August 2, 2016 
Legislators Meet to Hear Teacher Comments on Educator Evaluation, Student Testing, Pay for Performance and
Other Important Education Issues

Legislators and State Board of Education Members Gather

House Education Committee Chairman Brooks Coleman and Representatives Randy Nix, Valencia Stovall, Joyce Chandler, Valerie Clark, Dave Belton,Tommy Benton and Chuck Williams were joined at the Oconee County Civic Center by Sen. Lindsey Tippins and State Board of Education Member Brian Burdette to hear educator concerns on testing, evaluations, merit pay and several other important education issues. Also in attendance (but not participating) in the session were Mary Hunter Hip, education advisor to Governor Deal, Susan Andrews of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, Martha Ann Todd of the Governor's Office of Student Achievement, and several top officials from the Georgia Department of Education.

Earlier in the day, the group met with superintendents, local board members and administrators from 4 - 5:30 pm to discuss many of the same issues. The teacher session ran from 6 - 8 pm with more than 30 of those in attendance offering comments to the committee.

Governor's Education Reform Commission Recommendations Under the Spotlight

In the invitation to the event, legislators asked educators to come prepared to discuss the following questions.
  • With a major emphasis, from the Governor's Ed Reform Commission, and the education community on the teaching of reading K-3 and Math K-5, we are interested in how you are teaching both subjects?
    • BEST PRACTICES.......BARRIERS......OTHER SUGGESTIONS
  • How can the state improve Teacher/Leader evaluations? The Governor's Ed Reform Commission is recommending differentiated pay/pay for performance. How best can this process be implemented?
    • WHAT OBJECTIVE MEASURES CAN BE USED...... HOW SHOULD IT BE PHASED-IN?
  • Are the changes made to testing in SB 364 sufficient?
    • WHAT OTHER SUGGESTIONS DO YOU RECOMMEND?
  • How do you think school climate can be improved?
  • OTHER COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Three of the legislators present were members of Gov. Nathan Deal's Education Reform Commission, which issued its final report in late 2015 and stirred controversy due in part to its teacher compensation recommendations.
Merit Pay and Testing Blasted by Teachers

Many of the comments made by teachers centered on the controversial merit pay concept that emerged before the 2016 legislative session. One teacher fears that linking compensation with the current evaluation system (and, in turn, to test scores) would create an exodus of teachers from high-poverty areas while offering the idea of creating incentives to bring teachers to these schools.  Another educator from Fulton County warned the policymakers that if pay is linked to test scores, there will be more situations like the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal. One teacher pointed out that when all of the hours that she works at school, after school and at home are taken into account, she makes much less than what she is actually paid.

Another teacher asked policymakers to consider the impact that teachers have on students beyond test scores prompting Chairman Coleman to ask those in the audience what type of measures should be used to determine how teachers are compensated. Several teachers fear that competition among teachers to have high test scores will inhibit creative teaching practices and collaboration among teachers.  

 
School Climate Issues

The lack of protected planning time was an issue brought up frequently by several teachers. Without proper planning time, many teachers are left spending hours after school and at home planning lessons. This, in turn, is significantly detrimental to teacher morale and contributes to the teacher attrition issue highlighted by the Georgia Department of Education earlier this year in a survey sent to all teachers in the state.

Other teachers brought up the fact that many school districts need more counselors and psychologists on staff to help deal with the high rate of behavioral and mental health issues faced by students. One teacher mentioned that by addressing this shortage of counselors and psychologists, student performance would increase. Several teachers mentioned that the increased pressure on students to perform well on mandated tests coupled with the overwhelming amount of testing has lead to poor performance by many students on the tests.

A couple of teachers criticized the Move on When Ready (MOWR) program that has gained a lot of traction in Georgia in recent years. Their issues focused on ensuring that the students participating in these programs were truly prepared for them. Some students, they argued, take these classes because they are less rigorous than the traditional AP/IB classes offered at their high school. Another teacher urged for more transparency in the funding of these programs. 
Next Session Scheduled in Tifton

The next session is Tuesday, Aug. 16, in Tifton at The University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center. The teacher session will be from 6 - 8 pm. Stay tuned to the PAGE listserv and social media for more information.
Margaret Ciccarelli
Director of Legislative Affairs
Josh Stephens
Legislative Policy Analyst
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