PAGE and GAEL Day

PAGE and GAEL Day on Capitol Hill

Educators and State Leaders Discuss Testing, Evaluations and More

By Josh Stephens, PAGE Legislative Policy Analyst

On Feb. 17, as schools in north be gathered and analyzed before signifi- Nix, who sponsored the bill, also Georgia closed due to icy condi- cant changes can be made. While per- touched 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 standard- Budget, 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) addressed House Bill 244, the 2013 bill that implemented the Teacher Keys Evaluation System and PAGE Executive Director Dr. Allene Magill welcomes keynote speaker State School Superintendent Richard Woods. Photo by Lynn Varner Objectives, as educators in the audience asked passionate questions and told disconcerting stories 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 sys- cussion. tems. When asked if the Andrews also highpercentage of the evalua- lighted the governor’s tion based on student test Education Reform scores might be lowered from 50% to 20%—the top item on PAGE’s Legislative Agenda—Nix said that more data must PAGE board member Amy Denty (standing) of Wayne County participates in a morning workshop. Photo by Lynn Varner Commission that began meeting in February. She said that 2011 Georgia Continued on page 16

Teacher of the Year and PAGE member Pam Williams, the chair of the Teacher Recruitment, Retention and Compensation subcommittee of the commission, would seek input from PAGE and other organizations throughout the process.

Dr. Howard Hendley, the DOE’s director of policy, reminded the audience of the July 1 deadline for districts to become a charter school system, an Investing in Educational Excellence district or a status quo district. He described flexibility options the districts would receive under each governance structure.

In his keynote, Woods also stated that students need expanded opportunities in career and technical education to prepare for work. Finally, Woods emphasized the need for strong communication among all levels of government—federal, state and local—and between schools and the public. To that end, the DOE will travel the state and share the positive news regarding public education in Georgia.

Among attendees was U.S. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (D-Albany). His second congressional district covers 29 middle and southwest Georgia counties.

The event took place in the Sloppy Floyd Building adjacent to the Capitol. Attendees ended the day across the street under the Gold Dome, where they met with legislators and attended committee meetings. n

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Georgia Association of Educational Leaders President Greg Arnsdorff (top) and Executive Director Jimmy Stokes Photos by Robert Matta

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1. Hayward Cordy, PAGE board member, and Telfair County High Principal Daymond Ray 2. State Rep. Susan Holmes (R-Monticello) and Jimmy Jordan, PAGE director of membership 3 PAGE President-elect Stephanie Davis Howard and 2002-03 PAGE President Preston Howard 4. PAGE President Leslie Mills (foreground) in morning workshop 5. Dr. Rick Little (second from left), principal at City Park Elementary (Dalton) and president of the Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals, with PAGE Professional Learning staff members Angela Garrett and David Reynolds 6. State School Superintendent Richard Woods delivered the keynote address 7. Valdosta State University graduate school students and Clarke County educators Patrick Harrigan and Megan McLeroy 8. Debby Pinion from Woodstock Elementary (Cherokee Co.); Laurie Griffin, media specialist at Greensboro Elementary (Greene Co.); Rachel Wasserman, assistant principal at Woodstock Elementary; in background: Brad Hayes, special education teacher at Eastbrook Middle (Whitfield Co.) 9. PAGE 2011-12 President Vickie Hammond and current board members Lamar Scott (2001-02 PAGE president) and Shannon Hammond 10. Dr. Emily Felton, PAGE past president and assistant principal of Factory Shoals Middle (Douglas Co.); Sonya Lewis, PAGE Legislative Task Force and Kendrick High Academic Dean (Muscogee Co.); and Eagle’s Landing Middle (Henry Co.) department chairs Yvonne Pope (business/computer) and Tisha Boyd (language arts)

PAGE ‘Teachers as Leaders’ Vision Has Taken Root

Educational Leaders Team Up to Pursue Student Engagement

The Professional Association of Georgia Educators champions a culture of teacher leadership among Georgia educators. Since the publication of “Teachers as Leaders,” authored by PAGE Executive Director Dr. Allene Magill in 2006, the context in which education is viewed and delivered has shifted dramatically.

“Teachers as Leaders” called for a reimagined, comprehensive and future-oriented definition of teacher leadership. Magill wrote that traditional, top-down decision making must be discarded in favor of leadership from the classroom up. Teachers at every level must

Teams of educational leaders begin the school improvement process by looking very closely at who their students are—their unique characteristics, motivations, needs and resources. They also examine the characteristics and challenges of their communities.

embrace empowerment. “We do not need a few more leaders in public education—we need scores of them throughout every school system,” wrote Magill.

A few years ago, PAGE convened multiple sessions of some 180 teacher leaders from across Georgia. Together, they explored the unique challenges facing teachers, especially those with strong leadership potential. More importantly, PAGE examined the potential impact of teacher leaders on student engagement and achievement.

For schoolwide leadership to flourish on behalf of student learning, teachers, principals, superintendents and boards of education must work as partners. The following PAGE Professional Learning programs facilitate leadership development across these role groups: • High School Redesign Initiative • Assistant Principal and Teacher

Leadership Academy • Principal and Teacher Leadership

Network • Superintendent Leadership Network • South Georgia School Districts

Network

GATHER LOCAL DATA FIRST

Teams of educational leaders begin the school improvement process by looking very closely at who their students are— their unique characteristics, motivations, needs and resources. They also examine the characteristics and challenges of their local communities.

To that end, PAGE-sponsored “Community Conversations” are cropping up in communities throughout the state. In these local “conversations,” educators dig deep into the makeup of their students, as well as into local demographics, trends, resources and needs. The informed and empowered educators then join with parents and local thought leaders (business, political, religious and social service leaders) to discuss specific education challenges and jointly seek solutions.

‘We do not need a few more leaders in public education— we need scores of them throughout every school system.’ – Dr. Allene Magill

PAGE Executive Director

Through PAGE, Georgia educators are achieving deep levels of understanding of their “customers,” providing them with challenging, interesting work, and ultimately engaging their students in profound ways. n

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