A Most Unusual Time

By Craig Harper, PAGE Executive Director

A“ Most Unusual Time” is the theme of this issue of PAGE One. This is an unusual time, indeed, full of anxiety and frustration, as well as an opportunity — unwelcome though it may be — to challenge the status quo in so many ways. Instructional design and methods are changing as you look for ways to prepare for multiple delivery requirements for virtual, in-person, blended, asynchronous and individualized learning. Students and classrooms may be open one day and closed the next.

Some students plan to learn from home while others will be onsite. You’re figuring out how to get connected with new students who haven’t yet been to your classroom as you also work to stay connected with those who are there only part-time.

Through all of this uncertainty, PAGE is adapting with you — supporting and serving you on the issues that matter to you. You provided invaluable information to direct our advocacy efforts through a survey at the start of the pandemic shutdown in the spring and then again regarding school reopening issues in a follow-up survey in late June and early July. The analysis of your responses guided PAGE in developing recommendations for a phased start to the school year — predicated on a determination of health and safety with low rates of COVID-19 spread — with a later student start date and more time for staff to return to school for safety training and professional learning for virtual learning methods. PAGE staff have contacted superintendents and other district leaders to share employee

concerns and suggest resolutions. PAGE urged Georgia’s federal delegation to provide stopgap funding for public schools due to budget shortfalls — especially for PPE supplies, social emotional supports for students, and other costs associated with maintaining health and safety in schools. The PAGE legal department has responded to thousands of your calls for advice on accommodations for health risks of returning to school, guidance on how to talk to supervisors about work assignments, and options for leave. Our attorneys produced an FAQ to address the most common issues from your calls. The PAGE membership service representatives have actively answered your questions and assisted with advocacy efforts.

In these pages, each of our departments that provide services

to educators, future Georgia educators and students presents how they are adapting to meet your needs in this upcoming year. So much of our work at PAGE occurs through direct connection with you at your school, events, conferences, and educationrelated activities. Restrictions on the numbers of people who can gather or limits on participation by those outside the immediate school community hamper our ability to be where we’d like to be — with you in school environments. We don’t yet know what the future holds as we battle COVID-19, but I know that you will do all you can to meet the needs of your students, families and communities, and PAGE will do all we can to support you.

In all we do, let’s keep moving forward on behalf of Georgia’s children, educators and public education in this most unusual time. n