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House Education Committee Kicks off with Recognition of School Choice Week Guests
The House Education Committee met briefly prior to the joint House and Senate Education Committee. Chairman Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth) asked Rep. Valencia Stovall (D-Lake City) to recognize guests attending her Educate Georgia Summit, a part of School Choice Week, occurring this week under the Gold Dome.
The House Ed Committee changed a rule so that the committee will no longer consider "urging" legislative language as part of a bill. In essence, this type of non-prescriptive language makes the committee's opinion known, but it does not carry the force of law as part of a bill. "Urging" language must now be incorporated into resolutions.
Committee Vice-Chair Mike Dudgeon (R-John's Creek) asked fellow committee members to consider a rule change requiring a higher percentage of affirmative votes to pass any legislation mandating additional duties for classroom teachers. The committee did not pass the rule change, but Dudgeon asked the committee to consider how the goal might be accomplished.
Dudgeon then assigned several House bills to subcommittees. The first subcommittee, Academic Support, will meet tomorrow at 2 pm to discuss HB 659 sponsored by Rep. Dave Belton (R-Buckhead).
CLICK HERE for a list of current House Education Committee members and their contact information.
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Superintendent Outlines GaDOE Teacher Survey-Makes Teacher Eval & Testing Recs
State School Superintendent Richard Woods addressed the joint House and Senate Education Committee this afternoon. He walked legislators through the results from the Georgia Department of Education (DOE) recent teacher attrition survey.
Woods continued his presentation, focusing on Georgia's current TKES evaluation program and the amount of standardized testing required by our state. Under the newly authorized federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) the federal government requires eleven standardized tests throughout a student's school career. Georgia currently requires three times more tests than the federal requirement.
When speaking more specifically about TKES, Woods explained that a tiered observation system would allow administrators to spend more time with new or weaker teachers while giving teachers who receive high evaluation scores the benefit of fewer observations and more flexibility in the classroom. He also urged legislators to reduce the weight of student testing in educator evaluation, which is currently 50 percent of the evaluation. Instead, Woods recommends taking part of that 50 percent and placing it in a professional growth percentage. Most notably, he said, "The evaluation system should be a coaching tool instead of a gotcha tool."
When prompted by a senator to suggest the top three recommendations to improve teacher morale, the superintendent cited (1) improving student testing, (2) reducing the 50 percent testing component in teacher evaluation, and (3) listening to teachers.
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GPEE's Top Ten Issues to Watch
The Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education (GPEE) reviewed its "Top Ten Issues to Watch." Dr. Steve Dollinger and Dr. Dana Rickman highlighted these issues including: - Indicators to Watch: Where is GA Today?
- Success for All: What to do with Chronically Failing Schools
- Georgia's Teaching Pipeline: Protecting our Future
- Student Funding: A More Equitable Pie
- Mind the Gaps: Equity & Outcomes in Education
- Early Learning: An Economic Education for Georgia
- After School Time: Where Learning Continues
- Workforce Readiness: The Role of K-12
- Postsecondary Education: Access and Success
- Future of Education in Georgia: Where are We Going?
When Q & A began after GPEE'S presentation, Rep. Belton stated that teacher morale is the No. 1 issue in education in Georgia today. He cited the DOE's survey of 53,000 educators which shows growing teacher attrition throughout the state. When asked what recommendations they would give the committees based on what they had researched about standardized testing and what the new federal law allows, Dr. Rickman answered that a study commission would be the best. She said Georgia educational leaders do not know how much total testing is occurring when federal, state and local requirements are combined. "We need to look at why we're testing and is the testing being used appropriately," Rickman said. Dr. Dollinger also mentioned that GPEE has a relationship with Superintendent Woods and expects that GPEE intends to work with Woods and the GaDOE to get a handle on how much student testing is administered at both the state and individual school district level. CLICK HERE to read GPEE's full "Top Ten Issues to Watch."
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House Ed Vice Chair Announces He Won't Run Again
Rep. Dudgeon, vice chairman of the House Education Committee, announced today that he does not intend to run in the next election cycle. Dudgeon served four years on the Forsyth County Board of Education and six years in the House of Representatives.
"I have a great district and great constituents, and I have loved representing them. They have my commitment and I will vigorously pursue my legislative priorities for our area and the state as I finish this final session ... I also hope to remain involved in policy, especially around education. I also will be offering to help consult with the legislature in the future on continuing to improve their technology."
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Don't Miss the Vote!
Register by Feb. 1 to Vote on March 1
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 This is a big year in politics -- not only is it a presidential election year, but state and federal legislative seats will also be decided in the November general election. There are many education policies and initiatives being proposed this year in Georgia. Your voice counts and the best way to be heard is by voting. To cast your vote in the SEC Primary or for local issues, you must be registered or ensure your registration is current by Monday, Feb. 1. To make it easy for you, we have included the on-line links for registering, checking your registration, and to review your sample ballot. You can register here and you can check your registration here. These online tools are easy to use and the My Voter Page provides voter-specific information. Be aware that if you do not provide a copy of your state identification when registering, you will be asked to show it the first time you vote. Georgia also has an official app (GA Votes) which will allow you to register, find your polling location, see a sample ballot and more! Just search for GA Votes.
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