Legislative Report Card

PAGE actively engages lawmakers throughout each session of the Georgia General Assembly on an array of issues that affect educators and students. Consistent focus areas of advocacy include school funding, teacher evaluation, assessment and accountability, the Teachers Retirement System, and preventing the expansion of private school vouchers. Each year, the PAGE legislative team highlights specific issues within these areas and, with guidance from the PAGE Legislative Task Force as well as emerging information about political opportunities and challenges, adds to them as needed.

A summary of PAGE 2021 legislative priorities and corresponding advocacy highlights follow. To access the full slate of priorities and learn more about PAGE legislative advocacy, visit www.pagelegislative.org and www.pageinc.org/ advocating-for-you/.

♦ Invest in broadband and technology that facilitates learning; Fund interventions that address pandemic-related learning loss; Ensure adequate support staff are available to serve students, allowing teachers to focus on teaching.

♦ Increase funding to provide school counselors for all students; Enhance access to external mental health supports; Support the development of hubs in schools, which leverage resources to meet students’ needs; Ensure educator well-being by protecting planning time and duty-free lunches, and providing mental health supports.

♦ Eliminate the $1 billion austerity cut implemented in the Fiscal Year 2021 budget; Prevent expansion of Georgia’s two private school voucher programs or establishment of a third program; Institute transparency and accountability measures on Georgia’s tuition tax credit voucher program.

♦ Supported salary enhancements — including a $1,000 bonus — for educators and staff, and successfully advocated to include Pre-K teachers. (Because they are federally funded, supplements moved though the SBOE and administrative process, rather than the appropriations process in the state legislature.)

♦ Advocated against legislation seeking to create a third private school voucher program and expand two others.

♦ Successfully encouraged passage of two bills aimed at bolstering teacher pipeline: SB 88 enables U.S. Military veterans to more readily earn teacher certification, enhances partnerships with HBCUs to increase the number of teachers of color, and adds the Teacher of the Year as an advisory member to the State Board of Education. HB 385 allows retired educators to return to work fulltime in specified high needs areas, while continuing to draw TRS benefits. (As a fiscal retirement bill, HB 385 is required to undergo a two-year legislative process and is eligible to pass in 2022.)

♦ Supported HB 32 — a bill that provides a $3,000 tax credit for teachers new to certain rural and underperforming schools.