October 27th, 2015                     
Table of Contents
ERC Winds Down Work on Teacher Pay, School Funding, & Other Reforms
Funding Formula Missing
Recommendations a Mixed Bag
PAGE Addresses the ERC re: Teacher Pay, Austerity Cuts, & the Funding Model
Next Steps
State Superintendent Richard Woods' Letter to the Finance Committee
Education Reform Commission  
October 22, 2015 
State Superintendent Richard Woods' Letter to the Finance Committee

State School Superintendent Richard Woods recently delivered a letter to members of the ERC Funding Committee.  In it, he shares both concerns with and support for parts of the formula developed by the committee so far. The full letter is at the end of this report. If you would prefer to read a PDF version, CLICK HERE.
ERC Winds Down Work on Teacher Pay, School Funding, & Other Reforms
The Governor's Education Reform Commission met Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015.  The five committees presented progress reports to fellow commission members.  The complete PowerPoint from the meeting is available HERE.

Dr. Charles Knapp, former UGA president and chair of both the full ERC and the ERC Funding Committee, opened the meeting by outlining what he hopes the next two months will hold for the commission:  the ERC will vote on school reform recommendations at the next scheduled meeting in November, the votes will be unanimous, and the final ERC meeting scheduled for December will allow the commission members to celebrate their hard work as the ERC recommendations are transmitted to the Governor.
Funding Formula Missing
The presentation of the Funding Committee is contained in the single slide below which appears to contain an error regarding the date of the next Funding Committee meeting. 



The Funding Committee's last meeting was cancelled, and the committee is slated to meet again on Oct. 28th. The committee's work is central to the ERC, as critical pieces such as teacher compensation (including T & E and pay-for-performance elements) and a new student-based school funding formula are moving through the funding committee.
Recommendations a Mixed Bag
During group discussion regarding the other committee reports, commission members appeared to reach an informal consensus that committees should return to the November ERC meeting with a ranking of their recommendations. The PowerPoint with all recommendations is available HERE. Highlights of the recommendations presented today include:

School Choice
  • Create a new school voucher program by enacting a new Student Scholarship Organization tax credit program available to low-income students. (Georgia's existing SSO program does not currently apply a means test eligibility requirement.)
  • Clarify charter school facilities law.
  • Articulate framework for another new voucher program, the Education Savings Account (ESA) plan, should the legislature opt to pursue ESA legislation, though stopping short of actually recommending ESA's. 

Early Childhood
  • Develop and implement a pay structure for Pre-K lead teachers based on experience and teacher credential, while developing other compensation models based on teacher effectiveness that would be feasible and reliable across multiple program types.
  • Increase Pre-K assistant teacher pay.
  • Reduce the Pre-K class size from 22 students to 20 students.

Move on When Ready
  • Ensure students are reading on grade level by the end of third grade by replicating components of Georgia's Early Literacy Grant throughout the state and allow flexible grouping across grade levels as students show competence of skills.
  • Transition to a competency-based education system.
  • Increase opportunity for advancement or remediation for students through flexible testing throughout the calendar school year.

Teacher Recruitment, Retention & Compensation - What Will Happen With Base Pay?

Appling County educator and ERC Teacher Recruitment, Retention & Compensation committee chair Pam Williams presented recommendations on behalf of her committee, including:

  • No changes should be made to the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) of Georgia for current members. It is noted that more study of the system and potential future changes is warranted.
  • Investigate a state-based funding program to allow compensation of classroom instructors who supervise teacher interns.
  • Study the possibility of creating a Service Cancellable Loan program for education graduates of the University System of Georgia, and should recognize teaching as a High Demand Workforce Initiative in Georgia.
  • Keep as a top priority of the education community the preservation of teacher planning time. To monitor implementation, the climate survey for LKES should have a question related to how well principals protect teacher planning time.
  • Develop multiple sample teacher compensation models from which districts may choose.
  • Modify the Teacher Keys Effectiveness Systems to allow for flexibility in implementation, including fewer classroom observations for the most effective teachers.
  • Develop strong induction programs and encourage teacher mentorship programs in all charters and strategic contracts. Grants should be made available to districts which communicate a clear and consistent program of induction support.
  • Respect teachers' instructional time by minimizing the number of additional requirements beyond instruction.
  • Develop a reimbursement system for costs incurred by GACE exams and edTPA for pre-service educators who graduate from the University System of Georgia and sign a contract to teach in a Georgia school.
  • Study the benefits of moving to a full-year clinical practice model for those pursuing a degree in education from the University System of Georgia, as opposed to a single semester student teaching model. 
  • Create a statewide media campaign to promote the positive and beneficial aspects of the teaching profession.
One additional committee recommendation, to "increase the amount of the base teacher salary" generated an interesting exchange between Ms. Williams and ERC Chair Dr. Knapp. During the TRR&C committee's work over the last few months, committee members expressed strong interest in raising the base starting salary of Georgia teachers from around $35,000 to $40,000 in order to recruit high quality teachers. The recommendation to the full ERC today stopped short of recommending a dollar amount, which Dr. Knapp said would cost more than $200 million to fully implement. He requested that the TRR&C committee continue to review the starting salary recommendation, and described his request as a "strategic punt."
PAGE Addresses the ERC re: Teacher Pay, Austerity Cuts, & the Funding Model
At the conclusion of the meeting, Lisa-Marie Haygood, state president of Georgia PTA, addressed the commissioners and requested that they examine the actual costs of educating Georgia students (which has not been part of the ERC'S work, thus far), that they address growing class sizes, pupil transportation needs, and teacher compensation. 

PAGE Director of Legislative Affairs, Margaret Ciccarelli, also spoke during the public comment portion of the ERC meeting. She pointed out to commission members that, since public comment has been allowed at the conclusion of each ERC meeting, Thursday's meeting was the last opportunity for stakeholders to provide public comment on the ERC recommendations, including the funding formula which has not yet been published.

Ciccarelli also encouraged commission members to allow local school districts an opportunity to run models of the new school funding formula before voting and to rethink the impact of proposed changes to teacher compensation for existing and future Georgia educators.  

Next Steps 
The full ERC will meet again on Nov. 19th from 2-4 pm in the DECAL Oak Conference Room, Sloppy Floyd Building, Suite 824, East Tower.

Stakeholders are strongly encouraged to contact the ERC now regarding their opinions on ERC recommendations. As always, when contacting policymakers outside of instructional time, educators should use their personal, not school, email accounts. 
State Superintendent Richard Woods' Letter to the Finance Committee
Dear Representative Tom Dickson; Dr. Kent Edwards; Representative Terry England; Barbara Hampton; Dr. Chuck Knapp, Chairman; Cynthia Kuhlman; Senator Lindsey Tippins; Senator Jack Hill; Alvin Wilbanks; Dick Yarbrough and Senator Jack Hill:

We all agree that Governor Deal has displayed courage in taking on difficult education issues. I am grateful that he put together a commission to -- among other things -- address the funding issue.

In one of the first speeches I made after taking office, I stated that it was my hope that a student attending a school in Forsyth County would have the same opportunity for a high-quality public education as a student attending a school in Tift County. If we are to continue to be the number one state in the nation for doing business, Georgia must ensure that all of our students have equal access to an excellent public education. We must continue to move forward as one state.

As you know, the challenge and charge the Governor set forth is a real one. The QBE formula is outdated.  Its foundation is set on a traditional public school model; all but two school districts in our state have chosen to adopt either a Charter or Strategic Waiver flexibility model. A funding model built on weighted amounts means a formula that is easier for the public and school districts to understand. The discussion and decisions of this committee are impactful and I would like to share my perspectives:

It is encouraging to see that funding for essential personnel such as media specialists, counselors, and nurses is included in the base. All of us know that these professionals provide critical support services for our students. I hope models are run for small, medium, and large districts to ensure support for adequate coverage of these positions in all of our schools.

One area of concern is that of transportation. Having worked in a district in South Georgia, I know rural schools cover a larger area and serve a student population that relies heavily on busing. I hope this committee will look beyond the density of students and look at how many square miles our schools serve. Where a "neighborhood school" in metro areas is often just several blocks away, a neighborhood school in rural areas often serves an entire county with a large geographic area. A categorical grant is one option that should be explored.

We often hear about a student's education being limited by the boundary of zip code. It is my hope that this formula's only boundary is that of our state and our will to ensure a high-quality public education for each and every child. In that spirit, it is critical that we get sparsity and equalization right. I am encouraged by conversations I've had and the commitment expressed to provide a multi-year, stable calculation which will make it easier for schools to craft their budgets. It is my hope that once a proposed formula is set, districts be allowed to run the numbers so they can see the impact on their budgets. If funding is allotted for sparsity grants, I hope that number will be more in line with the QBE level, rather than relying on the level allotted in previous state budgets.

To provide an excellent education for every child, school districts need support. Georgia's Regional Education Services Agencies have provided critical support, particularly for smaller districts, over the years - providing training and other resources that otherwise would not be available. RESAs allow funding and other resources to be spread throughout the state so districts are better served in their respective regions. I encourage this task force to continue funding for RESAs so assistance can be provided for all districts.  

I have been encouraged by the proposed formula's emphasis on early grades (K-3) -- targeting resources and support in this area will save our districts money and our students challenges in the later grades.

I am proud to see that CTAE funds have been a focus of the task force. These are such critical programs in our schools.  With an 89% average graduation rate among students who complete a career pathway, this is a powerful investment for our state to make.

The changes to calculating funding for students with additional needs (English Learners, Economically Disadvantaged, Students with Disabilities, etc.) are a big step in the right direction - this places the focus on serving student needs, while making it easier for parents and districts to understand how funding for these students is determined. I do hope we will continue to place an emphasis on funding so these students have what is necessary to provide them with a high quality education. Also, as we reach out to students who are struggling with many issues, we need to be reminded that alternative education provides dropout prevention, dropout recovery, and credit recovery opportunities for these students.

As I know you are well aware, Training and Experience (T&E) has already been a contentious issue. I applaud the Governor's Office and committee members for agreeing that a covenant has been made with our current teachers and they should be grandfathered in if a new pay model is adopted. I urge us to commit to keeping that promise even if current teachers, moving forward, experience gaps in their careers due to life events such as maternity leave, staying home a few years to raise a family, personal illness, caring for a family member with an illness, etc.

I am pleased to hear conversations around increasing the beginning base teacher salary. With large numbers of our teachers leaving the profession by year five and our teacher preparation programs reporting fewer teachers in the pipeline, I feel this is an essential step to the long-term quality of the public education system. We've drastically raised expectations and demands on beginning teachers and it is important that we raise their salaries as well.

On top of increasing the beginning base teacher salary, I believe we also need to consider college loan forgiveness for those entering the teaching profession, extend student teaching for a full year, and provide grants to support strong induction/mentor programs for beginning teachers as the Recruitment, Retention and Compensation Taskforce has mentioned.

Whispers regarding the new pay model have been interpreted as degree level and experience versus performance. All of you who serve on this committee have deep experience in your respective professions and backgrounds, so I know you understand the importance of experience and knowledge in the teaching profession. However, all of you -- whether it be based on election results, profit margins, or academic outcomes -- are also measured, in part, on your performance.

Our goal must be a pay model that includes many different factors. The Professional Standards Commission has done a lot of work with tiered certifications, which recognize National Board Certification, degree level, experience, and performance. The spirit of this is to provide a career ladder for teachers who want to stay in the classroom while still growing as professionals. There has been work with the University System of Georgia to rate their teacher preparation programs based, in part, on their graduates' performance to ensure the quality of degrees. This work should be included in any pay models that are developed as templates for districts to use. When these models are developed, our state's most talented and respected teachers must be part of the process. I am committed to continuing a measured approach to accountability that ensures a fair model in which all education stakeholders see value and trust.

Georgia's Pre-K system offers us many warning signs about what can occur if a quality system is unable to recruit and retain quality people. We must ensure that the discussion we are now having around Georgia's Pre-K teachers doesn't become the same discussion we have around Georgia's K-12 teachers. The Teacher Recruitment and Retention Committee's recommendations shouldn't simply be reactionary, but should instead be an integral part of the process of crafting the Funding Committee's recommendations.

I know the goal of the Funding Committee is to ensure every child is taught by a quality teacher. As we make progress toward achieving that goal, we will need to continue to have discussions about whether or not the state is providing the funds necessary for a quality teacher to be in every classroom.

Having been in education for over 22 years, I've seen bonuses for schools meeting AYP and bonuses for teachers earning National Board Certification -- different factors have led to our state falling short on our promises. With that in mind, safeguards must be put into place to ensure that if these weights are modified due to changing educational priorities and/or budgetary pressures that there is an open and honest dialogue between policymakers and education stakeholders.

While Georgia's constitution requires the state to support an adequate public education for every child, it also requires us to operate with a balanced budget.  With that in mind, we must remember that as student enrollment continues to expand, the quality of our teachers and school leaders continues to improve, and the demands on our schools continue to rise, the state's fiscal support for public education must be the priority as required in Georgia's Constitution, a path on which I believe the Governor has set us.

Respectfully,

Richard Woods
Georgia's School Superintendent
Margaret Ciccarelli - Director of Legislative Affairs
[email protected]

Josh Stephens - Legislative Policy Analyst
[email protected]


          


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