I. STUDENT LEARNING & ACHIEVEMENT
Through the QBE Formula, Provide the Following:
- Fully implement the lower pupil-teacher ratio as mandated by current Georgia law by providing for the required teachers and permanent facilities.
- Provide students with art, music, and physical education teachers in grades K-8 at the rate of at least one of each for every 345 students (five-year phase-in).
- Preserve the middle school program by allowing for a curriculum that includes the core subjects but also provides for music, the arts, physical education, and connections.
- Enable districts to employ paraprofessionals in grades 1-8 for the purpose of enhancing the academic program, permitting teachers to focus on individual students’ instructional needs.
II. ATTENDANCE & STUDENT SERVICES
Through the QBE Formula, Provide the Following:
- At least one school counselor for every 400 students in grades K-8.
- At least one school social worker for every 1200 students.
- At least one school psychologist for every 1200 students.
- Expand the alternative education program to include Grades K-5.
III. ATTRACTING & RETAINING QUALITY EDUCATORS
- Ensure that Georgia teacher salaries reach and remain above the national average and lead the Southeast by increasing the state base scale by six percent.
- Add steps to the state teacher salary scale to extend salary steps through 30 years.
- Improve state support of the State Health Benefit Plan to reduce the rate of premium increase and maintain the integrity of the plan.
- Continue enhancement of salaries and retirement benefits of educational-support personnel in the Public School Employees Retirement System.
- Provide for optional retirement with full benefits after completing 25 years of creditable service in the Georgia Teacher Retirement System (five-year phase-in).
- Increase the TRS multiplier from 2% to 2.5% (five-year phase-in).
IV. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
- Provide additional support for professional learning and leadership opportunities for educators.
- Provide increased program expansion and state support for the Mentor Teacher Program.
- Make the National Board salary incentive program available to certified counselors, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, social workers, and school psychologists.
PAGE POSITIONS
PAGE Supports...
- Continued support of the National Board Teacher Certification Program.
- Utilizing alternative sources of funding for public education.
- Maintaining a state salary scale for certificated personnel.
- Application of the Fair Dismissal Act to all educators.
- Use of retired teachers to alleviate Georgia’s teacher shortage.
- Transfer of full experience from one school system to another for all personnel.
- Using Georgia lottery proceeds to supplant existing resources for educational purposes and programs
- Collective bargaining, legalized meet and confer, legalized permissive professional negotiations, binding arbitration, strikes, sick-outs, school closings and other militant tactics.
- Diverting K-12 public school tax dollars to private schools.
- Merging the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia with the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia.