Winter Legislative Update
Stay connected! Educators First has put some exciting new tools in place to better communicate with our members. If any of your contact infomation has changed, please let us know! Please send updates regarding your School, School System, Email, Phone Number, or Payment Information to Dana Henley.
Now it is easier than ever for you to refer a friend to Educators First! Simply take them to our website EducatorsFirst.org, or send them the link to Join! As they are filling our their membership application, we will ask them who referred them. If they enter YOUR NAME and get approved for membership, you get paid! It's that simple. Thanks for helping us grow our membership. The more of us there are the more we can help!

GOING ON LEAVE? LET US KNOW! Your coverage stops and your membership drops when your district stops payroll deducations. To avoid this and ensure that your coverage picks up when you resume your duties, let EF know ahead of your leave. Email Gaye Shin.


TRANSFERRING TO ANOTHER DISTRICT? Please send the district & school name to Dana Henley. If we need more information for dues deduction, Dana will contact you. A smooth transition means no lapse in your membership!


EDUCATORS FIRST MEMBERSHIP IS GROWING AND WE NEED REPRESENTATIVES WITH TEACHING EXPERIENCE FOR NEW TERRITORIES. If you have colleagues retiring that would enjoy working part-time to make a difference for active teachers, please refer them to us. Current and former EF members enjoy hiring preference, but previous membership is not required. Email Gaye Shin.

A NEW EF SURVEY IS COMING SOON! WATCH FOR IT. Click here for past survey information.

LEAVING THE STATE? If you are moving out of state, retiring, or leaving teaching altogether, please let Dana Henley know so that she can remove you from our active roster and terminate your deductions or credit card charges.

Send your friends to EDUCATORS FIRST! As always, an approved referral member earns you $35*!
Early enrollment begins on April 1st, 2017. New members can join for free** until August 2017. New Spring Special, early enrolled, members will have their own advocate and benefits such as our newsletter, legistalive updates, and exclusive EF communications. On August 1st, early enrolled members are automatically converted to full, dues paying members.
* Referal fees will be paid out during the fall quater.
** New members will have their own advocate, but would not be covered under for legal or liability until they are paying members.

Have you met our representatives yet?
EDUCATORS FIRST IS EVERYWHERE - LOOK FOR US AT EVENTS LIKE THESE:

  • GEORGIA SCIENCE TEACHERS CONFERENCE
  • ESL CONFERENCE AT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY
  • PAULDING EDUCATION FOUNDATION CASINO PARTY
  • KENNY LEON THEATER "EXIT STRATEGY" WITH MEMBERS
  • APS MEETINGS ON TURNAROUND STRATEGIES
  • ESSA MEETINGS (DOE)
  • DEKALB CAREER FAIR
  • PAULDING CAREER FAIR
  • DISTRICT ONE RESA
  • APS MEETING FOR INSIGHT INTO THEIR TURN-AROUND STRATEGY
  • PRESENTATION TO COBB TEACHER LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
  • WE ARE OUT VISITING GEORGIA TEACHERS EVERY WEEK!
  • WATCH FOR US AT SCHOOL NEAR YOU.
Do you know of an event that EF should attend? Please let us know!

Several Educators First staff members recently attended a Paulding County fundraiser on February 11, 2017. The Casino Royale Fundraiser, hosted by the Paulding Education Foundation, raised money for student scholarships and other instructional needs. Food was provided by Carribba’s Italian Grill. Many items were donated for a silent auction. We are pleased to learn that the Paulding Education Foundation exceeded their fundraising goal, allowing them to help more students learn in innovative and creative ways!

Educators First Legislative Update - March 2, 2017

As the halfway point of the General Assembly (March 3) draws near there has been lots of activity under the Gold Dome. All bills must pass over to the other body by Friday or they die for this session. The bills that we have been watching,and have passed over are:

HB 338 (often referred to as Opportunity Schools, Part B), by Kevin Tanner, replaces the Governor’s Opportunity School effort that failed to gain support from the voters in the November 2016 election. This bill makes the Chief Turnaround Officer (CTO) accountable to the State School Board instead of the Governor. We were pleased that this bill addresses poverty and parental involvement, two things that EF has lobbied for. Also added by Sen. Lindsey Tippins, is a Leadership Training Academy proposal for principals and other school leaders. This bill passed the House on March 1 and goes on to be considered by the Senate, where Sen. Tippins says that some changes will be made.

HB 217, introduced by Representative John Carson, increases the amount of money available for the Private School Scholarship Tax Credit passed the House. We will oppose this bill in the Senate.

HB 415, would establish a non-profit agency to govern Georgia high school athletics, doing away with the Georgia High School Association which is accountable to no one.

HB 273 would require 30 minutes of recess for all students K-5. This would be unstructured time, not a Physical Edcuation class. This bill passed out of committee and should be voted on before crossover day.

SB 188 would prohibit schools from prohibiting a students access to school services because the student does not take a psychotropic drug. This is not valid if the student is violent or disruptive.

SB 211 is Lindsey Tippins’s bill and would address students who cannot read by 3rd grade and have not mastered basic math by 5th grade. This bill provides for ongoing formative assessments throughout the school year that can be combined with a summative assessment at the end of the year. This bill includes a formal identification of these students early on in both kindergarten and first grade. Under the current Milestones assessment system, many struggling students are not identified until 3rd grade when it is too late.

SB 68, Also addressed this week by EF was Hunter Hill’s “money follows the child” bill which would allow public money for private schools. This bill did not pass out of committee. Educators First spoke against this bill. GAE and PAGE said nothing.

COBB SPLOST VOTE IS MARCH 21st, 2017 - PLEASE BE SURE TO VOTE!

SPLOST stands for Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. It is a one-cent tax on all consumer goods that must be approved by voters in a referendum. Education SPLOST (Ed-SPLOST) receipts can be used only for school-related capital improvements. The current Ed-SPLOST expires Dec. 31, 2018.

A referendum will be held Tuesday, March 21, 2017 to extend the tax another five years.

Announced January 10, 2017


GaDOE and GPEE to host Solutions Summit to address chronically underperforming schools.

The Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education will co-host a Solutions Summit to address the challenges faced by chronically underperforming schools, State School Superintendent Richard Woods announced today.

The summit will bring together stakeholders from all invested groups – members of the education, business, policymakers and faith communities, as well as families – to have candid conversations about the issues these schools face and develop a shared framework for improvement.

“There is no simple, one-step solution for every school that’s struggling to improve student achievement,” Superintendent Woods said. “We must look at a holistic approach to educating students in underperforming schools, and that must include the communities. More than identifying just the problems, we must develop real, actionable solutions that engage stakeholders around the common challenges facing these schools.”

Dr. Steve Dolinger, president of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, reinforced Woods’ comments. “The summit presents a unique opportunity to do more than talk about problems many of our schools face. We must move past talking to action,” he stressed. “Key education, business, community and government leaders will have the chance to leverage their collective will to make a collective impact.”

The summit will include an overview of state, regional, and national efforts to support chronically underperforming schools, along with panel discussions on the opportunities and challenges facing districts, communities, and state agencies as they work to provide that support. Partners from GaDOE and GPEE will present a deep dive into the data of chronically underperforming schools, examining and discussing student achievement, school climate, demographics, turnover rates, discipline rates, attendance, and other related community data.

These discussions will be followed by a time for candid conversations and brainstorming, and an opportunity for attendees to commit to an action framework to support underperforming schools.

The summit will be co-chaired by Dr. Mary Sue Murray, a retired State Board of Education member with more than 30 years of education experience, and Stephanie Johnson, principal of Maynard Jackson High School and a 2017 National Principal of the Year finalist.

MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cardoza, GaDOE Communications Office, mcardoza@gadoe.org

NOTE: EDUCATORS FIRST HAS ALREADY BEEN ASKED TO PARTICIPATE. MEMBERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF DATES AND LOCATIONS, AS DOE UNVEILS THE SPECIFICS.

TKES News

Teachers, it is that time of year when your Teacher Keys Evaluation System (TKES) evaluations are being completed. We at Educators First are here to help you. We highly encourage all members to have a thorough understanding of the TKES process. Remember to keep in mind that the TKES is quite different from our former observation system because TKES is based on your consistency of performance all year long, not just on the days you are being observed. Walk-throughs and formative observations are snapshots. What you do every day as your professional teaching practice is the most important consideration. This is referred to as “consistency of practice and totality of evidence.”

The evaluation uses a 4-tiered rubric to rate each standard. The summative evaluation is based on the observations by an administrator, along with documentation that is provided by the teacher. In other words, there must be evidence that supports your instructional practice. Evidence comes in many forms. It can include phone logs for parent contact, lesson plan documents, assessment data documents, student instructional documents, the teacher’s webpage or Wiki page, photos, and videos that show instructional best practices.

Please be proactive in documenting your instructional practice. Make this available to your administrators. You may also upload any documents into the portal, although this is not required.

As we enter the season of final observations and your summative evaluation, make sure that you have completed all requirements in your TKES portal - including your professional learning goals and professional development plans if you have them. This is the path to success with the TKES!

PSC Requirements for Certificate Renewal

Educators should be aware that changes to certification renewal will be in effect July 1, 2017. As stated in GAPSC Rule 505-2.36, the goal of certificate renewal and professional learning is for educators within a Georgia local unit of administration (LUA) to work together to enhance established educational goals for the individual educator, the school and the LUA to assist students in meeting state standards for student achievement. To this end, written Professional Learning Plans (PLPs) or Professional Learning Goals (PLGs) shall be required for all certificate holders employed by a Georgia LUA. PLPs outline requirements for the professional growth of educators as well as clearly delineate support the school or school system will provide for the educator’s professional growth. PLGs outline identified areas for educator growth for those educators not required to have PLPs.

Certificate holders who are employed by a Georgia LUA in a position requiring certification must have an individual Professional Learning Plan (PLP) or Professional Learning Goals (PLGs) coordinated with their supervisor and employing LUA. These PLPs or PLGs are developed and maintained locally, and must be aligned with individual educator evaluation results as well as with school and school system professional learning plans. To be acceptable for certificate renewal, the PLP or PLGs must be directly associated with the annual personnel evaluation and in addition, may be related to any of the following: field(s) of certification held; School/District Improvement Plan; and/or State/federal requirements.

The PLP for educators that have received any un-remediated annual summative evaluation ratings of Needs Development, Ineffective, or Unsatisfactory during the previous five (5) year validity of their certificate shall be included in the remediation plan developed according to procedures outlined in GaPSC Rule 505-2.43 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION.

EDUCATORS FIRST is organizing a Teacher Advisory Council.
Qualification and acceptance will be based on experience with a variety of subject areas, school levels, systems, and other factors. Applicants should be willling to meet at least quarterly on a Saturday. Meeting locations will be determined based on convenience to the council members . The first meeting will take place Summer, 2017. Applicants should submit the following information:

• Resume (Including Number of years as an educator, subjects taught, levels taught, and systems employed by)
• Community and school involvement
Members from ALL GEORGIA AREAS are encouraged to apply.
Applicants should submit resume and other required information by APRIL 18th, 2017
to: Tana Page (tana@educatorsfirst.org).
THE EDUCATORS FIRST PAC IS WORKING TO ENSURE THAT THE NEW YEAR'S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA ADDRESSES THE CONCERNS OF OUR MEMBERS! Several new members have been added to the organization and we want to thank them for their diigent work. EF Welcome's Dr. Rosemary Vaughan, the new PAC chair.
Educators First, Inc. 125 Townpark Drive, Suite 300 Kennesaw, GA 30144
(678) 881-0844 Fax: (678) 881-0394


Copyright 2017. Educators First, Inc. All rights reserved.
View this email in your browser
You are receiving this email because of your relationship with Educators First. Please reconfirm your interest in receiving emails from us. If you do not wish to receive any more emails, you can unsubscribe here.
This message was sent to tana@educatorsfirst.org by tana@educatorsfirst.org
125 Townpark Drive, Suite 300, Kennesaw, GA, 30144


Unsubscribe from all mailings Unsubscribe | Manage Subscription | Forward Email | Report Abuse