Woods discusses testing, essa, CTAE, and Foundational Skills at Education forum

On testing's proper role and fair accountability

Ga School Chief Richard Woods: ‘Testing is part of the process of education. It is not the process. Testing should be a tool, not a hammer, not a punishment for teachers in schools. We are going to be accountable. But accountability has to be fair. ' #gapol #GaSchools #Testing

— Maureen Downey (@AJCGetSchooled) January 5, 2018

On Georgia's CTAE programs providing multiple pathways to succeed for students

Ga School Chief on career tech: ‘In past, these were classes for other kids. This is something changing in Georgia.’ Cited CTAE grad at West Point, another at GSU studying computers. ‘This is just not a path to a career or technical college.’ Students going to 4-year colleges.

— Maureen Downey (@AJCGetSchooled) January 5, 2018

On committing to literacy and numeracy skills in the early grades

Ga School Chief Richard Woods: 'As a high school teacher, one word I hated to hear was remediation. We have to get that K-5 area correct. We have to make sure we get our students where they need to be -- reading by grade 3, math by grade 5.' #gapol #GaDOE #GPEE2018 #edchat

— Maureen Downey (@AJCGetSchooled) January 5, 2018

On moving away from Washington-micromanaging

Ga School Chief Richard Woods: ‘We are coming out of time of No Child Left Behind & Race to the Top. As individual who lived through that, it was very restrictive, very compliance-oriented and did not put the child first.' #gapol #GaDOE #edchat #GaSchools

— Maureen Downey (@AJCGetSchooled) January 5, 2018