PAGE One Aug/Sept 2014

With 27.2% of the state’s children living in poverty, Georgia now has the 6th highest childhood poverty rate in the nation.U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey ProfileSeptember 2013

August/September 2014

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August/September 2014 PAGE ONE 3

Columns4 From the PresidentGeorgia Educators on the Frontline of The Invisibile Epidemic

5 From the Executive DirectorTo Meet Student Needs, We Must Engage in Public Policy at the Grassroots Level

New South PubliShiNg

President larry lebovitz

Publisher John hanna

Editor lindsay Field

Associate Editor Jacqui Frasca

Graphic Designer Jack Simonetta

Production Coordinator Amber Mosler

Advertising/SalesSherry gasaway (770) 650-1102, ext.145

PAGE ONE magazineOfficial Publication of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators

Vol. 36 No. 1

Providing professional learning for educators to enhance professional competence, confidence and leadership skills, leading to higher academic achievement for students, while providing the best in membership, legal services and legislative support.

ContentsAugust/September 2014

editoriAl StAFF

Editor tim Callahan

Associate Editor Meg thornton

Contributing Editor lynn Varner

Feature06 The Growing Face of Poverty

in Georgia K–12 Schools

14 PAGE Summer Event: Georgia Educators Examine Poverty’s Toll

DepartmentsGuest Columns16 A Restoration of Purpose: Building a Foundation of Democratic Values

18 Georgia’s New Tiered Certification System

Technology22 Integrate Technology with These Fun, Interactive Apps

Foundation News24 ‘A PAGE Turning Event’ to Honor Wells Fargo and Mike Donnelly

Chick-fil-A Foundation Donates $30,000

PAGE Foundation Awards Annual Scholarships

26 PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon Teams Earn Record Number of Medals at Nationals

2014 FEAST Participants ‘Dive Into Teaching’

28 Honor Your Favorite Teacher

News and Information29 PAGE Welcomes Two New Membership Services Representatives

30 MSR Map

32 2014–15 PAGE Planner

14

6

26

4 PAGE ONE August/September 2014

I have never been prouder to call myself a Georgia educator than during the 2013-2014 school year.

As a First District RESA consultant, I’ve had the privilege to work in schools throughout southeast Georgia. I have seen educators meeting the demands of TKES/LKES, SLOs, budget cuts, higher healthcare insurance premiums and a shortened school year, while working harder than ever to achieve academic excellence.

The challenges for Georgia educa-tors and their students have never been greater. In addition to budget cuts during the past decade, the number of Georgia children living in poverty has soared, making Georgia one of the poor-est states in the nation. I call poverty the “invisible epidemic” because educators and communities throughout the state have selflessly worked to counter its dev-astating impact. While school personnel have not seen a pay increase in years, they continually attempt to meet the burgeoning essential needs of all Georgia students. As a result, if you walk into a Georgia classroom, you often cannot distinguish impoverished children from their classmates.

In schools throughout Georgia, teach-ers pack weekend bags to ensure that hungry students receive nourishing food when not in school. Summer is a particu-lar worry. In one district, the nutrition director solicited grant money to provide children with lunches during the summer. Buses delivered lunches, and if students needed a safe environment to eat, they were invited to seek refuge on the bus. In another district that requires school uniforms, each school maintains a closet so that children from low-income families have access to uniforms. The first year

that the policy was in place, a high school student from a low-income family told his principal, “Look, we are all rich now!”

Like poverty, homelessness is also on the rise. Reportedly, Georgia has more than 35,000 homeless students, but many people believe that the number is under-reported. According to the McKinney Vento Act, homeless children and youth are defined as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.” This includes children and youth who are:

• Sharing the housing of other per-sons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason (sometimes referred to as “doubled up”);

• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camp grounds due to lack of alterna-tive adequate accommodations;

• Living in emergency or transitional shelters;

• Abandoned in hospitals; • Awaiting foster care placement; or • Living in a primary nighttime resi-

dence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.

I am proud to be a Georgia educator, but I am disheartened by the decade of budget cuts. In this important election year, we must educate ourselves on each of the political candidates so that we can better educate all Georgia students. We must determine which candidates are willing to restore full funding for public education in Georgia. Learn about the candidates, and then get out and vote.

Educators must also continue to tell their stories through “Community Conversations.” If we do not tell our sto-ries, it is likely that an inaccurate version will be told for us. n

From The President

Leslie Mills

Georgia Educators on the Frontline of ‘The Invisible Epidemic’

I call poverty the ‘invisible epidemic’ because educators and communities throughout the state have selflessly worked to counter its devastating impact.


From The Executive Director

This issue of PAGE One addresses the alarming growth of poverty among Georgia students. Our

state now ranks sixth in the nation for the percentage of low-income students in K–12 schools. Nearly 60 percent of all Georgia students are impoverished. That’s challeng-ing enough, but couple it with the fact that public school funding has been cut by $8 billion in the past decade, and we have a serious crisis on our hands.

As you read the cover story, you will recognize the students whose lives are depicted. You’ve seen them at school. They are in your classrooms or in those of your colleagues. You’ve joined in helping them. Educators have always worked to assist underprivileged students, but as I travel throughout the state, I am learning that there is a difference now in the number of students who need special support and the types of support they need. Schools are struggling to meet student needs in ways that schools were never set up to do.

That was the message at our June conference in Atlanta where we brought together teams of educators from schools throughout the state. They heard from the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) about the alarming growth of low-income students and from the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) regarding the stark decline in education funding. Learning that we are sixth in the nation in low-income students and 40th in K–12 funding does not come as a shock to educators, but it is a reality to be reckoned with and one that should shock the public conscience.

We took this message to the Georgia Association of Education Leaders confer-ence this summer, where I was asked to present the Fulbright Lecture. I used this opportunity to share unpleasant facts with my colleagues in leadership positions at schools and systems throughout the state. I wish you could have seen the heads nod-ding as I described the situation.

I began the lecture by establishing a common understanding of the situation created by the two phenomena: increased poverty and decreased funding. My main point was to urge action on multiple fronts. First, we have to do what we do best—meeting the comprehensive needs of our students, taking them where we find them. Second, we must reach out to our communities. Local citizens may not be aware of the totality of the problems we are facing, and they cannot help us if they do not know.

Through our “Community Conversations” initiative and guide, now available on the PAGE website, we are working with systems throughout Georgia on ways to convene representative groups in local communities—business, civic, church, legislative delegations and others—to share the message and engage them in helping educators meet the challenges. This fall, we will also take the GBPI and the SEF data on the road in a planned series of regional meetings to drive home the message that we are shortchanging our students, and in doing so, we are shortchanging our state’s future. We simply must do better.

Finally, we are continuing our efforts to get more educators registered to vote and then out to vote on election day. This information is also on the PAGE website. If the past 10 years have taught us anything, it is that we can-not simply expect that K–12 education will be appropriately funded. We must engage in the public policy process at the grassroots level. An important part of that is addressed with Community Conversations, but the truly critical piece of it takes place at the ballot box. PAGE brings the message of public educa-tion to the General Assembly each and every day, but that alone is not enough. You must register and vote, and let your legislative delegation hear from you regularly.

The facts of poverty in our schools are real. The funding crisis is equally real. We have the tools to tackle both situations. Let’s join together and do it. n

Dr. Allene Magill

To Meet Student Needs, We Must Engage in Public Policy at the Grassroots Level

There is a difference now in the number of students who need special support and the types of support they need. Schools are struggling to meet student needs in ways that schools were never set up to do.

The Growing

of


With 27.2% of the state’s children living in poverty, Georgia now has the 6th highest childhood poverty rate in the nation.U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey ProfileSeptember 2013

… about 57 percent of students in Georgia’s public schools are low-income

About 57 percent of the students in Georgia’s public schools are consid-ered low-income, according to “A New Majority: Low Income Students in the South and Nation,” a 2013 report from the Southern Education Foundation. The state ranked sixth—in terms of having the highest percentage of low-income children in the public school student population—behind Mississippi (71 percent), New Mexico (68 percent), Louisiana (66 percent), Oklahoma (61 percent) and Arkansas (60 percent).

O ne girl quietly asked for two breakfasts in the cafeteria. Another said her fam-ily moved more often than the birds. A third, when presented with a picture

book, didn’t know what it was or that it could open. A little boy, who in December knew how to write his own name, somehow lost the skill by March and seemed too distracted and tired to

learn it again. Another boy showed up at school and at 15 couldn’t identify simple shapes. Yet another is living inside a storage unit at night.

These children are from all over Georgia, attending public schools in districts as differ-ent as the City of Atlanta and rural Taliaferro County in northwest Georgia, but they have one thing in common—poverty.

By Christine Van Dusen

The study also found that 87 percent of the school districts in Georgia serve a majority of low-income students.

Educators know that these students need special support and intervention to succeed and that the programs cost money—money that many schools sim-ply don’t have. To help, the 2015 state budget includes a $350 million increase in education funding, but administrators say this will do little to reverse the $8 bil-lion in austerity cuts they’ve suffered in the past decade.

Behind all the dollars and data points are the students, and in Georgia, they’re more and more likely to show up to school hungry because they can’t afford food, are tired because they’re tak-ing care of their siblings or are scared because they don’t know where they’re going to sleep that night—or all of the above.

“People recognize that poverty has increased, but I don’t think they under-stand the full impact it has on the child,” says Reada Hamm, principal at Lanier

County Middle School in south Georgia. “They don’t realize that these kids, while they’re trying to get a good score on a standardized test, they’re also worrying about what’s going to be on the table tonight and whether the lights will stay on.”

And that’s if the students make it to school at all. “I’ve had students who dis-appeared for two weeks,” says Lisa Beck, a science teacher and academic decathlon coach at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School in Catoosa County, which borders

in Georgia K-12 SchoolsAugust/September 2014 PAGE ONE 7

… about 57 percent of students in Georgia’s public schools are low-income


Tennessee. “They didn’t have electricity. They didn’t have a place to get ready for school. This is the reality for kids living in poverty.”

A Life in ChAosOne week, the 5-year-old boy could write

his own name, but the next he couldn’t. His attention drifted and his motivation leaked away, and his teacher didn’t know why. It wasn’t an issue of an attention disorder or a lack of interest in school—the boy was dis-tracted by the chaos of his personal life. His

father was sent to jail and his mother suffered from mental illness. They lost their home and moved into a motel, then moved in with a grand-mother where several other family members were already bunking up.

“You could see in the child’s eyes how worried he was,” says Jackie Taylor, the lead social worker for Dalton Public Schools, also in north-west Georgia.

His bed was the living room couch, and every night his aunt and uncle would sit there with the tele-vision turned up loud, keeping the boy from getting the rest he needed. “I met with the child’s mother and talked about this, and she opened up,” Taylor says. “The next thing I knew, he came to school and said, ‘We’re moving, and I don’t know when.’”

Taylor drove past his house and saw his family’s belongings out on the street.

More Than 94,000 Poor GeorgiaChildren Not Served by Child Careand Early Education Programs

94,000Poor Children Under 5 Not

Receiving Public

Supported Early Ed.

29,000Georgia

Head Start (including Early Head

Start)34,000Children Under 6

Served by GA CAPS

48,000Low-Income

Children Served by GA

Pre-K

Source: Georgia Budget & Policy Institute report, March 2014

The 2015 state budget includes a $350 million increase in education funding, but that will do little to reverse the $8 billion in austerity cuts suffered in the past decade.

Poverty Rates of Georgia’s 5 Largest Cities*

Source: city-data.com*Poverty rates of the overall population. Child poverty rates are higher.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%27.4% 27.4%

20.3%18.9% 18.5%

Augusta Macon Savannah Atlanta Columbus

From the website of Family Promise Augusta, an interfaith network.


A sCienCe Buff’s unreALized PotentiAL

The 16-year-old boy was a science whiz. He could look at any experi-ment and analyze its complex parts, but he never knew when his mother would be around or when she’d dis-appear. If she wasn’t in jail, she was following a new boyfriend to yet another part of Catoosa County.

“This kid was brilliant. This is someone who could have achieved at high levels if he had the support at home,” Beck recalls. “He was a good student, but he didn’t have a place to study or the work ethic that you get from a stable household.”

At night, after meeting with the academic decathlon team, he’d climb into a friend’s car and take a ride through town until he arrived home. Home wasn’t in a leafy residential neighborhood. He lived in a storage unit. “He had a good sense of humor about his situa-tion,” Beck says. “He wasn’t bitter, he just knew this was the way his life was.”

The boy finished high school, but he didn’t make it to college. He ended up in jail and then Beck lost track of him. “We’ve had multiple stu-

dents in this past year who were kicked out of their houses. There are students who are hun-gry in my class,” she says. “There are students who live in households with people who are not equipped to parent effectively. All of these kinds of things are working against the stu-dents. They can be high achievers, but they can

Low-Income Students Achieve Reading and Math Proficiency at Lower Levels

Low-Income Georgia Students (eligible for F&R Lunch)

Georgia Students Not Eligible for F&R Lunch

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%Fourth-Grade

Reading ProficiencyEighth-Grade

Reading ProficiencyFourth-Grade

Math ProficiencyEighth-Grade

Math Proficiency


In Georgia, (students) are more likely to come to school hungry because they can’t afford food, are tired because they’re taking care of their siblings or are scared because they don’t know where they’re going to sleep that night—or all of the above.

More than 1 in every 4 Georgia children are food insecure—28.8%. That’s more than 700,000 children under age 18.(Feeding America, 2013)

From the website of Family Promise Augusta, an interfaith network.


still fall behind because they are dealing with all of these other issues.”

18 CAts And heAPs of trAshThe teacher was concerned. One of her stu-

dents, an 11-year-old boy, had terrible body

odor and wasn’t keeping up good hygiene. A social worker was brought in, and she talked to the boy about his home life. He told her that he lived with his grandmother and 18 cats, and that the pets sometimes got lost in the mess of the house. When two sought refuge in the clothes dryer, he said, they were killed when his grandmother turned on the machine. The social worker drove to his tiny and dilapidated home in Dalton and saw that the porch was cluttered with dirty clothes, boxes of electronics, screws, plastic flowers, broken dishes, kitty litter, old ceiling fans and other garbage.

The grandmother waved off the social worker’s concerns, blaming the boy’s problems on puberty, so he continued to go to school in the same condition, struggling to make friends but easily endearing himself to his teachers. Despite his problems, he still managed to pass all of his classes and exceeded expectations in science, giving the social worker hope that the boy might break the cycle of poverty in his family.

Poverty on the Rise in Georgia, But Faster in the Suburbs

2000 2010 2012

Suburbs

8.1%

14.1%15.7%

22.6%

26.5% 26.4%

17.3%

22.6% 23.3%

Cities Rural Areas

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey

Lower Educational Attainment Keeps Georgians Closer to Poverty Line

Median Salary by Educational Attainment(Poverty Line for a Family of Three)

Less than High School

$20,925(114% of FPL)

$27,706(152% of FPL)

$29,453(161% of FPL)

$51,979(284% of FPL)

High School Some College Bachelor’s or Higher

$60,000

$50,000

$40,000

$30,000

$20,000

$10,000

$0


‘You could see in the child’s eyes how worried he was.’ His bed was the living room couch, and every night his aunt and uncle sat there with the television turned up loud.

At night, after meeting with the academic decathlon team, he’d climb into a friend’s car and take a ride through town until he arrived home. Home wasn’t in a leafy residential neighborhood. He lived in a storage unit.


Educators Identify 6 (of Many) Critical Needs Georgia educators would, of course, welcome more funding as a means to address the issue of poverty in their schools. Absent that, what do teachers and administrators wish they had in order to better provide for low-income students and prepare them for a solid future?

1 Interaction with role models in the professional world

“Students don’t have access to professionals, and they don’t know how to interact with professional adults,” says Lisa Beck of Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School in Catoosa County. “That puts them at a disadvantage when it comes to interviewing for awards, honors and jobs.”

2 Follow-up after students graduate from high school

“We’re judged so much on graduation rates, but we send a lot of kids out unprepared,” Beck says. “We give them as much rigor as we can and expose them to as many opportunities as we can, and then they get out and there are no support structures. It’s very sad. We get them to the point where they can move on, and then some can’t overcome the barriers they’ve faced all their lives.”

Nancy Ratcliffe, PAGE District 7 member services representative and a retired educator, says, “They receive scholarships, but they oftentimes don’t have the family support or the emotional support. They may go to college, but they often return home simply because there are too many things going on in their family life and the family can’t support them. It makes that cycle so difficult.”

3 Access to local colleges

“The nearest college to us is 50 miles away, so it’s not like any metro area, where you have a college at your doorstep,” says Allen Fort, Quitman County superintendent. “So, our kids are behind the eight ball, in terms of poverty and in other ways.”

4 Reinforcement at home

“We get bogged down in the 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. of what’s happening at school, and sometimes we send these kids home and there’s just no rein-forcement,” Fort says. “There’s not continuous learning there. There’s no moti-vation to learn.”

5 Extension of the school year to at least 180 days

“There is regression when they’re off in the summer,” says Dr. Jim Hawkins, superintendent of Dalton Public Schools and secretary for the Board of Education.

6 Education and training for parents and other caregivers

“A lot of our families living in poverty are there because of a lack of educa-tion on the part of the parents,” says Jackie Taylor, lead social worker in Dalton. “The parents can’t accept the most basic public assistance because the applica-tions are online and they have to recertify every six months online. They don’t have computers and don’t know how to use them.”

first dAy of sChooL At 16While his classmates were reading

“Romeo and Juliet,” the 16-year-old boy was struggling to identify basic shapes. He mostly spoke Spanish, but even in his native language, he didn’t have the basic academic skills that most children learn in elementary school. He was an “unaccom-panied minor,” a child who traveled to the United States from Guatemala by himself. He had just the clothes on his back and one pair of worn-down shoes on his feet. He was sent to live in a small apartment with 10 other people, some distant rela-tives and some distant strangers, in a rural county in Georgia. The boy had never gone to school even for a day, so he could not read, write or point out the color red.

And then this boy found himself in a high school classroom, surrounded by native English speakers whose skills far surpassed his, but he was happy to be there because there was a school for him to attend. He wouldn’t have to work for any dangerous men in his home country, and the place where he was living had a floor and air conditioning.

Gifted Writer esCAPes her fAte

In a speech at school, the girl spoke softly but sadly about how people judged her mother harshly—that they assumed

‘Teachers are spending their own money to pay for supplies and activities for the students. ... So many issues go unresolved. Our education system, as an institution, isn’t set up to serve students in poverty.’

—Lisa Beck, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe

High School (Catoosa County)

Continued on page 12


she was looking for a handout when all she wanted was the chance to support her

family. Then the girl would disappear from school in Catoosa County for

weeks at a time. Her teachers soon learned it was because her fam-

ily didn’t have enough money to keep the electricity on

inside their beat-up trailer.“Sometimes people

have a hard time and need help to get

back going,” Beck says. “She found it frustrating

that she couldn’t focus on school as much as she wanted to.”

In another speech, the girl wrote about how her mother had

been hardworking until she was forced to go on disability and how the family struggled to stay financially afloat. “They were on food stamps and several times were close to eviction,” Beck remembers. “The girl was very proud that her mom had

worked so hard her whole life.”The student, however, found her voice and her place in school

and was a beautiful writer. She ended up receiving a scholarship to a Georgia college, where she is thriving. She’s an exception, but Georgia’s educators want to make her the rule.

“Teachers are spending their own money to pay for supplies and activities for the students,” Beck notes. “It’s not that the school or district doesn’t care; the school is giving us what it can, but so many issues go unresolved. Our education system, as an institu-tion, isn’t set up to serve students in poverty. Something has to change. Maybe we can’t get more money from the state, but we need to make this issue a priority.” n

Young Audiences has a new name!

In-school programs – No travel expense or time

n Performances for large groups of students to experience and appreciate art.

n Hands-on Workshops for small groups to understand and create art.

n In-depth Residencies for students to connect art to other learning including critical literacy skills.

For more information or to schedule a program: www.arts4learningGA.org • 404.733.5293

The 16-year-old boy was a science whiz. He could look at any experiment and analyze its complex parts, but he never knew when his mother would disappear.

87 percent of the school districts in Georgia serve a majority of low-income students.

Educators face extraordinary challenges teaching children of poverty. Lisa Beck of Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School offers her perspective in this

brief video interview with PAGE TV: http://page. affiniscape.com/associations/9445/agetv/?page=949&tab=2&tab=2

M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education This program is designed to build on the Bachelor

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Curriculum is designed for teachers of students

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Ed.S. in Special Education The Education Specialist Program is designed

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• Master of Education Degree in Early Childhood Education

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The PAGE Summer Event convened more than 150 educa-tors to take a hard look at growing poverty among children in Georgia and the toll it is taking on education.

“We often concentrate more on curriculum and educational design than the actual living conditions of a vast number of our

children,” said Harold Chambers, director of the Coastal Plains Georgia Regional Education Service Agency (RESA). “Speakers at the PAGE event presented comprehensive data showing the state’s true depth of poverty and its influence on children and their ability to learn.”

Claire Suggs, senior education policy analyst at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, addressed Georgia’s shrinking investment in education. Steve Suitts, vice president of the Southern Education Foundation, focused on the imperatives to educate Georgia’s new majority: low income students.

Educators can use the GBPI and SEF data, as well as a host of resources provided on the PAGE Community Conversations website, as a platform to inform citi-zens and policymakers about the dire need to address poverty in their local communities and throughout Georgia.

“The PAGE event was eye-opening and enlighten-ing,” said Wes Taylor, superintendent of Lowndes County Schools. “That’s what we have come to expect from PAGE—rich professional learning cou-pled with opportunities to interact with educators from across Georgia.” n

georgia educators examine Poverty’s toll

1. Steve Suitts, vice president of the Southern Education Foundation, focused on the imperatives to educate Georgia’s new majority: low-income students.

2. (left to right) RESA directors Carolyn Williams, Dr. Hayward Cordy and Dr. Steve Miletto

3. The Schlechty Center’s Annissa Roland

4. PAGE Director of Human Resources Gayle Wooten

1 2

43

PAGE Summer Event:


1. Retired educator Maggie Glennon (left) and PAGE President Leslie Mills.

2. Dr. Tammie F. Patterson (left) and Tonja Healey of the Brooks County Central Office

3. PAGE Executive Director Dr. Allene Magill

4. & 5: Dr. Pamela Anders (left) and Lynn Robertson, both of Aaron Cohn MS, Muscogee County

6. Ellyn Angelotti, faculty of Social Media & the Law, The Poynter Institute

7. Tim Helms, SW Georgia RESA director

8. & 9: PAGE Summer Event attendees

1

2

3

4 5

6

7 8

9

Photos by Meg Thornton


Our school leadership team was recently charged with reviewing the school mis-sion, vision and crest. Divided into four

quadrants, the crest signifies the importance of a comprehensive education. After some discussion, one teacher twisted the meeting like Herschel Walker running through a defensive line in the 1980s. The teacher asked, “How can we have this crest without including a Scantron bubble sheet with A, B, C and D multiple choices?”

A laugh or two filled the room followed by intense silence. The teacher’s poignant question pushed back against the low-level discussion and transformed the conversation. It required us to focus on essential questions that are often over-looked:

• What is the purpose of America’s public schools?

• Do our current practices match the purpose of America’s public schools?

Recent research unveiled that Americans’ view

of public education is distorted due to the per-spective of the lens. In Phi Delta Kappa’s recent annual poll, 53 percent of Americans gave public schools within their own community a grade of A or B. Conversely, 72 percent assigned a grade of C or D to schools outside of their community (Bushaw & Lopez, 2013). Apparently, negative stories of the failures of America’s public schools have blurred the lenses of Americans.

Educators have the power to greatly influence the viewpoints of others, although we often fail to acknowledge it. We say things such as, “I’m only one person,” or “that is above my pay grade.” Instead, we must tell the accurate stories of our students who succeed against the odds and of the educators who work diligently to provide students with a first-rate education. Speaking together, we have a powerful narrative filled with teachers, administrators and community members working to build stronger communities.

It’s tIme to Refocus and collaboRate

During a visit to Yosemite National Park, I was awed by the beauty of our coun-try and by our nation’s work to preserve it. While there, a National Park Service ranger reminded me of the story of the giant sequoia trees. For years, park rangers, along with scientists and firefighters, worked tire-lessly to protect the massive trees, especially from fire. Later, researchers discovered that their efforts were having the opposite effect. The trees were dwindling in number pre-cisely because they need fire to reproduce. To germinate, a sequoia seed must be opened—

A Restoration of Purpose

Building a Foundation of Democratic Values

By Principal Philip Brown, Ph.D., North Oconee High School

We must tell the accurate stories of our students who succeed against the odds and of the educators who work diligently to provide students with a first-rate education. Speaking together, we have a powerful narrative filled with teachers, administrators and community members working to build stronger communities.

Principal Philip Brown


the heat of fire opens the seeds and gener-ates new trees.

The story reminded me of our fight to save public education. Are we focusing our efforts in the right direction? How can we build bridges among politicians and business, industry and media members to spotlight the importance of public educa-tion in Georgia?

PAGE and others are asking educators and community leaders throughout Georgia to hold “Community Conversations.” The goal is for citizens to work collaboratively to support their local public schools. Such a conversation should start with a macro perspective of the classic purpose of public schools: to prepare youth to participate in a democracy. With the push for economic development, it often feels as if some citi-zens believe that our schools should, first and foremost, serve the needs of a commu-nity’s business interests. Business is critical, of course, but preparing our youth to be responsible citizens must remain our over-riding mission. With that understanding, communities can then narrow the conversa-tion to the programmatic needs of specific communities.

educatoRs must speak up and VoteIn a time when austerity cuts have

reduced education funding in Georgia by more than $8 billion in the past decade, educators must be the most vocal advo-

cates of public education. Boys and girls in Echols County in south Georgia, as well as children in downtown Atlanta and throughout Georgia, deserve an education equaling that of America’s most privileged private schools. The health of our republic depends on it.

But the truth is that fewer than half of Georgia’s public school educators are even registered to vote. Until many more Georgia educators participate in this criti-cal civic responsibility, the governor and legislators will continue to insist that we need to do more with much, much less. Furthermore, how can educators who are not registered to vote encourage students to vote? The best educators have always practiced what they preach.

My prayer is for public education to con-tinue to be the great equalizer of the haves and have-nots. I desire for our students to receive the same education provided to the children of the wealthiest families in our nation. My wish is for us to preserve public education in the same way that our national park rangers work diligently to protect the beauty of our fine nation. And yes, Georgia

educators, I expect us to continue to stand on the front lines. We may have been burned a time or two, but the fires have opened new seeds that allow us to refocus our energy on our most important resource: our students. And in the end, I hope that our school crests display a broad view of student achievement in the classroom, in the arts, on the athletic fields and in our communities. Maybe next time we can leave out the answer bubble sheet. n

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The truth is that fewer than half of Georgia’s public school educators are even registered to vote. Until many more Georgia educators participate in this critical civic responsibility, the governor and legislators will continue to insist that we need to do more with much, much less.

In a time when austerity cuts have reduced education funding in Georgia by more than $8 billion in the past decade, educators must be the most vocal advocates of public education.


The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) passed new rules this spring to create a Tiered

Certification System for Georgia educators. While many states have tiered certification systems, Georgia’s new system is more com-prehensive, including a Pre-Service certificate for candidates in teacher education programs, as well as an advanced tier that recognizes teacher excellence and provides opportuni-ties for teacher leaders to take on significant instructional leadership roles in schools. Implementation will be staged over the next several years.

All Georgia educators who held Clear Renewable certificates found that their certifi-

cates were converted to Standard Professional certificates in early July. This conversion was done electronically so no action was needed on the part of the edu-cator. The term “professional” is commonly used throughout the nation to describe those certificates that can be renewed. The term “standard” will be used to describe certificates for those who are not evaluated under the statewide evaluation system. Once the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) is fully in place, teachers evaluated under the state evaluation system will demonstrate their ability to impact student performance.

Multiple years of proficient or exemplary per-formance will allow these teachers to convert to performance-based certificates.

In the past two years, the GaPSC staff has made numerous presentations at various meet-ings throughout the state to help educators understand the impact of a tiered certification system. In addition, focus groups were used last summer to get educator input. A task force of Georgia educators worked for a year to create a certification system that will support improved student achievement, as well as provide opportu-

nities for teachers to grow professionally without having to leave the classroom.

The tiered certification rules are designed to accomplish several goals. Since the new rules link certification to the statewide evalu-ation system, one purpose is to raise student achievement by linking educator performance to improved student achievement. During the five-year certificate renewal cycle, teach-ers must demonstrate proficient or exemplary performance for at least four of the five years in the cycle. Summative performance ratings below proficient must be reported to GaPSC. Educators with any combination of two or more summative performance ratings of “needs development” or “ineffective” are not eligible for renewal until the performance deficiencies have been satisfactorily remediated.

A second purpose is to improve teacher prep-aration by raising the requirements that teacher candidates must meet to enter the profession. The new rules create a Pre-Service certificate that all teacher candidates must hold to student teach in Georgia schools. Holding the Pre-Service certificate will bring the student teacher under the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators. In addition, teacher candidates will need to suc-cessfully complete a nationally normed content pedagogy assessment, edTPA, as well as com-plete a modular program with accompanying assessments on educator ethics.

A third purpose is to provide a support sys-tem for early-career teachers through differen-tiated support during a three-year induction period. Induction-level teachers will hold non-renewable certificates, which will be converted to renewable professional certificates after three years as teachers demonstrate the ability to raise student achievement. As new teachers enter the profession, they will bring with them edTPA results (out-of-state educators may have a different pedagogy assessment) scored across 15 different rubrics allowing school systems to better meet the learning needs of early-career teachers.

Finally, the new-tiered certification system

Georgia’s New Tiered Certification System

By Dr. David Hill, Director of Educator Preparation, Georgia Professional Standards Commission

Induction-level teachers will hold non-renewable certificates, which will be converted to renewable professional certificates after three years as teachers demonstrate the ability to raise student achievement.

To provide comprehensive, timely and accurate information to educators, PAGE invited the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to provide this article. No organizational endorsement on the part of PAGE should be inferred.

Continued on page 20

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is designed to provide opportunities for teachers to grow, yet remain in the classroom. High-performing teachers will be recognized through Advanced Professional and Lead Professional certifi-cates. Lead Professionals will make up a corps of teacher leaders trained to support early-career teachers and serve as lead-ers in school-learning communities. Lead Professionals will have advanced prepara-tion in teacher leadership either through a degree or one of several endorsements that equip teachers with skills in leading profes-sional learning, coaching, mentoring and other teacher leader functions. Advanced Professional certificate holders will also hold advanced degrees or a National Board Certification. Both Lead Professionals and Advanced Professionals must demonstrate the ability to raise student achievement.

The implementation timeline began with the conversion of Clear Renewable certificates to Standard Professional certifi-cates. Georgia also began issuing Induction certificates at that time, and then on July 1, 2015, Lead Professional and Pre-Service certificates will be issued for the first time. Advanced Professional certifi-cates will not be issued until sufficient TKES data is avail-able and the state is confident in the reliability of this data.

So, what really changes under a tiered certification system? First, Georgia moves from a state where teach-ers leave the classroom in order to grow professionally. Now, teachers may choose to make a career in the class-room knowing they have the opportunity to become Lead or Advanced Professionals. Second, by singling out early-career teachers with an Induction certificate, the state has the opportunity to create a strong support system that might encourage more teach-ers to remain in the profes-

sion. For many years, data consistently showed that about 40 percent of teachers leave the profession by the end of their fifth year. Providing a strong induction system with differentiated support may help reduce the number that leave. Third, more emphasis is placed on improving teacher preparation. The Pre-Service certificate is designed to significantly raise standards for those who will enter the profession. Fourth, the system makes a distinction between teachers who are the teacher of record and can therefore produce Teacher Effectiveness Measures (TEM), and those teachers who are not the teacher of record and do not produce TEM scores. Being in a position that allows the teacher to generate a TEM score is what distinguishes the perfor-mance-based professional certificate from the standard professional certificate.

What doesn’t change under the new certification system? For one, when Clear Renewable certificates were converted to Standard Professional certificates in July, the validity periods for individual educa-tors remained unchanged from current

validity periods. Second, even though the Master Teacher program will be ending, the Advanced Professional certificate will actually take its place. Third, educators who are certified and work in service fields such as media and counseling will have standard professional rather than performance-based certificates. Building-level administrators will fall under the performance-based rules because they work in positions that generate data under Leader Effectiveness Measures (LEM). Fourth, under current law, educa-tors with two un-remediated, unsatisfactory summative evaluations cannot renew their certificates. The new certificate system is based on the same law, so school sys-tems will still report weak performance to GaPSC. What is new is that state law has created a statewide evaluation system and specifies that two ratings—needs develop-ment and ineffective—will be reported to GaPSC. A Professional Learning Task Force is currently working to define what is meant by “remediating” needs development and ineffective evaluations.

GaPSC will work cooperatively with PAGE and other organizations to keep educators informed as the new rules are implemented. Dissemination of infor-mation regarding tiered certification implementation is posted on the GaPSC website at gapsc.com under the “Policies & Guidelines” section of the home page with a link titled “Upcoming Certification Changes.” GaPSC has sent notices to edu-cators through its MyPSC accounts to give

them a heads up on the chang-es taking place. Certification Outreach Training is periodi-cally held for school system HR staff. This means school system HR departments are the first place educators should direct their certifica-tion questions. Because the rules supporting tiered certi-fication are so comprehensive and fundamentally change the certification structure in Georgia, an advisory group representative of Georgia educators will meet periodi-cally during the first several years of implementation to review the certification system and provide advice to GaPSC on adjustments that may be needed once implementation is underway. n

During the five-year certificate renewal cycle, teachers must demonstrate proficient or exemplary performance for at least four of the five years in the cycle.

Continued from page 18

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Starting this year, Georgia teachers will be evaluated in part by their effective use of technology in both the classroom

and lesson preparation. The new Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) includes 10 sets of standards called Teacher Assessment on Performance Standards (TAPS.) Many of these standards can be met through the use of tech-nology both inside and outside the classroom.

For some teachers, incorporating technolo-gy in the classroom comes quite easily, but for others it’s a struggle. Here are a few fun and relatively easy ways to integrate technology into your classroom and daily preparations.

eVeRnote and skItcHEvernote is a great tool to capture notes,

organize lesson plans, collaborate on proj-ects, snap photos of whiteboards and more. Whatever you add is automatically synced across any computer, phone or tablet you use at home or at school. (Evernote offers a free light version and a more robust paid version with educational pricing.)

Skitch, part of the Evernote family, is a fun, free and easy app that lets you mark up images in multiple ways. You can share annotated images with others or have your students use Skitch to annotate images. (If you don’t have Evernote, you can still use Skitch and email projects to others.) Here are some ways to use Skitch with your students:

Math: Have students take pictures of

Technology in the Classroom:

Integrate Technology with These Fun, Interactive Apps

Matt Faircloth is an eighth-grade science teacher at Pine Grove Middle School in Lowndes County. He enjoys discovering new ways that students and fac-ulty can use technology to make learning more engaging.

Faircloth has presented at the Lowndes County LOCO Techno Expo and PAGE summer con-ference. He is also the PAGE representative for his school and is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction at Valdosta State University.

collaborate

teach21st-century learners

eng

age

technology

By Matt Faircloth, Science Teacher at Pine Grove Middle (Lowndes County)

Skitch

This PAGE One column features technology-in-the-classroom advice from tech-savvy Georgia educators.


objects, such as shelves, desks, books or pencils. Have them measure the objects and then label the pictures with the measurements (lengths, angles, volume, etc.) Take a picture of a math problem worked incorrectly and have students make annotations on the picture show-ing the mistakes that were made and what should be done to correct the mis-takes.

Science: Provide students with dia-grams of anything from parts of the human body to cells, life cycles, weather maps or circuits, then have students label the diagrams. You could also have students go on a science safari around the school by taking pictures of simple machines, living and nonliving things or types of clouds.

English/Language Arts: Have stu-dents take pictures of sentences in a book and then label and explain the parts of speech. Have them snap pictures of a book’s illustrations and then draw arrows to point out objects, settings or characters. Students can also note the objects’ importance to the story.

Social Studies: Have students take or upload images from historical docu-ments and note important phrases. You could also have students access political cartoons and ask them to make notes about what the cartoonist is conveying.

penultImatePenultimate, another Evernote app,

allows you to easily create, record and organize all types of information, such

as writings, drawings and diagrams. You can choose a background that simulates blank, lined or graph paper. Here are a few ways to use Penultimate in the class-room:

Math: With digital graph paper and handwriting, the possibilities for math are unlimited! Have students work math problems digitally, graph equations, take personal notes, complete homework problems and organize it all by units in their digital notebooks. Students can compile a notebook of all their unit work or homework and then have it available on any device. No more excuses for for-getting homework!

Science: Students can use it to jour-nal when working on science projects. What a great way to record data and add pictures of their progress! Students can create a comic strip of what happens as particles go through phase changes, draw and label rock cycles or gather pictures and resources for a research paper, for example.

English/Language Arts: Have stu-dents complete daily digital journal entries. They can write a short story or essay and add pictures and drawings. They can create graphic organizers that progressively record connections among characters. Use it for brainstorming by having students write down their thoughts and then electronically cut and paste them into a graphic organizer.

Social Studies: Students can gather information to support their thoughts for answering document-based ques-tions. They can take pictures and upload text, artifacts and other media and have it all in one place. Then they can put their ideas together and create a report using the evidence they gathered.

educReatIons Educreations is an incredible interac-

tive whiteboard that enables you to cre-ate, record and share lessons visually and audibly. You can work a math problem for students on the whiteboard while speaking to students about each step. Now students can watch as you dem-onstrate a skill or work a problem and listen to you teach. You can create mini-lessons for students to watch in class or to post on your website to help with homework. This easy-to-use app also has a pre-created bank of lessons available for educators to use. Here are some ways

to consider using Educreations:Math: Create a quick lesson that takes

students through the steps of solving a math equation. You can also have stu-dents create the steps to demonstrate their knowledge through work and word.

Science: Show the life cycle of a but-terfly or label diagrams of plant and ani-mal cells and then compare and contrast their structures. Teach students to bal-ance equations or calculate acceleration.

English/Language Arts: Have stu-dents record a poem and bring it to life with illustrations. Have them diagram a sentence and the parts of speech.

Social Studies: Diagram the branches of government and explain the role of each. Create visual vocabulary lessons by providing a picture as well as a word definition.

All of these apps offer the potential of creating a more interactive, engaging classroom, but be sure to practice with them before using them in class. Once you have learned how to handily use an app with your students, be sure to pass along what you have learned to your fel-low teachers! n

Penultimate

Educreations

• reflectandrefine.blogspot.com/2012/07/using-skitch-in-your-classroom.html

• icttechnotoolkit.com/skitch-app.html

• evernote.com/skitch

• evernote.com/penultimate

• evernote.com

• educreations.com

And always … pinterest.com

HELPFuL RESOuRCES


Wells Fargo’s Atlanta Region President Mike Donnelly will be hon-ored by the PAGE Foundation at its 10th Annual “A PAGE Turning Event” this fall, according to PAGE Foundation President John

Varner. This event recognizes business, philanthropy and government leaders for their exemplary support of public school improvement. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company Vice President and General Manager Shan Cooper and Pendleton Consulting Group Partner Phil Jacobs will co-chair the host com-mittee for this year’s event.

“We are proud to sponsor ‘A PAGE Turning Event’ and place the spotlight on corporations such as Wells Fargo and business leaders such as Atlanta Region President Mike Donnelly for their leadership in and commitment to public education improvement,” Varner says. “We hope other corporate, philanthropic and community leaders will join with Wells Fargo and Mike in support of initiatives that transform our public schools.” n

Foundation News‘A PAGE Turning Event’ to Honor Wells Fargo and Mike Donnelly

Chick-fil-A Foundation Donates $30,000

The Chick-fil-A Foundation donated $30,000 to the PAGE Foundation in June, according to John Varner, PAGE Foundation president.

“We are very grateful to the Chick-fil-A Foundation for this leadership gift to our foundation,” says Varner, who also notes that the goal of the Chick-fil-A Foundation is “to inspire and equip the next generation of leaders with opportunities to build a positive legacy,” which strongly aligns with those of the PAGE Foundation.

“The goal of our programs is to inspire students to have high standards of academic achievement through programs that provide individual and team challenges and encourage both a team and competitive spirit,” Varner adds. “Whether it is through the PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades, PAGE STAR program or the work of our Board of Trustees, the Chick-fil-A Foundation and its employees have been supportive in our shared commitment to students and educators.”

Among members of the PAGE Foundation Board of Trustees is Chick-fil-A Vice President of Community Affairs and Executive Director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation Rodney Bullard, who is also a former PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades student competitor. n

Wells Fargo Atlanta Region President Mike Donnelly

And the Winners Are … PAge Foundation Awards Annual Scholarships

The PAGE Foundation awarded $1,000 scholarships to a number of PAGE Professional, Support

Personnel and Teacher Candidate (SPAGE) members in July. Each scholar-ship recipient is either pursuing a teacher certification or an advanced degree. To see a list of winners and learn how you can apply for a scholarship, visit pagefoundation.org/scholarships or scan the QR code. n

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Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School and Parkview High School represented Georgia in the United States Academic Decathlon National

competition in Hawaii in April. For the first time in PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon history, the teams came home with three medals: Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe’s Valerie King won a gold medal in speech competition; Parkview’s Sida Tang won silver in essay; and Sara Anderson won bronze in interview.

“We’re very proud of these two teams,” says PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon State Director Cary Sell. “The competition is truly fierce at the national level, especially from powerhouse teams in California and Texas. While we did not score as many points overall as teams from these states, we earned a record number of medals for our program and provided a life-changing experience for the Georgia Decathletes—some of whom had never flown on an airplane or traveled extensively beyond the state’s borders.”

Additionally, Georgia’s small school online national competi-tor, Chattahoochee County High School, earned silver and bronze medals in essay; bronze medals in language and math-ematics; and a silver medal in music.

To see Georgia’s teams in action at the national competition, visit the Inside the Georgia Academic Decathlon channel on PAGETV at pageinc.org or scan this QR code. n

Most Medals Ever! Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe and Parkview high schools’ decathlon teams were a success at the uSAD National Competition in Hawaii.

PAge georgia Academic decathlon teams earn record Number of Medals at Nationals

In March, Future Educators Association (FEA) members from counties as far north as Fannin and as far south as Camden descended upon St. Simons Island’s beauti-

ful Epworth by the Sea for FEA Spring Training (FEAST) 2014. Taking this year’s theme, “Dive Into Teaching,” to heart, high school students plunged into professional learning activities and competitions to explore careers in education. While there, they also elected 2014–2015 state officers: President Raney Redmond,

Lee County High; Southwest Region Vice President Caroline Pope, Early County High; Southeast Region Vice President Spencer Pipkin, Lowndes County High; and North Region Vice President Will Panter, Fannin County High.

View a podcast report of FEAST 2014 on the FEA Today channel on PAGETV at pageinc.org or scan the QR code. n

2014 FEAST Participants ‘Dive Into Teaching’

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Honor Your Favorite teacHer

According to Wikipedia, a teacher (also called a schoolteacher) is someone who provides educa-

tion for pupils (children) and students (adults). It is the second part of this definition that really made me think. There are two “teachers” in my adult life who helped me become the educator that I am today: one is Shelly Smith and the other is Susan Halligan. Both of these First District RESA consultants have had a profound impact on my life and the lives of thou-sands of other educators in southeast Georgia.

I attended Chatham County Schools from 1959–1971 during a time of “neighborhood schools” and received a wonderful educa-tion. The teachers I had in Chatham County motivated me and inspired me to be a life-long learner. Then I went to Georgia Southern College to study secondary math-ematics education. While in college, it seemed that the world changed. Students in my classroom during the late 1970s were not at all like the students who had been in my classes growing up in Chatham County.

I will never forget an after-school professional learning experience conducted by Shelly Smith in the late 1970s. Shelly reminded us that probably everyone in that room liked going to school, and that was why every day since we were 5 years old, we continued to get up and go to school every day. Then came the daunting words, “There are students in your class-

rooms who do not like school, and it is our responsibility as educators to engage these students.” As a young teacher, I just could not imagine someone not liking

school. Hence, I began a journey with Shelly that would last more than 30 years—a journey that fulfilled my need to learn new ways to engage the students in my class-room. Not only would Shelly teach me about new engagement strate-gies, she would conduct follow-up observations in my classroom, coaching me in becoming a better teacher. She would have one-on-one conversa-tions with me, cheering

me on and encouraging me when I had new ideas of things that I wanted to try in my classroom. Shelly would always listen, even when no one else would. I may never become the caliber of educa-tor that Shelly Smith exempli-fies, but I am a much better educator today because I had the opportunity to make this long journey in education with her.

While Shelly was guiding me in Student Engagement, Effective Teaching Strategies, Teaching Reading and Writing in the Content Area, and Higher Order Thinking Skills, Susan Halligan was

always there to guide me in the teaching of mathematics in both my professional and personal lives. I will never forget when my son Jason was in second grade and his teacher called me to tell me that Jason “just could not subtract.“ Being a high school math teacher, I was devas-tated that my child could not subtract.

Jason had a traumatic brain injury when he was 3 years old and had many of the characteristics of a child who had a learning disability in math. After work-ing with Jason on traditional methods of subtraction to no avail, I made the phone call to Susan Halligan. She offered me strategies for Jason that he still uses today. Throughout my teaching career, Susan has been there for me, teaching me mathematical pedagogy. After every professional learning session that Susan taught, I would leave having a renewed feeling that I could teach math with the intent that all students could learn.

After nearly 30 years as a classroom teacher, Susan and Shelly encouraged me to consider becoming a First District RESA mathematics consultant. As a RESA consultant, I always looked forward to staff meetings when I knew that one of them would be teaching. With Susan and Shelly, teaching and learning never stopped.

When my husband became a later-in-life educator, he had the opportunity to spend a week of professional learning with Shelly and Susan before entering the classroom. Susan mentored him through-out his early years as a math teacher. This grounded him to become a teacher who would make a difference in the lives of many children. Susan and Shelly have both retired as full-time educators, but their influences can still be seen through-out the 18 school districts in the First District RESA area and in the classrooms where teachers had the opportunity to learn new ways to teach their students through professional learning conducted by Shelly and Susan. Both of these ladies were truly teachers of teachers!

Susan and Shelly had a tremendous impact on my life as an educator, and they have had an impact on my family as well. Not only have I had the oppor-tunity to call Susan and Shelly my col-leagues, but I am also proud to call them my favorite teachers. n

By Leslie Mills PAGE President

Mentors touch thousands of Lives in Southeast Georgia

Leslie Mills

Shelly Smith

Susan Halligan



To better serve our growing mem-bership base throughout Georgia, PAGE has added two new mem-

bership services representatives (MSRs), Jo Breedlove and Kathy Arena.

Jo Breedlove, a PAGE membership consultant since 2011, is the new PAGE MSR for District 3a, composed of Cherokee County and all of Fulton County, except the City of Atlanta. A metro Atlanta native and Mercer University graduate, Breedlove taught in DeKalb County and then Gwinnett County, where she taught gifted students. Breedlove has served on many county curriculum teams and as a gifted programs consultant.

She has been a PAGE member since 1977 and served as a PAGE building contact for more than 25 years. Contact Breedlove at [email protected] or call (770) 617-6489.

Kathy Arena, the District 10 PAGE

representative, serves the follow-ing east Georgia counties: Clarke, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Elbert, Greene, Taliaferro, Wilkes, Lincoln, Hancock, Warren, McDuffie, Columbia, Jefferson, Richmond and Burke. Arena taught

kindergarten and third grade in Columbia County for 32 years. She attended Augusta College, now Georgia Regents University, where she earned her undergraduate, master’s and education specialist degrees in early childhood education. Arena has also served on numerous school and county committees and has been a member of PAGE for 27 years. Contact Arena at [email protected] or call (706) 564-5873. n

Mentors touch thousands of Lives in Southeast Georgia

AMERICAN ENCOUNTERS “MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE” CÉZANNE AND THE MODERN GORDON PARKSANGLO-AMERICAN PORTRAITURE RENAISSANCE ART AND MUSIC MASTERPIECES OF EUROPEAN ART SEGREGATION STORY

IN AN ERA OF REVOLUTION AT FLORENCE CATHEDRAL FROM THE PEARLMAN COLLECTION

September 28, 2014–January 18, 2015 October 25, 2014–January 11, 2015 October 25, 2014–January 11, 2015 November 15, 2014–June 7, 2015

HIGH MUSEUM OF ART ATLANTA | 1280 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E. | HIGH.ORG

Images: Gilbert Stuart (American, 1755–1828), George Washington (The Constable-Hamilton Portrait), 1797, oil on canvas, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Luca della Robbia (Italian,1399/1400–1482), Boys Singing with an Organ, Harp, and Lute, 1431–1438, marble, Collection of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence. Photo by Antonio Quattrone. Paul Cézanne(French, 1839–1906), Mont Sainte-Victoire (La Montage Sainte-Victoire), ca. 1904–1906, oil on canvas, The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation, on long-term loan to the Princeton UniversityArt Museum. Gordon Parks (American, 1912–2006), Untitled, Shady Grove, Alabama, 1956, inkjet print, courtesy of The Gordon Parks Foundation. © The Gordon Parks Foundation.

H I G H

For more information, please call 404-733-4468 or email [email protected].

PLAN YOUR FIELD TRIP NOW!

Jo Breedlove and Kathy Arena Welcomed As Membership Services Representatives

Jo Breedlove Kathy Arena


PAGE 2014-2015Membership Services Representatives

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Linda Woods District 1(800) 506-0704

Nancy Ratcliffe District 7(770) 773-6004

Melanie Evans District 5(404) 323-3990

Shirley Wright District 4(Atlanta City, DeKalb)(770) 732-9540

BJ JenkinsDistrict 6(888) 413-1091

Jimmy Jordan District 11(706) 207-8612 Angel Pressley

District 12 (478) 955-7930

Laura Clements District 13(229) 392-4088

Jean Cooper District 9(877) 564-4971

Dale Gillespie District 8(229) 506-2966

Heather Grafton District 3b(678) 429-8641

Gwen Desselle District 2(229) 805-1764

Jo Breedlove District 3a(770) 617-6489

Kathy Arena District 10(706) 564-5873

Educators, support our schools!

Scan for voter registration form:

Fewer than half of all teachers in Georgia are registered to vote.Make sure YOUR voice is heard in this important election year.

It’s about the future of public education.

“No election year in Georgia has ever been more important than 2014 when it comes to public education.”

-Dr. Allene Magill, Executive Director, Professional Association of Georgia Educators

Register to Vote. It’s Easy!Download a registration form, visit a library

or register when renewing your driver’s licence.

The registration

deadline for the

Nov. 4 General

Election is Oct. 6.


OfficersPresident

Leslie MillsPresident-Elect

Stephanie Davis HowardTreasurer

Lamar ScottPast-President

Dr. Emily Felton

DirectOrs District 1 District 8 Amy Denty Lindsey Raulerson District 2 District 9 Dr. Todd Cason Miranda Willingham District 3 District 10 Allison Scenna Shannon Hammond District 4 District 11 Rochelle Lofstrand Dr. Sandra Owens District 5 District 12 Nick Zomer Donna Graham District 6 District 13 Dr. Susan Mullins Dr. Hayward Cordy District 7 Kelli De Guire

Ex-Officio Megan King

The articles published in PAGE One represent the views of the contributors and do not neces-sarily represent the views of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, except where clearly stated.

Contact the Editor: Tim Callahan; [email protected], PAGE One magazine; PAGE; P.O. Box 942270; Atlanta, GA 31141-2270; 770-216-8555; (800) 334-6861.

Contributions/gifts to the PAGE Foundation are deductible as charitable contribution by fed-eral law. Costs for PAGE lobbying on behalf of members are not deductible. PAGE estimates that 7 percent of the nondeductible portion of your 2014–15 dues is allocated to lobbying.

PAGE One magazine (ISSN 1523-6188) is mailed to all PAGE members, selected highereducation units and other school-related professionals. An annual subscription is included in PAGE membership dues. A subscription for others is $10 annually. Periodicals class non-profit postage paid at Atlanta, Georgia, and additional mailing offices. (USPS 017-347) Postmaster: Send address changes to PAGE One, P.O. Box 942270, Atlanta, GA 31141–2270.

PAGE One magazine is published five times a year (January, March, May, August and October) by New South Publishing, Inc.; 9040 Roswell Road, Suite 210; Atlanta, GA, 30350; (770) 650-1102. Copyright ©2014

S E P T E M B E R

5 PAGE GAD Fall Workshop, Kennesaw State University, KSU Center, Kennesaw 7–8 PAGE Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, PAGE Office 15 “A PAGE Turning Event,” Fox Theatre, Atlanta 21-22 PAGE Principal Leadership Network, PAGE Office

N O V E M B E R

6 FEA Fall Conference, Middle Georgia State College, Macon 7 SPAGE Fall Conference, Middle Georgia State College, Macon 9–10 PAGE Principal Leadership Network, PAGE Office 16–17 PAGE Assistant Principal Leadership Network, PAGE Office

J A N U A R Y

10 PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades Regionals

11–12 PAGE Principal Leadership Network, PAGE Office 24 PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades State Championship, GA College & State University, Milledgeville 25-26 PAGE Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, PAGE Office

F E B R U A R Y

1–2 PAGE Designing Engaging Work, PAGE Office 27–28 PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon State Competition, Berkmar HS, Lilburn

M A R C H

8–9 PAGE Principal Leadership Network, PAGE Office 22–23 PAGE Assistant Principal Leadership Network, PAGE Office

2014-15 PAGE Planner

Correction for the May/June issue of PAGE One: Later-career educator Bryan Mills was previously employed at the USDA Farmers Home Administration, not for the United States Dairy Association.

PAGE offers preparation workshops for the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) Program Admission and Content exams.

The workshops are open to all, but due to high demand, advance registration is required. Be sure to allow ample prepara-tion time between the workshop and your exam date.

Visit pagefoundation.org/gace to regis-ter or to view the 2014–2015 workshop schedule. The site also includes resources, such as study tips and links to GACE and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. n

GACE Workshops Offered

Our Master of Education with a Major inTeacher Leadership is designed to create andfoster leadership skills for teachers who wish tobecome stronger leaders in their own schools,districts, and communities. This degree program:

Offers teachers of all disciplines and grade levelsto opportunity to develop leadership skills that theycan take back to their classrooms, schools, andcommunities.

Is designed for certified classroom teachers whowant to improve their leadership skills, but remainin the classroom.

Provides educators with the opportunity for aGeorgia Professional Standards Commissionapproved certification upgrade.

Creates a community of learners through an onlineenvironment.

Enriches understanding of the importance ofschool culture.

Models best pedogogical practices for successfulteaching methods and curriculum design.

Demonstrates methods for designing assessmentsand analyzing results.

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Degree Program Admission Requirements:

Must be a certified teacher working in the classroom

Must have at least three years of teaching experiencein the K-12 classroom

Recommended undergraduate 3.0 GPA

Official acceptable Graduate Record Examinationscores

Recommendations by administrator and peer teacher

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Master of Education

For more information, contact:Dr. Dennis G. AttickProgram Coordinator

(678) 466-4825 | [email protected]/teachered

TIFT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

education.mercer.edu/

TIFT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

education.mercer.edu/

Mercer University, one of the South’s premier

institutions of higher learning, brings academic

excellence to over 20 undergraduate and graduate

education programs. With locations in Macon,

Atlanta, Henry County, Douglas County, Eastman,

Newnan and Savannah, Mercer’s Tift College of

Education proudly prepares more educators than

any other private university in Georgia. For more

information, please visit: education.mercer.edu

Offering Over 20Education Programs

B.S. in Education• The Holistic Child• Early Care and Education• Early Childhood /Special Education• Middle Grades Education• Secondary Education

Master of Education• Early Childhood Education• Middle Grades Education• Secondary Education• Reading Specialist• Independent & Charter School Leadership• Higher Education Leadership

Education Specialist (Ed.S.)• Early Childhood Education• Teacher Leadership• Educational Leadership

Master of Arts in Teaching• Early Childhood Education• Middle Grades Education• Secondary Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)• Curriculum & Instruction• Educational Leadership (P-12)• Educational Leadership (Higher Ed)

School Counseling Programs*• M.S. School Counseling• Ed.S. School Counseling

Initial Certification ProgramsMercer’s Tift College of Education is one of only 14 institutions currently approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to offer initial certification programs for Georgia’s school leaders.

*Offered jointly with Mercer’s College of Continuing and Professional Studies – ccps.mercer.edu/

NEWLY FORMATTED

ONLINE/WEEKEND Ed.S. in Teacher

Leadership

Mercer UniversityTIFT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

TIFT COLLEGE OF EDUCATIONTIFT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

MERCER.BUILDING LEADERS IN EDUCATION.

Mercer UniversityTIFT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

MERCER.BUILDING LEADERS IN EDUCATION.

Mercer University, one of the South’s premier

institutions of higher learning, brings academic

excellence to over 20 undergraduate and graduate

education programs. With locations in Macon,

Atlanta, Henry County, Douglas County, Eastman,

Newnan and Savannah, Mercer’s Tift College of

Education proudly prepares more educators than

any other private university in Georgia. For more

information, please visit: education.mercer.edu

Documents

PAGE One Aug/Sept 2014