ESSA. What should the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement’s role be with regard to Georgia’s education system? I want GOSA to measure academic achievement, but also help in our efforts to enhance educational outcomes. For example, I will house the newly created Statewide Coordinator for Literacy in the Continued on page 10 PAGE ONE 9
Governor’s Race: Candidate Positions on Education Abrams the composition of the Retirement Board.
Georgia’s state school superintendent?
What role does assessment and standardized testing play in educator and student accountability?
Georgia’s governor must work in cooperation with the school superintendent, who can be instrumental in developing long-term policies that improve education across the state. I will ensure direct lines of communication between all levels of the Superintendent’s office and the Governor’s office, and I will also ensure that any planned enhancements of our K-12 public school system are administered with deep consultation and collaboration with the superintendent.
Regarding high-stakes testing, I supported SB 364 to reduce testing and will continue to support reasonable minimization of highstakes testing as governor. I will support efforts identified under Georgia’s ESSA plan to examine testing, develop greater flexibility on assessments, and partner with educators in making these changes. Further, I will support innovative assessments in teacher evaluations so that high-stakes testing is not used to penalize teachers and schools. What should the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement’s role be with regard to Georgia’s education system? The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) can help improve and ensure the quality of Georgia’s education system. As programs and policies are implemented to help provide our students and teachers the resources they need to thrive in our public schools, GOSA can help determine the initiatives that are working effectively and deserve greater investment. Regardless of GOSA’s specific role going forward to enhance Georgia’s school system, the governor’s office, school superintendent, and local school districts must work together collaboratively to guarantee an excellent education to every student in every region of our state. How would you work effectively with
Do you support private-school vouchers and Georgia’s tuition tax-credit program, which diverts $100 million annually to a voucher program? Would you support designating a portion of the $100 million for low-income family participation, exclusively? Under my leadership, we will not privatize our public schools or encourage private for-profit management of our schools. Profit should not guide the education of our children. I am the only candidate who strongly opposes diverting public dollars to private schools. Our constitutional responsibility as a state is to educate students through our public K-12 system. Shifting tax dollars to private schools through the tax system diminishes our ability to meet this fundamental responsibility. I opposed private school tax credits as a Georgia legislator, and I am the only candidate who has publicly stated she would eliminate such credits as governor. I will veto any leg-
islation that expands private school tax credits. If we have tax credits for education, those credits should focus on public schools. I voted YES to HB 237 in 2017 to establish the Public Education Innovation Fund Foundation, which offers tax credits for donations targeted to public schools. Similar to private school tax credits, I fought vouchers as a state legislator and will continue to fight vouchers as governor. Multiple attempts at altering Georgia’s school funding mechanism, the Quality Basic Education (QBE) Funding Formula, have fizzled since its inception in 1985. Are you considering any changes to QBE? Quality schools depend on attracting and retaining quality educators — ones who are paid competitively with other professions. However, research clearly shows even the most proficient educator cannot solve for the broader complications of poverty in our schools. Therefore, in addition to fully funding QBE, we must adopt a more comprehensive education funding formula that directly addresses the correlation between poverty and educational outcomes; supports educators as they seek to best serve our students; and invests in access to the technology that is an essential part of learning in the 21st century, but remains out of reach for too many of our kids. Some districts are able to supplement funding from external sources, but many communities do not have access to these resources. We must fully recognize our state commitment to funding public schools so that zip codes do not detern mine educational outcomes.
Kemp governor’s office, which will drive progress and coordinate the battle against adult and childhood illiteracy. How would you work effectively with Georgia’s state school superintendent? I look forward to working with the state superintendent and am confident that there will be an effective partnership between the sovernor, state superintendent, and State Board of Education. Do you support private-school vouchers and Georgia’s tuition tax-credit 10 PAGE ONE
program, which diverts $100 million annually to a voucher program? Would you support designating a portion of the $100 million for low-income family participation, exclusively? Yes. I am a proponent of school choice and allowing parents — not the government — to make the best educational decisions for their child — whatever option that may be. Data shows that our SSO programs are helping students from all parts of our state and from all walks of life. I will continue to support this program as governor.
On accountability, I firmly believe that every state dollar spent should be accountable and have a return on investment for hardworking Georgia taxpayers. Recently, accountability measures were strengthened through the legislative process for the SSO programs — and the State Commission on Charter Schools works diligently to ensure those programs meet or exceed requirements outlined in state law. If elected governor, I plan to hold every program, personnel, and service to the highest standards of accountability.
October/November 2018
GOVERNOR’S RACE
Candidate Positions at a Glance Brian Kemp
Stacey Abrams
School Vouchers
Supports doubling the tuition tax credit and will promote education savings accounts starting with a pilot for military families
Opposes vouchers
Education Funding
Supports updating the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula
Wants continued full funding of the Quality Basic Education formula and adoption of a more comprehensive funding formula
Teachers Retirement System
Supports the current Teachers Retirement System while being open to suggestions on how to keep the system solvent
Will oppose changes in the benefit model to a defined contribution or a hybrid model and opposes changes in the composition of the TRS board
Educator Salaries
Proposes a $5,000 raise for every teacher. These raises would be added to the state salary schedule
Will prioritize educators in the budget process and bring teacher pay up to the national average. Plans to restore National Board Certification bonuses and will examine models for compensating mentor teachers
Standardized Testing
Supports reducing the number and impact of standardized tests by adopting the federal testing minimum allowed by ESSA
Supports less high-stakes testing; supported SB 364 to reduce testing in 2016
Rural Georgia
Supports growing virtual learning opportunities for rural students; will partner with non-profit organizations to fund after-school programs that teach soft skills; supports creation of programs to recruit high-quality teachers to underserved areas
Supports competitive pay for all educators and recognizes that additional incentives may be necessary to attract and retain teachers in highpoverty rural districts
School Safety
Supports empowering educators, superintendents, school board members, parents, and the local community to address the unique safety needs of schools in their communities with the help of state funding; supports arming teachers if the local community and local policymakers are supportive
Supports gun safety policies; supports a focus on school climate and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports; encourages creation of supports for mental health professionals and school resource officers; supports improving building security by changing ESPLOST policy
Multiple attempts at altering Georgia’s school funding mechanism, the Quality Basic Education (QBE) Funding Formula, have fizzled since its inception in 1985. Are you considering any changes to QBE? October/November 2018
The QBE funding formula needs to be updated to strengthen local schools and put students first. QBE is antiquated and does not allow flexibility for local school
systems to make decisions that are best for their faculty and student population. I am committed to seeking recommendations on updating the formula for the betterment of all systems in Georgia. n PAGE ONE 11
State School Superintendent’s Race: Candidate Positions on Education
Richards Woods If elected, how would you seek to improve student outcomes and public education in Georgia? With increased outcomes — rising graduation rates, ACT, SAT, AP, and reading scores — coupled with expanded opportunities for students — arts, STEM, STEAM, career technical education, agriculture, and computer science — Georgia is on the move and heading in the right direction. These outcomes are a testament to the hard work of our teachers and students. Since taking office, I have worked to transform us into a truly service- and support-centered agency, fostering collaboration, pursuing alignment, and ensuring cohesiveness. We believe our schools and students can succeed. Our focus has been to remove barriers to success, foster collab-
oration, target resources more effectively, restore and grow partnerships, and lead by meeting the needs of those we serve. We’ve focused on the fundamentals in the early grades by building out strong instruction supports and scaling best practices instead of over-emphasizing accountability. For example, we were awarded over $61 million to support literacy, partnered with Get Georgia Reading
and the Georgia Public Library Service, and put over 300,000 books directly into the hands of our kids and built out developmentally appropriate and formative literacy and numeracy tools for teachers. In the later grades, we are positioning pathways around the passions and interests of our students; this has led to thousands of students completing career pathways and participating in dual enrollment or earning credit through AP. Instead of over-emphasizing English language arts and math to the detriment of other disciplines, I have ensured that support, professional learning, and opportunity have expanded across all areas, including social studies, science, fine arts, world language, career tech, computer science, and physical education. A renaissance of opportunity is taking place in our schools
Otha Thornton If elected, how would you seek to improve student outcomes and public education in Georgia?
ates from a Georgia high school has an education that gives him or her viable life options and a promising future.
For Georgia to have a world-class K-12 school system and improve outcomes, we need to focus our overall system on encouraging and producing character, critical thinking skills, creativity, and compassion in our students’ educational experience. We need to prepare our children to compete in a national and global economy. We need to reinvigorate arts, science, and vocational training in our schools. And finally, we need to ensure that our school districts are properly funded and resourced to provide a great education for every child whether they are in rural, urban, or suburban Georgia. My vision has three major cornerstones: wraparound services, school safety, and funding. I will pursue these areas by collaboratively working with all stakeholders in getting our Quality [Basic] Education (QBE) funding formula updated so we can provide necessary wraparound services in our schools. These services will be critical in identifying social, mental, and medical needs that will set up our children and school districts for success and mitigate some of our discipline and safety challenges. Second, I will focus on providing leader-
How will you work with the State Board of Education and Georgia’s chief turnaround officer to assist students in struggling schools?
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ship, guidance, and resources in addressing school safety. I will work closely with our superintendents and stakeholders in finding tailored resources. Finally, I will address and advocate for right funding, not adequate funding. I will ensure that Title 1 funds are being used correctly by our state, and collaborate with businesses in Georgia and those businesses seeking a home in Georgia to invest into our public schools. I served as a key leader/liaison with the Anne Arundel School District and Fort Meade over a decade ago on a “Creating High Performing High Schools” Task Force Committee. The vision of the school leaders, community, and this committee created one of the top school districts in America. After over a decade of operation and sustainment, today it is a great workforce development and academic model to emulate. The end state of my vision is that every child who gradu-
By Georgia law (House Bill 338), I am required to work directly with the board and chief turnaround officer (CTO). One of my first goals is to advocate for the repeal or amendment of this bill. The Department of Education (DOE) has a division that is responsible for working in school turnaround, so the CTO position is a duplication of effort that was created because of the governor’s and assembly’s lack of confidence in the DOE. By repealing or amending this law, we can save taxpayers’ dollars and eliminate confusion in attempting to improve schools. With the current law, I would work directly with the CTO to ensure that the established continuous improvement model that is used by the DOE is also used in the Tier 4 (takeover schools) category. The DOE is working on a continuous improvement model from Tier 1-4 and the chief turnaround officer has a different model at the Tier 4 level. This disconnect causes confusion. Currently, there is no October/November 2018
with options coming back that were scaled back or eliminated altogether during the No Child Left Behind or Race to the Top years. We have over 1,000 schools that are in the STEM pipeline, and students who complete career pathways achieve a 96-percent graduation rate. Our state is ranked 15th in the nation for AP, while we have worked to create STEAM and economic development partnership designations for our districts and schools. Furthering opportunities, we have established diploma seals in the areas of fine arts, international skills, employability skills, leadership skills, and career readiness for our high-school students. If afforded a second term, I will continue to fight for a more balanced education system that meets the needs of the whole child by strengthening support across
disciplines, protecting education funding, working with the General Assembly to adopt a 21st-century education formula, raising teacher pay, increasing student outcomes, and expanding opportunities. Throughout my tenure, I have worked with students, parents, educators, community members, and education groups — like PAGE — to lay out a positive vision for education in our state. A vision molded by Georgians, not rooted in the requirements of No Child Left Behind or Race to the Top. We are charting our own course in education and yielding results because of the level of engagement, collaboration, and buy-in from all Georgians and all of Georgia.
clear delineation of roles and duplication of effort between the DOE and CTO.
begin advocating for them with all government and corporate stakeholders. The state government’s role is to set the conditions and to provide resources and leadership to all of its school districts. One size does not fit all in every school district and their communities. My role would be to seek all state and federal resources available to assist each district according to their needs.
What changes, if any, should be made to Georgia’s school accountability and assessment programs? I would work to change the timeline that the schools and districts are receiving the Milestones data. Currently, the data are being received in October, which does not provide an opportunity to use the data to plan school improvement initiatives at the beginning of the school year. Data received at the middle of the year does not allow for the staff at the Georgia Department of Education to work with schools until the middle of the school year, which is not practical and efficient in the improvement cycle. Also, schools cannot receive funds until they have been identified, and receiving funds in the middle of the year does not allow schools to fund school improvement efforts at the beginning of the school year when the initial planning takes place. How would you work with local schools to enhance school safety and security? I would start by requesting a needs assessment from each superintendent and their school boards, prioritize the needs, and October/November 2018
How will you work with the State Board of Education and Georgia’s chief turn-
What is the state school superintendent’s role in improving teacher recruitment and retention? How would you strengthen Georgia’s teacher pipeline? First, I would model and give the due respect to educators in Georgia that I have witnessed and experienced from living and working around the nation and the world. I would work towards improving teacher recruitment and retention by working with our legislators and governor in getting legislation passed to offer statewide incentives and programs, such as student loan forgiveness, home ownership, housing subsidies, and better compensation packages. I would work with our universities in encouraging and recruiting teacher workforce. On the student loan forgiveness program, I would advocate for a five-year program to be paid back 20 percent per year, coupled with a requirement that the
around officer to assist students in struggling schools? Immediately after I took office in 2014, I set a new vision for improving our schools based on my own on-the-ground experience and the lessons learned from the Georgia Department of Education’s school improvement team. Since then, we have transformed how the GaDOE supported our struggling schools. In the past, serving these schools was the sole responsibility of just one division — our school improvement team. Now, we are leveraging resources, experience, and expertise across our entire agency to meet the needs of our schools. In the past, the GaDOE only provided service and support to schools once they Continued on page 14
teachers in this program would have an assigned mentor teacher. For two years, I took part as a judge in the National Teacher of the Year Program, and I had many conversations about the importance of the 3-5 year period in a teacher’s career. In Georgia, we are losing 44 percent of our teachers within the first five years. The home ownership program would provide incentives for teachers to purchase homes with no down payments, which could be financed at the local banks in the community. This would encourage them to establish roots and live in the community where they work. I would establish stakeholder advisory groups to stay in touch with the needs and issues related to these groups. It is important to establish advisory groups with superintendents, teachers, parents, students, and the business community. I believe that the business of education is everybody’s business and everybody should have a role in supporting the educational well-being of every student in Georgia. To strengthen the pipeline, I would actively engage our colleges and universities here by sharing relevant information on K-12 matters to assist new teachers and helping them understand the needs of communities that they will be living n and working in across Georgia. PAGE ONE 13
State School Superintendent’s Race: Candidate Positions on Education Woods ended up on a list. Now, we have a proactive approach that provides supports as needed with the motto: All Districts, All Schools, All Students — All Hands on Deck! We’ve developed a tiered system of supports with universal supports provided to all schools and more tiered and tailored support for those that are most in need. Our vision rests on the belief of continuous improvement — that all schools can improve and our agency has a shared responsibility to make that happen. To lead these efforts, I hired a Georgia leader who was named Georgia Principal of the Year, a finalist for National Principal of the Year, and a professional who already has successfully turned around three schools to bring a very practical and real world approach to school improvement work. I have spearheaded efforts to provide flexiblity to districts in order to leverage federal funds more effectively; this will allow them to spend funds addressing non-academic needs, such as funding counselors, mental health services, social workers, and parent and community engagement coordinators. I have worked to provide over $1 million to fund wraparound coordinator positions across the state to work with schools to establish student success (wraparound) centers. I have also secured millions to expand mental health services and school climate support. Beyond coordinating with sister education agencies, I have worked with other state agencies to leverage their resources to support our communities. Working with Department of Community Health, we will be doubling our funding for school nurses statewide and we are working with the Georgia Public Library System to provide library cards to every child in Georgia. I have set a clear vision for our agency, and we are transforming from compliance to supporting improvement — the result is that districts are seeing a real change in the level of support and service coming from the GaDOE. We are partnering with other groups such as RESAs, like never before and building strong relationships. The turnaround effort is just a small piece of a larger, more comprehensive approach to support all schools. I am committed to collaboration with the chief turnaround officer (CTO) and State Board of Education, but I am equally committed to ensuring that their topdown approach isn’t the only approach — our kids deserve no less. 14 PAGE ONE
Though I have directed my staff to be responsive and respectful to the CTO, I will continue to be transparent in my concerns with the turnaround effort: schools should know how they are being selected for turnaround and how they exit turnaround; turnaround should be a true partnership, not a forced arrangement dictated by the CTO; first priority cannot become our only priority — we can’t divert resources and personnel away from serving all of Georgia’s public schools. If afforded a second term, I will continue my focus on lifting up all of our schools, providing the quality, level of support, and vision to ensure the turnaround effort is no longer needed in Georgia. What changes, if any, should be made to Georgia’s school accountability and assessment programs? I have been consistent in my commitment to ensuring Georgia’s accountability system is fair and paints a true picture of the performance of our schools. Under my direction, the Department of Education commissioned a UGA study proving our accountability model wasn’t fair to schools or students and showing that not one of the top NAEP performing states use a letter grade system. I oppose the 100-point scale; it places a ceiling on success for our schools and students. The A-F letter grading system adopted by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement is a glaring example of government overreach and a continuation of the blame and shame approach we’ve seen from so many failed education reforms. When the governor pushed for revisions to the proposed accountability (CCRPI) model under Georgia’s state ESSA plan, I recognized and respected the input of education stakeholders (including PAGE), holding the line to ensure our model did not become based solely on test scores and Georgia did not go back to the days of AYP. If afforded a second term, I commit to further reducing the weight of highstakes testing in our accountability model and instead will focus on increasing the weight of opportunity indicators (i.e. AP, IB, fine arts, career pathways, dual enrollment, etc.), graduation rate, and student progress. I will push for the repeal of the 100-point scale requirement in state law and will continue to call on GOSA to
discontinue the use of letter grades while looking to scale back the duplicative scope of the agency in state law. In the area of assessment, I have led the charge for the largest decrease in high-stakes testing in Georgia’s history. Working with education groups like PAGE, we’ve seen the state requirement for SLOs eliminated and the elimination of eight Milestones assessments. I have continued to seek out ways to reduce high-stakes testing in State Board rule, recommending and getting the approval to eliminate doubletesting for high school and middle school students who take advance coursework or participate in dual enrollment. This past session, I worked with the General Assembly to pass legislation to establish an Innovative Assessment Pilot, which will provide us a path to create assessments that are less intrusive, provide more immediate feedback, and are rooted in instruction, rather than accountability. In my second term, I commit to pursuing the further reduction of the number of high-stakes tests to bring us in line with the federal minimum, supporting district innovation and flexiblity in the area of testing, developing and delivering diagnostic tools for educators, and creating an assessment system that truly informs teaching and learning. From crafting our state’s ESSA plan to promoting legislation to reduce testing, I’ve demonstrated a strong commitment to bringing stakeholders to the table so that their concerns inform the development of real solutions. How would you work with local schools to enhance school safety and security? Each day, communities entrust us with the safety of nearly 1.8 million students and hundreds of thousands of staff members. School safety is our major responsibility. I worked closely with the General Assembly to address this issue. The legislature approved millions of dollars in school safety grants to provide facility upgrades, train school personnel, and enhance mental health services. I supported legislation to expand mandatory safety drills to include active shooter and intruder drills. I also supported the creation of a School Safety Study Committee in order to establish a comprehensive approach to safety and security for our schools. October/November 2018
STATE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT RACE Candidate Positions at a Glance Otha Thornton
Richard Woods
Standardized Testing and Accountability
Supports changing the Milestones timeline, enabling schools to more effectively use test data
Supports reducing the weight of high-stakes testing in CCRPI. Will increase the weight of opportunity indicators (i.e. AP, IB, fine arts, career pathways, dual enrollment, etc.), graduation rate, and student progress; will seek to repeal the A-F letter grade system implemented by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement; supports decreasing the number of high-stakes tests to federal minimum
Chief Turnaround Office (CTO)
Opposes the top-down model of the CTO and will work to repeal HB 338
Will collaborate with the CTO and State Board of Education to help turn around schools; equally committed to ensuring that top-down approach isn’t the only approach
Teacher Recruitment and Retention
Supports incentives such as student loan forgiveness, home ownership, housing subsidies, and better compensation packages
Supports increasing the base starting salary for Georgia teachers and expanding the salary scale steps past 21 years; supports the current teacher retirement system; supports multiple options and competitive pricing for healthcare
School Safety
Will provide leadership, guidance, and resources in addressing school safety; will work closely with local superintendents and stakeholders in finding tailored resources
Supported legislation to expand mandatory safety drills to include active shooter and intruder drills; supported the creation of a School Safety Study Committee; supports improving school climate by supporting Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
Under my direction, the GaDOE is ensuring that emergency management and law enforcement agencies are working closely with their local school districts. We have partnered with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) to conduct a thorough review of the safety plans of every school in our state. GaDOE has made school safety a key component of its facilities review and approval process at the state level. Highquality training is being developed and implemented for districts, leaders, educators, and support staff. GaDOE is working with districts to improve the climate of their schools and October/November 2018
to ensure that students feel empowered to communicate concerns and threats to school officials. Each district and each school is unique — a one-size-fits-all approach is not the answer. I am committed to raising awareness about this issue, providing a wide-range of solutions and options that ensures a comprehensive approach to this issue. We must empower and equip local communities, school boards, and leaders to assess and develop plans — with our role being to provide them resources and support to execute those plans effectively. School safety and security must continue to be key components of our efforts
to support schools and provide a safe learning environment for our kids. What is the state school superintendent’s role in improving teacher recruitment and retention? How would you strengthen Georgia’s teacher pipeline? I am the only candidate running for this office who has any K-12 classroom or leadership experience. My opponent lacks the firsthand experience of working in crowded classrooms, seeing the negative impacts of high-stakes testing, or teaching in a Title I school — I have that experience. Continued on page 17 PAGE ONE 15
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State School Superintendent’s Race: Candidate Positions on Education Woods I have over 25 years of Pre-K through 12th-grade experience in education, serving as a veteran teacher, school leader, and Georgia’s current state school superintendent. Throughout my educational career, I have never forgotten what it’s like to be a classroom teacher. I carry that commitment and experience with me every day as Georgia’s school superintendent. I make every decision through the lens of an educator. Higher education, the Professional Standards Commission, teacher groups, districts, and others play a key role in the teacher pipeline. When I took office, I sent a survey to Georgia’s educators asking them to rank the top reasons people were [leaving] the profession. Over 55,000 teachers responded, and those results formed the basis to the reduction of high-stakes tests, fewer observations for veteran or effective teachers, and reforms to the teacher evaluation system. We must
continue to evaluate policy changes that unfairly pressure and punish our teachers. Compensation must be a key component of our strategy to attract and retain our teachers. Teachers stayed committed to our state and to our students during the Great Recession — enduring furloughs, pay freezes, or even cuts. We owe it to our teachers to give them true pay raises (not simply increase pay to have it eroded by higher retirement or healthcare contributions). We should increase the base starting salary for Georgia teachers and expand the salary scale steps past 21 years. These changes would help recruit new teachers on the front end, while retaining our veteran teachers whose commitment to serving in our classrooms has been unwavering. Beyond pay, benefits are a key part of the recruitment of Georgia’s teacher workforce — and a key part of retaining them once they join our ranks. As the
spouse of a TRS retiree who dedicated 30 years to educating our children and as a 25-year educator myself, I understand the importance of keeping our promise to our teachers. I will continue to be a strong advocate in this area, as well as continue to advocate for multiple options and competitive pricing for our healthcare. Recruiting and retaining teachers for Georgia isn’t about glossy ads or billboards. Every teacher — including myself — was inspired by a teacher who impacted his or her life in a positive way. The best recruitment tool is to have teachers telling their students with teaching aptitude to pursue a career in the teaching profession. We’ve taken major steps to get there, but our state must step up in a bold way to see that commitment through. I am committed to leading that charge for our teachers and offering clear solutions n to pave the path forward.
A Primer on Georgia Tuition Tax Credits and Vouchers
Revised Private School Voucher Program Diverts $100 Million a Year from State Budget By Margaret Ciccarelli, PAGE Director of Legislative Services
G
eorgia’s tuition tax credit program gives private citizens and corporations tax credits for donations to Student Scholarship Organization, which then provides private school vouchers to Georgia students. This year, the General Assembly raised the cap on the tax credit program from $58 million to $100 million. It will redirect $100 million annually away from Georgia’s general fund to the voucher program until 2028, when the cap will be reduced to $58 million. Because 40 per-
cent of the state budget is spent on K-12 education, the tuition tax credit program impacts funds available for public education and other essential state services. The state’s second voucher program — called the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program and established in 2007 — enables special-needs students to attend private schools deemed eligible by the Georgia Department of Education. Last school year, 4,553 students participated in the special-needs voucher program, reports the Governor’s Office
of Student Achievement. Of these students, 30 percent indicated a specific learning disability and 28 percent indicated a disability type of “other health impairment.” The voucher amount is determined by the special education services that the student received in his/her public school. Voucher amounts typically range from $2,500 to $13,500, and the average amount paid is $5,700. Private schools that accept these students are not required to provide them with special n education services.
VOLUNTEERS WANTED FOR PAGE STUDENT PROGRAMS
PAGE sponsors competitions for Georgia’s students, but those competitions can’t happen without volunteers. The PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades has opportunities for Readers and Timers on Dec. 8 and Jan. 26. The PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon, to be held Feb. 22-23, needs Speech and Interview Judges, as well as Super Quiz and Testing Proctors. Please visit the Student Programs section of www.pageinc.org to learn more and to volunteer.
October/November 2018
PAGE ONE 17
State School Superintendent’s Race: Candidate Positions on Education
State School Superintendent Candidates:
Richard Woods Advocates for Adding Salary Steps; Otha Thornton Backs Student Loan Forgiveness
By Meg Thornton, PAGE One Editor
T
he two candidates for state school superintendent, incumbent Richard Woods (R) and Otha Thornton (D), hold similar viewpoints on several key education issues. They both oppose diverting public education funds to private schools, they both support increased funding for education overall and for wraparound services for students in need and they both think that the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement is an unnecessary and redundant state entity. However Thornton
Photos by Meg Thornton
and Woods, who faced off in early September in a PAGE-sponsored televised forum at Georgia Public Broadcasting, differ somewhat in how they would advance their goals.
“I am totally opposed to using any public tax dollars for “[these] schools. … [They] do not have the same accountability to the taxpayer.” — Otha Thornton 18 PAGE ONE
Woods wants to financially reward long-time teachers. “Our teachers desperately need raises; they’re capped at 21 years. I’d love to see some additional steps added to the (salary schedule) — two or three steps,” he said. Thornton prioritized student loan forgiveness to retain new teachers. He also said that the state was disingenuous in 2014 when it awarded 3-percent pay raises to teachers while piling financial burdens on local districts. “They’re losing tax base in rural Georgia and the state is pushing down more requirements,” he said. After October/November 2018
“Our first priority should be fully funding and accurately funding the [public education] system. I oppose anything as far as diverting money to [private schools].” — Richard Woods
lawmakers provided the 3 percent raise, “they went back to school districts and said, ‘Hey, you’re going to have to pick up the insurance for your support staff and workers,’” he added. Woods stressed that the state is long overdue in adjusting its Quality Basic Education funding formula. “It’s a 1985 formula. … Education is completely different.” On the topic of tax credits or vouchers for families of students who attend private schools, both candidates gave a firm “no.” “I am totally opposed to using any public tax dollars for [these] schools,” said Thornton. “[They} do not have the same accountability to the taxpayer. They can discriminate … racial discrimination, discrimination against children October/November 2018
with disabilities, and that’s just totally unacceptable.” Woods said that he stands for public education and is not in favor of increasing the $100 million tax credit that Georgia now provides to families of private school students. “Our first priority should be fully funding and accurately funding the [public education] system. I oppose anything as far as diverting money to [private schools].” He cautioned private schools to be mindful that “government money tends to come with government strings. I respect the autonomy of our private schools, and to make sure they keep that [autonomy], I would not take that [funding].” Both candidates see a strong need for more robust mental and physical health services and other wraparound services for Georgia students. To that end, Woods said his office now has more federal flexibility with title funds. “Instead of having it pigeonholed, we now are trying to give our local districts flexibility in how to spend that money.” The state also aims to provide $1 million to support wraparound services and another $1 million to support school climate, he added. Woods also thinks that telemedicine has tremendous potential to help service underserved communities. Thornton said that he would like to emulate a model program he worked with in Maryland. It targeted federal and state money to meet the nutritional, medical, social and psychological needs of students. “It really made a difference,” he said, citing the district’s 95-percent graduation rate. Testing is another area of relative
agreement. Instead of emphasizing high-stakes testing, Thornton advocated focusing on “building character, critical thinking skills and creativity. I think we can provide curriculum at the state level (focusing on these areas), although it’s a local decision,” he added. Woods, who helped champion reductions in testing in Georgia schools, hopes to see “mandated testing brought to the federal minimum.” He said, “We’re also looking at how we test,” citing a pilot program using formative assessments. “By doing so, we allow teachers to really dig in and get to know their kids, build a relationship with them, which is extremely important. [And] they can take that information and address each child instead of putting them all in the same box.” The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement was decried by both candidates as wasteful. “It is a very duplicative service,” said Woods. “It has grown from perhaps a budget of under $1 million to close to $14 million. I’m a small-government individual. I firmly believe that … there is not a need for GOSA.” Thornton said that GOSA crosses constitutional lines: “The governor has a constitutional role and the state school superintendent has a constitutional role, and over the years … the Republican party has taken that power away from the state school superintendent.” The candidates had somewhat differing views on arming teachers. “I am totally against it,” said Thornton, adding that it’s a local decision. “I’m a soldier of 21 years. We want teachers to feel safe and want them to focus on teaching.” Wood countered with, “I support local control. Those individuals know their community better, so I leave that to them. But I say that with a caveat that we do not mandate that any teacher carry a n firearm.” PAGE ONE 19