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EXPERIENCE MATTERS: Woods is the only candidate with teaching experience, only candidate endorsed by Georgia educators
Real Results > Record high grad rates; GA beats the nation on SAT & ACT; Woods: "I'm not a politician or a personality"
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REAL RESULTS.
Richard Woods has a strong track record of achieving real results for Georgia’s students, parents, and teachers.
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Standing Up for Children
Superintendent Woods has worked across the aisle and across the state to keep the focus on our kids. He’s stood up against those who wish to reduce our children to test scores, data points, and percentiles -- understanding all children have names, hopes, dreams, passions, and limitless potential.
Superintendent Woods has worked across the aisle and across the state to keep the focus on our kids. He’s stood up against those who wish to reduce our children to test scores, data points, and percentiles -- understanding all children have names, hopes, dreams, passions, and limitless potential.
Elevating Our Educators
From providing all teachers and staff a one-time $1,000 bonus during the pandemic to delivering the full teacher pay raise, Superintendent Woods has always had the backs of Georgia's teachers. As a veteran educator, he will always fight to protect TRS and let our teachers teach.
From providing all teachers and staff a one-time $1,000 bonus during the pandemic to delivering the full teacher pay raise, Superintendent Woods has always had the backs of Georgia's teachers. As a veteran educator, he will always fight to protect TRS and let our teachers teach.
Empowering Parents
Superintendent Woods believes schools belong to their communities. Parents must be heard – not targeted. He’s worked with policymakers to establish consistent and transparent processes for parents to play an active role in their child’s education – being true partners with educators and schools.
Superintendent Woods believes schools belong to their communities. Parents must be heard – not targeted. He’s worked with policymakers to establish consistent and transparent processes for parents to play an active role in their child’s education – being true partners with educators and schools.
Eliminating Common Core
Superintendent Woods is completely eliminating Common Core, ensuring Georgia owned and Georgia grown standards for all students. These new standards were written by Georgia teachers to support traditional math methods and encourage parents to be part of their child's education.
Superintendent Woods is completely eliminating Common Core, ensuring Georgia owned and Georgia grown standards for all students. These new standards were written by Georgia teachers to support traditional math methods and encourage parents to be part of their child's education.
Keeping Students and Staff Safe
From increasing School Resource Officers to increasing mental health resources, Superintendent Woods continues to prioritize school safety. He’s launched the Center for School Safety, delivered $69 million to “harden” school facilities, and continues to coordinate closely with public safety.
From increasing School Resource Officers to increasing mental health resources, Superintendent Woods continues to prioritize school safety. He’s launched the Center for School Safety, delivered $69 million to “harden” school facilities, and continues to coordinate closely with public safety.
Fighting Against High-stakes Tests
Superintendent Woods spearheaded efforts that led to the largest reduction of high-stakes testing in our state's history. He's shortened the tests, pushed testing to the end of the school year, and provided free, formative tools to protect valuable instructional time and foster learning.
Superintendent Woods spearheaded efforts that led to the largest reduction of high-stakes testing in our state's history. He's shortened the tests, pushed testing to the end of the school year, and provided free, formative tools to protect valuable instructional time and foster learning.
Expanding Fine Arts
Superintendent Woods is committed to supporting creativity and the arts. He established the first DOE fine arts team, created STEAM and arts integration school certifications, updated decades old state courses, and provided tens of thousands of dollars in grants for fine arts in schools.
Superintendent Woods is committed to supporting creativity and the arts. He established the first DOE fine arts team, created STEAM and arts integration school certifications, updated decades old state courses, and provided tens of thousands of dollars in grants for fine arts in schools.
Increasing Literacy Rates
Under Superintendent Woods, Georgia beats the nation in SAT and ACT for reading and writing. He's provided historic levels of literacy funding for schools, expanded vision and screening for students, and provided direct coaching and resources in structured literacy, dyslexia, and cursive writing.
Under Superintendent Woods, Georgia beats the nation in SAT and ACT for reading and writing. He's provided historic levels of literacy funding for schools, expanded vision and screening for students, and provided direct coaching and resources in structured literacy, dyslexia, and cursive writing.
Raising Graduation Rates
Superintendent Woods spearheaded efforts that yielded record high graduation rates. He's pushed for the creation of multiple diploma pathways -- pathways that prepare students for their post-secondary pursuits -- universities, technical colleges, the military, or entering the workforce.
Superintendent Woods spearheaded efforts that yielded record high graduation rates. He's pushed for the creation of multiple diploma pathways -- pathways that prepare students for their post-secondary pursuits -- universities, technical colleges, the military, or entering the workforce.
Renewing Rural Georgia
Growing up and teaching in rural Georgia, Superintendent Woods knows the opportunities of rural schools. He’s made historic investments that will increase connectivity, strengthen the teacher pipeline, and expand academic opportunities for all by creating the Office of Rural Education.
Growing up and teaching in rural Georgia, Superintendent Woods knows the opportunities of rural schools. He’s made historic investments that will increase connectivity, strengthen the teacher pipeline, and expand academic opportunities for all by creating the Office of Rural Education.
Standing Up to Washington
Superintendent Woods has always put Georgia students and educators first. From eradicating the failed federal reforms of Race to the Top to pushing back on Duncan and DeVos against high-stakes testing, Superintendent Woods has fought back -- and won -- against Washington overreach.
Superintendent Woods has always put Georgia students and educators first. From eradicating the failed federal reforms of Race to the Top to pushing back on Duncan and DeVos against high-stakes testing, Superintendent Woods has fought back -- and won -- against Washington overreach.
Growing STEM & STEAM
Superintendent Woods believes that STEM/STEAM and computer science opportunities are vital to engaging learners. He’s created STEM/STEAM positions in rural Georgia to increase the number of certified schools and provided equipment, supplies, and funding to maximize relevant offerings for all students.
Superintendent Woods believes that STEM/STEAM and computer science opportunities are vital to engaging learners. He’s created STEM/STEAM positions in rural Georgia to increase the number of certified schools and provided equipment, supplies, and funding to maximize relevant offerings for all students.
Supporting Military Families
Growing up in a military family, Superintendent Woods understands the challenges facing these families. He's created a DOE Military Family Liaison position to provide direct support to military families and Military Flagship school certification to support schools in collaborating with their local military bases.
Growing up in a military family, Superintendent Woods understands the challenges facing these families. He's created a DOE Military Family Liaison position to provide direct support to military families and Military Flagship school certification to support schools in collaborating with their local military bases.
PROVEN LEADERSHIP.
Richard Woods has the educational and business experience needed to continue leading Georgia's schools.
As the leader of Georgia's schools, Richard Woods brings both an educational and business experience to the position. State Superintendent Woods has over 29 years of pre-k through 12th grade experience in public education, serving as a veteran educator, school leader, and currently as the State School Superintendent of Georgia.
Additionally, Woods has been a lead purchasing agent for a national/multi-national laser company and a former small business owner, bringing a strategic focus on efficiency and effectiveness to the agency he leads. |
BOLD VISION.
Richard Woods has a bold vision of substance and solutions -- not sound bites -- to tackle the challenges facing our schools.
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RICHARD IS FIGHTING TO... |
EXPAND TEACHER PAY RAISES
The state salary scale does not provide salary step increases for beginning teachers with 0-2 years of experience or veteran teachers with more than 21 years of experience, meaning teachers at both ends of their careers receive flat pay -- this must change! To recruit and retain our teachers, we must expand step raises across a teacher’s entire career. ESTABLISH A NEW TESTING MINIMUM
Georgia has reduced the number of state tests to be more in line with the federal minimum -- but progress cannot stop there! We must establish a new federal testing minimum: once in elementary, once in middle, and once in high school to further reduce high-stakes testing and provide truly diagnostic tools in the "off years" to remediate and accelerate learning. ESTABLISH MULTIPLE DIPLOMA PATHWAYS
Our students deserve a tailored high school experience that matches their passion, potential, and postsecondary pursuits. We must develop customized diploma pathways that support the postsecondary goals of each and every child -- whether it's attending a college or university, going straight into the workforce, or serving in the military. TREAT TEACHERS AS PROFESSIONALS
Instead of an "gotcha" tool that devalues teachers, we must transform our teacher evaluation system into one that truly treats our teachers as professionals. We must develop a evaluation system that provides clear, personalized pathways of supports and opportunities at every step of a teacher's career -- from beginning teacher to teacher leader. MODERNIZE THE K-12 FUNDING FORMULA
Our children deserve a 21st century funding formula that supports a 21st century education. It's time to modernize our K-12 formula by increasing transportation funding, recognizing poverty, enhancing non-academic supports, expanding Educational Support Professionals, and adjusting funding levels with the rising costs of resources, supports, and personnel. ELEVATE SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS
Educational Support Professionals (ESPs) -- nurses, counselors, custodians, bus drivers, nutrition staff, media specialists, social workers, psychologists, and parapros -- are the backbone of our schools. We must establish and expand funding for non-academic supports with a modernized K-12 formula, leading to higher wages and better student ratios for our ESPs. EXPAND OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERY CHILD
Whatever a child's zip code, they deserve access to a well-rounded education. We must establish 'Opportunity grants' for all schools, dedicating funding streams to support and expand opportunities in fine arts, computer science, recess and play, PE, STEM/STEAM, AP, gifted, Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE), and world language. LIFT UP SCHOOLS -- DON'T JUST LABEL
Our students are more than a test score and so are our schools. Instead of providing families with a fair or full picture of their local schools, the current letter grade or 100-point rankings only oversimplifies their worth. We must provide a public dashboard that showcases the challenges and opportunities of every school. LET TEACHERS TEACH -- CUT RED TAPE
Our teachers were called to teach -- not push paperwork or check boxes. We must free our teachers from the excessive requirements that pull them away from students and push them out of the profession. At the state level, we must streamline processes and cut red tape while getting local school districts to do the same. ELIMINATE EXCESSIVE LOCAL TESTING
As we've worked to reduce the number of high-stakes testing at the state level, we must also work to reduce redundant testing at the local level -- testing that takes away from precious planning time and valuable instructional time. We must adopt transparency measures to assist local school districts with identifying, evaluating, and eliminating excessive testing. PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LIFE
Our students need to be prepared for more than a test -- they must be prepared for life. All students must have a strong foundation of the fundamentals in literacy and numeracy. To be successful, all students need cursive writing and personal finance along with a strong understanding and appreciation of our Nation's Founding and history. ADDRESS SAFETY -- COMPREHENSIVELY
The safety of students must remain a top priority. School safety isn't as easy as adopting fad fixes -- it requires a comprehensive approach. We must increase both School Resource Officers (SROs) and mental health resources; coordinate best practices and training; secure facilities; and collaborate with community organizations and public safety partners. EXPAND CTAE INTO THE EARLY GRADES
Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) provides students with a hands-on, relevant education that prepares them for high-demand, high-wage careers. We must build on new elementary Construction and Agricultural programs by expanding elementary CTAE opportunities across all career clusters, assisting students with exploring a wide-range of opportunities. |