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From the Executive
From The Executive Director
Two Reports Tell the Story
Sometimes, charts and graphs tell a story more effectively than simple words. Two recent reports—one from the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) titled “A New Majority: Low Income Students in the South,” and the other from the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) titled “The Schoolhouse Squeeze”—contain charts that tell a devastating story of declining budgets in a time of increasing poverty among school children. They tell a stark story: As educators have been struggling with the effects of more than a decade in cuts to the education budget (approximately $8 billion), they have seen a significant increase in the number of children coming to school from low-income homes.
Georgia is one of the poorest states in the nation, according to a recent report by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, the K-12 education organization of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. The economic downturn of 2008 has exacerbated that poverty across our state. The SEF reports that a majority (57 percent) of our students are poor, and a significant percentage of them are in dire poverty. In our cities, the situation is even worse. Georgia is among the states where the child poverty rate in cities is 70 percent. Even in our suburbs, the poverty rate for children is 54 percent, as reported by the SEF. To show how widespread and deep this child poverty is, the SEF reports that in 71 percent of our school districts, a majority of students qualify for a free lunch, while in 84 percent of our school districts a majority of students meet the free or reduced price guideline.
These children are in our schools every day, and educators must meet the challenge of educating them for a better life. We know that children of poverty can learn at high levels, but only if they have the kinds of supports and interventions that make a difference. But as the number of such children has increased, budget cuts have made those interventions and supports difficult if not impossible to provide. More children than ever are in danger of falling through the cracks in such a system.
As the demand for more and costly interventions has increased, our schools have faced the most severe budget cuts in many, many years. In their report, GBPI notes that 80 percent of districts are furloughing teachers and 71 percent have cut their school year. Most tellingly, nearly 40 percent have cut programs that assist low-income students. Educating even our best students is a challenge in this environment, but to reach and teach those who come to school with severe poverty-related difficulties, it is challenging in the extreme.
PAGE has been encouraging school systems to tell the stories of the challenges they are facing and engage their entire communities in community conversations. The goal is to share the realities of the situation and reach agreements about the role that individuals and groups can play in those communities in working toward solutions. To help advance and Dr. Allene Magill
spread these discussions across the state and to provide educators with a common set of facts and data, PAGE is bringing together teams of educators in June for a meeting on “Georgia Students: The Faces of Poverty.” Participants will hear presentations from Steve Suitts, executive director of the Southern Education Foundation, and Claire Suggs, senior education policy analyst for the Georgia Public Budget Institute. To assist participants in the process of developing and shaping their stories for their communities, we will have Ellen Angelotti of the Poynter Institute for Media address the group. Breakout sessions will round out the day as groups from around the state who have already begun or are planning their community conversations share with their colleagues what they have learned. We will report on this meeting, its results and further action as community conversations unfold in the coming year.
Our state’s demographics and history of poverty are not things we can change, nor can we attack the national and global forces playing out in our economy, but these factors do not need to become our destiny. We do not have to accept the status quo. We can and we must address the needs of all our students, including those of poverty. At PAGE, we believe we can engage our communities in ways that enable them to fully understand the dimensions of the problem and engage them to join with educators in working toward solutions. n
Later-Career Teachers The Positive Influence of Hard-Earned Knowledge
By Lee Raudonis
Commander Donnie Hudgens, a 1974 Georgia Tech grad, spent 30 years in the U.S. Navy. Today, as a math teacher, he directs a squadron of adolescents at Gordon County’s Red Bud Middle School.
Alfred Owens, a 20-year U.S. Marine veteran, holds a similar post at Pelham High School in Mitchell County.
Debbie Hahn oversaw emergency rooms for 14 years, but as the health occupations teacher at Murray County High School today, she’s ushering in the next generation of healthcare professionals.
And for Tom Dunn, teaching is a fifth career. He was a civil rights attorney, criminal defense attorney and head of the nonprofit Georgia Resource Center, where he worked to save hundreds of clients from execution. Before all that, he was a cop in New York, and this year he was named Teacher of the Year at South Atlanta High’s School of Law and Social Justice.
While experienced teachers possess vast pedagogical knowledge, later-career educators often draw from deep wells that enrich their academic lessons and their relationships with students. “They bring fresh ideas,” says Pelham High School Principal Ben Wiggins. “Telling them that ‘That’s the way we’ve always done it’ doesn’t hold water with them.” Moreover, having deep knowledge of a particular field can benefit students enormously. “These teachers quickly connect and build positive relationships with students interested in their field,” says Murray County High School Principal Gina Linder. “And students are often motivated by these teachers to perform in other subject areas.”
Multi-career educators are especially apt at assisting students with career pathway choices. Some even connect students with employers. “They know what employers are looking for and they are able to work with students on those skill sets,” adds Linder. By virtue of their experience, later-career educators are uniquely positioned to make lessons applicable to real life. “I am teaching from a life full of experiences, not from a textbook,” Dunn says. “In my classroom, I never hear, ‘Why do I have to learn this?’”
Hahn’s nursing experience is invaluable in her classroom as well. “When [students] ask me if I really have had to perform CPR and what was it like, I can tell them ‘yes,’ and make it relative to why they need to learn it,” she says.
Hudgens believes that his vast travels, coupled with actually living through the history of the past 60-plus years, magnifies his impact on students. “We design realworld lessons,” agrees Sonoraville Middle School English teacher Jason Brock, who worked in the medical software and carpet industries. Having weathered life’s challenges also helps. Owens’ students sense that his experience in the Marines has fortified him against sweating the small stuff. “He never seems to have a bad day,” says Pelham student Britt Scarbrough about her math teacher. “He is patient and a great listener,” adds classmate Mariah Leroux.
Lack of Downtime Is a Culture Shock
Making a career switch into education, however, is hard, even for those who have lived by the motto “the tough get going.” “I was most surprised with what a demanding and exhausting job teaching is,” Hudgens says. “If you do it right, it takes a tremendous amount of dedication.” Brock agrees. “It was a culture shock. As my wife has said, ‘I have never seen you work as hard in business as you do teaching.’”
Dunn, who earned a Bronze Star for meritorious service in the Gulf War, echoes the sentiment. “Teaching in a public school, especially an urban public school, is incredibly hard work,” he says. “My prior careers as a criminal defense lawyer, capital defense attorney and officer in the Army were very challenging jobs, but they do not compare to my respon-
—Pelham High School Principal Ben Wiggins
—Murray County High School Principal Gina Linder
sibilities as a teacher for Atlanta Public Schools.” The hardest part, Dunn says, is that “You are always on stage, and there is literally no down time. Even during lunch and your planning period, there are students in need of some kind of assistance. The minute you walk through the door until you leave, your attention is on the students who need your knowledge, leadership and compassion. You can’t just close your office door and take time to reflect. That was a big adjustment for me.”
The culture shock has not sent them running en masse for the exit doors, however. The Defense Department’s Troops to Teachers program reports that 78 percent of its teachers have remained in the job after three years. That’s similar to the 75 percent, five-year retention rate for all Georgia teachers, according to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. The Professional Standards Commission puts the retention rate of Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (TAPP) graduates almost on par with that of traditional teachers, and even higher among TAPP teachers who have participated in the Transition to Teachers Project. “The retention rate for our TAPP candidates is excellent, and several of our TAPPers have been named as Teachers of the Year for their systems in recent years,” says Tim Helms, director Southwest Georgia RESA.
Teachers Are Staying Put
Unfortunately, the sluggish economy in recent years has made breaking into the teaching field more difficult. “Most teach-
Debbie Hahn
Alfred Owens
Bryan Mills
—Bryan Mills, Jeff Davis Middle School
ers are staying put, so career-changers are finding it difficult to find positions,” says Dr. Steven R. Miletto, executive director of the Heart of Georgia RESA. In fact, the TAPP program in his region was discontinued a few years ago. However, the Southwest Georgia TAPP program continues to help about 30 candidates a year earn alternative certification. “We are seeing more second-career folks interested in being a part of the world’s greatest profession: Teaching!” says Helms.
Prior to 2008, more than 30 percent of all new hires in Georgia came through an alternative certification route. That dropped to just under 25 percent during the recession, says Cyndy Stephens, director of Educator Workforce Talent Acquisition and Development at the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. “But, it is beginning to rise again, especially in math, science and special education and also in early childhood education,” she says. In some systems, more than 40 percent of new hires are from non-traditional certification programs.
Dunn entered the profession through Teach for America, which also provided him with an AmeriCorps grant to earn a teaching certificate from Georgia State University. Hudgens came up through the Georgia TAPP program. An Attitude of Gratitude
Beyond admiring the rich experiences of later-career educators, administrators appreciate their gratitude. “The sacrifice they made to go back to school later in life is shown by their devotion and enthusiasm as teachers,” says Wiggins. Helms sees it, too. “We continue to hear testimonials from our TAPP candidates on how they had lost their way after graduating from college (with a degree that they couldn’t use),” he says. “They were floundering in their careers or just not being fulfilled in their current work.”
Bryan Mills, who teaches math at Jeff
Pelham math teacher Alfred Owens instructs student Rodrick Jones.
Tom Dunn
“Teaching in a public school, especially an urban public school, is incredibly hard work. My prior careers as a criminal defense lawyer, capital defense attorney and officer in the Army were very challenging jobs, but they do not compare to my responsibilities as a teacher for Atlanta Public Schools.”
Davis Middle School, can relate. “My greatest regret in life is that I did not enter the teaching profession when I graduated from the University of Georgia in 1977,” he says. “Because I am almost 60 years old, my time in the classroom is limited.” In previous years, Mills worked for the U.S. Dairy Association and operated a family department store.
Others have found fulfillment as well in their new career paths. “I love helping sixth graders grow, mature and succeed,” Hudgens says. “I love teaching them the value of hard work, and then seeing the joy that they experience after work-
Former defense attorney Tom Dunn shares first-hand knowledge with his South Atlanta High students (from left) Timdrika Holt, DeMonte’ Harris, Audrice Howard and Charles Ellis. (Photo by Robert Matta.)
ing hard and succeeding. My greatest authority figure like a teacher can make joys come from working with struggling, between having a good life and a ruined sometimes outright defeated, students life. “Having seen too many people at and helping them succeed.” the end of lives gone wrong, [he wanted]
Dunn, whose story is profiled in an to keep these students from ending up October 2009 article in The New York like his former clients,” states the Times Times, turned to teaching to help rescue article. n Atlanta’s youth— and himself. Years of stress as a death- ‘The Hardest Job I’ve Ever Had’ penalty lawyer led to congestive heart failure. The same day Tom Dunn served in combat and then spent years representing men and women on death he left the Georgia row. “Those were both incredibly hard jobs, [but Resource Center, he teaching middle school students how to read] was began his Teach for the hardest job I’ve ever had.” See a brief video America training. about this later-career educator He was motivated by scanning the QR code or visitby having witnessed ing pageinc.org/associations/9445/ the difference that pagetv/?page=944&tab=2&tab=2. having a supportive
Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification
More than 25 percent of new teacher hires in Georgia earned their certification through an alternative route such as the following:
Georgia TAPP Designed for career switchers with bachelor’s degrees, the Georgia Teacher Alternative Preparation Program (TAPP) provides an internship and induction program leading to a teaching certificate. Candidate support teams at many of Georgia’s Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESA) evaluate participants and recommend paths to attain core competencies. Georgia Teaching Fellows Georgia Teaching Fellows provides an accelerated pathway into teaching for professionals and recent college graduates with no prior teaching experience. Visit tntpteachingfellows.com/georgia/who-we-want to learn more about the program. Teach for America Teach for America provides career development and places graduates in high-need classrooms. Learn more about the program at teachforamerica.org/our-organization. Troops to Teachers Troops to Teachers (U.S. Department of Defense) helps military personnel transition into teaching in high-need schools. Candidates must meet state teacher certification requirements. Eligible veterans may receive up to $5,000 to help pay for certification and receive a one-time bonus of up to $10,000 for agreeing to teach in a high-needs school. More information is available by emailing wkirkland@gsu.edu or visiting tttga.net.
Professional Learning
Teacher Leaders Explore ‘Minds-On’ Engagement
The PAGE Teacher Leadership Institute is creating a contemporary vision of teacher leadership—an essential component of a 21st century education for every child in Georgia. More than 85 teams from schools throughout Georgia participated during the 2013-2014 academic year. Educators focused on engagement-focused classrooms and schools, lesson design, collaboration and facilitation.
During these sessions, teacher leaders developed high levels of trust within their teams and saw clear evidence that classroom and school success depends on honest expressions of collegial conversation. Participants examined methods of interacting with students to explore their thinking, determine their persistence and assess their engagement. The teams generated probing questions designed to prompt students to express the meaning of their activities. Educators also shared lesson designs that facilitate work of profound meaning and high value to students. “I learned that student engagement is not hands-on, but minds-on,” remarked one participant.
Moreover, teacher leaders discovered the power of discussion. In addition to promoting competence and confidence, discussions strengthen collegiality and encourage collaboration. As such, it plays an important role in addressing classroom behaviors and in influencing school-wide decisions. “The PAGE Teacher Leader Institute experience was a profound experience for me,” commented another participant. “Honing in on student engagement and the use of protocols to maximize learning for the student, for me and for fellow teachers was powerful and extremely useful.” n
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1. The Schlechty Center’s Phillip Brown leads a PAGE Teacher Leadership session. 2. Gretchen Whitt of Union Elementary School (Paulding). 3. Teacher Leaders gather at PAGE to explore engagement-focused classrooms.
Photos by Meg Thornton
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3 2
1. Tiffany Cunningham and Sakinah Colonel of Idlewood Elementary School (DeKalb). 2. Teri Schneider of Peachtree Ridge High School (Fulton). 3. Robert Tolbert and Ashley Dean of Glanton Hindman Elementary School (Carroll). 4. Theresa Hoinksy and Ty Vernon of Walton High School (Cobb). 5. Todd Webster and Kimberly Holland of Chestatee High School (Hall).
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1
3
1. Celest Nageve and Carrie Jones of Rutland Academy (Athens). 2. Shena Jagers of Memorial Middle School (Rockdale). 3. Gretchen Whitt, Kathi Sanders and Kim Merrell of Union Elementary School (Paulding).
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PAGE Legislative Summary in the limelight: bills that did Not Pass
The dominating theme of the 2014 Georgia General Assembly was the upcoming election cycle. Not only were various bills introduced and passed to appeal to base voters, but legislators hurriedly pushed through the 40-day session in order to wrap up the session and raise campaign funds in time for the May 20 primary. As for education-related legislation, 2014 is more memorable for what bills did not pass, rather than legislation that did.
Below is a summary of legislation that was passed and sent to Gov. Nathan Deal to sign into law or veto by April 29. The effective date of the legislation is July 1, unless otherwise specified. The electronic version of this PAGE legislative report includes links to some supporting documents and legislative voting records. Please see how House and Senate members voted and learn more about legislative issues.
Common Core Study Committee
HR 550 originated as a proposed constitutional amendment allowing communities to return to a system of electing their local school superintendents. In the final days of the 2014 session, that lanand did not pass. In its place, House leaders inserted a measure creating a study committee on the Common Core standards and the role of federal government in education. (See more on Common Core in the Failed Legislation section of this report.) School Association, SB 288 by Sen.
guage was stripped from the legislation Charlie Bethel (R-Dalton), requires the athletic association to annually publish its financial reports and create the Georgia High School Athletics legislative oversight committee.
Child Abuse Reporting Improvements
PAGE-supported legislation,
HB 914
sponsored by Rep. David Wilkerson (D-Austell), that requires child protective services to acknowledge within 24 hours in writing that it has received a report from any educator making a required report of suspected child abuse. Within Georgians may carry firearms. The bill authorizes local boards of education to designate employees who hold carry permits to carry firearms in schools, on school buses and at school functions.
HB 826 by Rep. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) expands the legal definition of school safety zone to include school buses and bus stops. The legislation also modifies the school zero-tolerance weapons law, redefining prohibited weapons (excluding firearms) and giving school administrators more discretion in enforcement of zero-tolerance provisions. bills aimed at the Georgia High selor or principal whether child abuse was confirmed or unconfirmed.
Proposed Income Tax Cap
Voters will have their say in November regarding a proposal to cap Georgia’s income tax rate. Sen. David Shafer’s (R-Duluth) proposed constitutional amendment, SR 415, was opposed by some advocates for public education and social services because of the amendment’s potential to limit revenue available for public services.
Weapons in Schools
Rep. Doug Holt (R-Social Circle) sponsored HB 60 that evolved into omnibus gun legislation expanding the locations where Tax-Free Holidays for
five days of a completed investigation of reported abuse, protective services will report back in writing to the school coun2014 & 2015
HB 958 sponsored by Rep. Chad Nimmer (R-Blackshear) lays out the
GHSA Oversight
One of several proposed 2014 upcoming back-to-school tax holidays for
Weighing the Impact of Legislation From left, Margaret Ciccarelli, PAGE Director of Legislative Affairs; Rep. Mike Dudgeon (R-Johns Creek); and Claire Suggs of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute addressed attendees at this year’s PAGE Day on Capitol Hill. (Photos by Lynn Varner.)
this year and next. Eligible school supplies and clothing items will be exempt from state sales tax on Aug. 1–2 2014, and July 31–Aug. 1, 2015.
HOPE Bills
HB 697 by Rep. Stacy Evans (D-Smyrna) creates the Zell Miller Scholarship Scholars Program, which covers the entire cost of tuition for Georgia’s high-achieving technical college students.
Another HOPE-related bill, HB 810 sponsored by Rep. Joyce Chandler (R-Grayson), drops ACT and SAT achievement requirements from the 85th percentile to the 80th percentile for homeschool students for the purposes of determining HOPE eligibility. OTHER EduCATIOn
Another HOPE-related measure from a stalled bill requiring schools to annually give students their un-weighted GPAs for the purposes of determining HOPE eligibility was successfully amended onto HB 405, sponsored by Rep. Rahn Mayo (D-Decatur), which requires governance training for charter school boards.
HB 714 by Rep. Mark Hamilton (R-Cumming) prohibits non-certified school contractors not employed by local school systems from receiving unemployment benefits during summer and holiday closures.
The Work-Based Learning Act, HB 766, by Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee) updates Georgia’s Youth-Based Apprenticeship Program, allowing students age 16 and up to participate and authorizes the Georgia Department of Education to establish related rules and guidelines. ings account.
Sen. Fran Millar’s (R-Atlanta) SB 301 allows schools to be constructed of wood. Binding Resolutions that Passed
HR 1186 by Rep. Harry Geisinger (R-Roswell) encourages schools to adopt Skills for Success financial literacy classes.
Sponsored by Sen. Jack Hill (R-Reidsville), SR 875 creates the Joint Study Committee on the Property Tax Digest Impact on Education Funding, which will study the impact of local property taxes on school equalization funding and the five mill share.
SR 1200 by Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) creates a study committee on school discipline tasked with examining racial disparities in student expulsion and alternative school assignment. STATE BudGET OvERvIEW
The good news this year is that a portion of the painful ongoing education austerity reductions has been restored. The General Assembly and governor earmarked approximately $314 million, which will fill part of the rolling hole in Georgia’s Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding formula. When announcing the partial restoration, policymakers indicated they intend the monies to be used by cash-strapped local school systems to restore a full school year, end furloughs and increase educator pay. Unfortunately, given the severity of the budget woes facing many local districts, it is very unlikely that most school districts can afford to initiate each of these three items.
Other budget highlights include the allocation of about $100 million to fully fund formulaic increases in student enrollment growth and teacher training
While preparing for the upcoming statewide elections, educators should talk with candidates about their views on these failed bills. The proposals have resounding implications
and experience, as well as more than $414,000 added to the QBE formula for a pay increase for school nurses and to fund the statefinanced portion of nurse health insurance.
Review the entire AFY 2014 and FY 2015 state education budget on the PAGE website by accessing our archived Reports from the Capitol.
FAIlEd lEGISl ATIOn
The following legislation did not pass during the 2014 session.
Though the proposals contained
for students and teachers
therein may be reintroduced for
the 2015 session, the measures will
and will almost certainly
receive another bill number and
must begin anew through the legisMEASuRES
THAT PASSEd
be revisited in subsequent legislative sessions.
lative process.
While preparing for the upcoming statewide elections, educators
should talk with candidates about their views on these failed bills. The proposals have resounding implications for students and teachers and will almost certainly be revisited in
VETOEDSB 281 sponsored by Sen. Judson Hill (R-Marietta) requires the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) to offer at least one high deductible option with a health sav-
Study Committees and
non-
subsequent legislative sessions. Anti-Common Core Bill
SB 167, related to Georgia’s use of the Common Core Standards, generated the most controversy this year. Sen. William Ligon’s (R-Brunswick) proposal underwent many changes, but in its final form, legislation would have allowed local school systems to adopt their own individual standards, create a state standards advisory council comprised mostly of grandparents and parents who would review proposed changes to Georgia’s curriculum standards and contain problematic prohibitions regarding the use of student data.
The bill passed the Senate and appeared to have the approval of the governor’s office and the House until an unlikely coalition opposing SB 167 gained traction. At House Education Committee hearings on the bill, advocates from chambers of commerce, the technology sector, U.S. military, charter schools, higher education, every statewide education group including PAGE and concerned parents and individual educators spoke out against SB 167.
As a result, House Education Committee Vice Chair Mike Dudgeon (R-Johns Creek) drafted a more moder-
ate compromise bill, but Ligon rejected the amended legislation. Ultimately, a bipartisan group of House Education Committee members voted down Ligon’s legislation. Their thoughtful and pragmatic approach on this issue is to be commended.
Committee members voting against SB 167 include:
Rep. Tommy Benton (R-Jefferson)
Rep. Amy Carter (R-Valdosta)
Rep. Valerie Clark (R-Lawrenceville)
Rep. Tom Dickson (R-Cohutta)
Rep. Hugh Floyd (D-Norcross)
Rep. Mike Glanton (D-Jonesboro)
Rep. Wayne Howard (D-Augusta)
Rep. Margaret Kaiser (D-Atlanta)
Rep. Howard Maxwell (R-Dallas)
Rep. Rahn Mayo (D-Decatur)
Rep. Alisha Morgan (D-Austell)
Rep. Randy Nix (R-LaGrange)
Rep. Willie Talton (R-Warner Robbins) Proposed Constitutional Amendments which was an amendment that would allow recently incorporated cities in metro Atlanta to create new school systems, also failed, in addition to a resolution allowing local communities to levy an ESPLOST for some school operating expenses. The failed ESPLOST amendAndy Welch (R-McDonough). Charter Schools & the Title 20 Rewrite Bill
Two controversial charter school bills sponsored by Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-Atlanta) both failed. Last year’s much-discussed vote to convert traditional public schools would allow businesses and municipalities to create their own charter schools authorized by the Georgia Charter School Commission, did not gain enough traction to pass both chambers.
Charter provisions contained in an otherwise innocuous Title 20 Rewrite Dudgeon (R-Johns Creek), doomed the bill to failure in the Senate. TRS Study Committee Bill
Though it generated a lot of conversation under the Gold Dome and in the educaHill (R-Atlanta) did not move through the committee process. The resolution would have created a study committee on the Teacher Retirement System (TRS). The bill did not mention specific proposed changes the committee might study, but throughout the country, states are considering substantial changes to traditional pension programs, moving some from defined benefit to defined contribution programs and broadening pension investments to include higher risk venture capital investments. PAGE’S SHBP Reforms
Thanks are in order to Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus) for sponsoring PAGE-proposed reforms to the SHBP. McKoon’s legislation, SB 346, sought to add an educator and state employee to the Board of Community Health overseeing the SHBP and created a SHBP advisory committee comprised of retired and active educators and state
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