Legislative PAGE and GAEL Day on Capitol Hill
Educators and State Leaders Discuss Testing, Evaluations and More By Josh Stephens, PAGE Legislative Policy Analyst
O
Photo by Lynn Varner
Photo by Lynn Varner
n Feb. 17, as schools in north be gathered and analyzed before signifiNix, who sponsored the bill, also Georgia closed due to icy condi- cant changes can be made. While pertouched on the career pathway legislation tions, nearly 120 Georgia educa- centages may be lowered at some point, (House Bill 186) that passed in 2011. “If tors gathered to discuss pressing issues that will not happen in the near future, you can find one thing for one hour a day at PAGE and Georgia Association of he predicted. that these … kids really latch on to, they Educational Leaders Day will come to school every on Capitol Hill. day and stay for the entire In his keynote address, day,” he said. Georgia State School Dr. Susan Andrews, Superintendent Richard director for Education Woods stressed his goal Reform at the Governor’s to provide relief from the Office of Planning and burdensome standardBudget, discussed TKES ized testing regime that and LKES from the has turned educators into perspective of her time data collectors rather spent as Georgia’s Race than allowing them to do to the Top coordinator. what they were trained to This conversation dovedo—teach. tailed into a discussion Earlier in the day, Rep. on Student Learning Randy Nix (R-LaGrange) Objectives, as educators addressed House Bill 244, in the audience asked the 2013 bill that implepassionate questions and PAGE Executive Director Dr. Allene Magill welcomes keynote mented the Teacher Keys told disconcerting stories speaker State School Superintendent Richard Woods. Evaluation System and of their experiences with Leader Keys Evaluation the tests. When asked if System. He said that the the state would consider Georgia Department standardizing SLOs rather of Education is aware than leaving development that implementation has of the tests up to local moved fast and that the districts, Andrews said department is ramping this was an ongoing disup training on the syscussion. tems. When asked if the Andrews also highpercentage of the evalualighted the governor’s tion based on student test Education Reform scores might be lowered Commission that began from 50% to 20%—the meeting in February. She top item on PAGE’s said that 2011 Georgia PAGE board member Amy Denty (standing) of Wayne County Legislative Agenda—Nix participates in a morning workshop. said that more data must Continued on page 16 March/April 2015
PAGE ONE 15
