From The Executive Director You Are the Secret Sauce in Changing Education Policies Dr. Allene Magill
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f you need proof that motivated educators can make a difference, a recent experience with the State Health Benefit Plan provides a powerful lesson. Political leaders tell us that a handful of calls from constituents are not unusual. But, their antenna goes up when they receive 50 calls; and when they get 100, well, they know they have a formidable problem on their hands. So, you can imagine what Gov. Nathan Deal and his healthcare policy advisors thought as more than 10,000 educators and family members took to Facebook and Twitter in recent months calling for relief in healthcare costs. In response, Deal called upon the Department of Community Health to reduce co-pays for doctor’s office visits and prescriptions in the benefit plan that took effect in January. As PAGE has stated all along, if educators want policy change, they must become a political force—one that elected officials must reckon with. PAGE can articulate your concerns to lawmakers—amplifying the voices of those who serve our students every day—but to be successful, our efforts need the “secret sauce” provided by thousands of educators throughout the state. I hope the energy that surrounded the health benefit plan does not lose momentum. Can you imagine the relief that
might come from the misuse and overreach of tests if 10,000 educators come together to speak out? Why stop there? What affect could such a critical mass of concerned educators have on budget priorities, class sizes and the restoration of a complete school year, as well as on a supportive system of professional learning? The prospect is very exciting, particularly in an election year. I have interacted with elected officials throughout my career and was one myself when we had elected school superintendents. Understandably, professional
to encourage better policy making and electoral results for public education. From now until November, let’s not lose the momentum. If your local delegation has served public education well, let them know they’ll have your support. If they haven’t, now is the time to encourage pro-public education candidates to run. It is entirely possible that united, educators can make 2014 a better year for challengers than for incumbents, thus helping reverse the policies that have hurt public education in Georgia the past several years.
Now is the time to encourage pro-public education candidates to run. It is entirely possible that united educators can make 2014 a better year for challengers than for incumbents, thus help reverse the policies that have hurt public education in Georgia.
March/April 2014
politicians fear losing their seat. They respond to phone calls and emails only if many constituents weigh in, but usually no one does. More than 10,000 educators have surely captured their attention. Now that we have their attention, we must stay together
Educators Ensured Student Safety During Ice Storm
As the late-January ice storm paralyzed metro Atlanta’s interstates, trapping children at school and on buses, school bus drivers, teachers, paraprofessionals, support personnel and administrators came through for the children entrusted to them each day. The past 10 years of politically motivated budget cuts and potshots may have dented your morale, but they have not impacted your professionalism and dedication to your students. Still, we must collectively work to do better. We clearly know that much of the chaos could have been prevented with a pre-dawn conference among the governor, the mayor and all n metro school leaders.
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