Georgia Professional Standards Commission Meeting
July 2016
The following topics were discussed during the Georgia Professional Standards Commission's ("GaPSC") monthly meeting in July of 2016:
Ethics Division
A teacher accused of pulling a non-verbal special education student by her ponytail was given a suspension for two years.
The GaPSC recommended a one year suspension for an educator accused of forging three signatures on an IEP.
An educator accused of failing to report that a student fell from a changing table in a timely manner was given a reprimand. The educator allegedly reported the incident after the parent complained about bruises on the student.
In a companion case, the paraprofessional accused of leaving that student on the changing table unsupervised was given a suspension of 30 days.
A first-year teacher was given a suspension for 30 days for allegedly twisting a student's arm.
The GaPSC typically revokes the certificate of an educator who commits a felony while holding a GaPSC-issued certificate.
Dr. Paul Shaw, Director of Educator Ethics, reviewed the types of ethics cases opened and closed during the 2016 fiscal year. Among the findings, most new cases involved special ed teachers and building administrators, and often involved educators with fewer than five years of experience.
Certification and Educator Preparation Divisions
An update on the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy ("GaTAPP") program was provided. The program, designed for aspiring educators seeking to transition into the profession from other careers, takes one to three years to complete. There are currently 19 GaPSC-approved GaTAPP program
providers (12 RESAs, four districts and three other providers). Three of the six most recent Georgia Teachers of the Year (2012, 2016 and 2017) entered the profession through the GaTAPP program.
The Commission granted Developmental Approval of the Tier I Educational Leadership Program (Initial; P-12; Master's) at Covenant College and the Special Education Adapted Curriculum Program (P-5; Initial; M.A.T.) at Piedmont College.
The Commission also granted Continuing Approval of 15 educator prep programs at Spelman College:
Chemistry (6-12; Initial; Baccalaureate)
Chemistry (6-12: Initial; Certification-only)
Early Childhood Education (P-5; Initial; Baccalaureate)
English (6-12; Initial: Baccalaureate)
English (6-12; Initial; Certification-only)
History (6-12; Initial; Baccalaureate)
History (6-12; Initial; Certification-only)
Mathematics (6-12; Initial; Baccalaureate)
Mathematics (6-12; Initial; Certification-only)
Physics (6-12; Initial; Baccalaureate)
Physics (6-12; Initial; Certification-only)
Political Science (6-12; Initial; Baccalaureate)
Political Science (6-12; Initial; Certification-only)
