BOLD VISION.
Richard Woods has a bold vision of substance and solutions -- not sound bites -- to tackle the challenges facing our schools.
SCHOOL SAFETY
Though tragic events often serve as stark reminders of why we must continue to prioritize the safety of our students and staff, our work is -- and has always been -- a daily commitment.
School safety isn't adopting a quick fix or chasing fads -- it takes a comprehensive approach to keep our students and staff safe.
School safety isn't adopting a quick fix or chasing fads -- it takes a comprehensive approach to keep our students and staff safe.
Show richard's plan to address school safety -- comprehensively
Address school safety -- comprehensively.
Though tragic events often serve as stark reminders of why we must continue to prioritize the safety of our students and staff, our work is -- and has always been -- a daily commitment.
School safety isn't adopting a quick fix or chasing fads -- it's rolling up our sleeves and working with local leaders.
It takes a comprehensive approach to keep our students and staff safe. By increasing school resource officers and mental health resources, working to ensure facilities are secure, fostering strong relationships between students and educators, and constantly coordinating resources and supports across state agencies and non-profits, we can make our schools safer.
Partnering with other state agencies like GEMA/Homeland Security, we're scaling up resources and training to keep our students and staff safe. We recently launched the Georgia Center for School Safety to curate supports, tools, and best practices. We’re also providing on-the-ground support to conduct threat assessments and develop effective school safety plans and procedures.
The safety of students and staff will continue to remain a top priority under my watch.
School safety isn't adopting a quick fix or chasing fads -- it's rolling up our sleeves and working with local leaders.
It takes a comprehensive approach to keep our students and staff safe. By increasing school resource officers and mental health resources, working to ensure facilities are secure, fostering strong relationships between students and educators, and constantly coordinating resources and supports across state agencies and non-profits, we can make our schools safer.
Partnering with other state agencies like GEMA/Homeland Security, we're scaling up resources and training to keep our students and staff safe. We recently launched the Georgia Center for School Safety to curate supports, tools, and best practices. We’re also providing on-the-ground support to conduct threat assessments and develop effective school safety plans and procedures.
The safety of students and staff will continue to remain a top priority under my watch.
TEACHERS
We must support those who support our students – our teachers.
SHOW RICHARD'S PLAN TO EXPAND TEACHER PAY RAISES
Expand teacher pay raises.
During the pandemic, I lead the nation in giving all teachers and support staff a one-time $1,000 bonus. Working with the Governor, we’ve delivered on a promised $5,000 pay raise for all teachers.
Currently, the salary scale is flat for the first three years and last nine years of a teacher’s career. This structure negatively impacts recruitment and retention. If honored with another term in office, I will work with policymakers to expand salary step increases across a teacher’s entire career.
I’ll continue to protect TRS retirement benefits and keep health insurance rates affordable. We cannot raise pay only to see additional pay diverted to rising retirement and healthcare costs.
Currently, the salary scale is flat for the first three years and last nine years of a teacher’s career. This structure negatively impacts recruitment and retention. If honored with another term in office, I will work with policymakers to expand salary step increases across a teacher’s entire career.
I’ll continue to protect TRS retirement benefits and keep health insurance rates affordable. We cannot raise pay only to see additional pay diverted to rising retirement and healthcare costs.
SHOW RICHARD'S PLAN TO TREAT TEACHERS AS PROFESSIONALS
Treat teachers as professionals.
I fought to bring about much needed changes to the original TKES and LKES bill – eliminating SLOs (Student Learning Objectives), lowering the weight of high-stakes testing, and reducing the number of observations, while my opponent brags about authoring the original damaging legislation.
Despite measurable improvements, the current evaluation system still demoralizes teachers and doesn't professionalize them. We must move away from a ‘gotcha’ tool to one that truly treats teachers as professionals.
We need a system that supports teachers throughout their careers -- from beginning teacher to teacher leader. We need a system with built-in mentoring and induction supports for those starting in the profession, as well as greater flexibility, autonomy, and leadership opportunities for those who continue to grow in the teaching profession.
Under my direction, the Georgia Department of Education launched a teacher evaluation pilot with the focus on transforming our current model. Once we identify the supports we want leaders to provide to teachers and we define a strong profile for teacher leadership, we can develop a leader evaluation pilot that folds in essential pieces while streamlining the overall requirements of the system.
Despite measurable improvements, the current evaluation system still demoralizes teachers and doesn't professionalize them. We must move away from a ‘gotcha’ tool to one that truly treats teachers as professionals.
We need a system that supports teachers throughout their careers -- from beginning teacher to teacher leader. We need a system with built-in mentoring and induction supports for those starting in the profession, as well as greater flexibility, autonomy, and leadership opportunities for those who continue to grow in the teaching profession.
Under my direction, the Georgia Department of Education launched a teacher evaluation pilot with the focus on transforming our current model. Once we identify the supports we want leaders to provide to teachers and we define a strong profile for teacher leadership, we can develop a leader evaluation pilot that folds in essential pieces while streamlining the overall requirements of the system.
SHOW RICHARD'S PLAN TO LET TEACHERS TEACH AND CUT THE RED TAPE
Let teachers teach and 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.
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.
TESTING
SHOW RICHARD'S PLAN TO ESTABLISH A NEW TESTING MINIMUM
Establish a new federal 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.
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.
SHOW RICHARD'S PLAN TO ELIMINATE EXCESSIVE LOCAL TESTING
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.
We must adopt transparency measures to assist local school districts with identifying, evaluating, and eliminating excessive testing.
DIPLOMA PATHWAYS
show richard's plan to develop multiple diploma pathways
Develop 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.
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.
K-12 FUNDING
In Georgia, we have a 1985 K-12 funding formula. Our children deserve a 21st century funding formula that supports a 21st century education.
We must modernize the funding formula to meet the moment.
We must modernize the funding formula to meet the moment.
SHOW RICHARD'S PLAN TO MODERNIZE THE K-12 FUNDING FORMULA
Modernize the K-12 funding formula.
In Georgia, we have a 1985 K-12 funding formula. Our children deserve a 21st century funding formula that supports a 21st century education.
We must modernize the funding formula to meet the moment. Positions like school resource officers aren’t even funded in the current formula. Paraprofessional positions are currently only funded at the kindergarten level; these positions should be expanded through the early grades to ensure better student to teacher ratios and a stronger foundation of the fundamentals for students. School districts only earn $11,000 per bus driver in state funding; funding for all positions need to be evaluated and updated to reflect true costs.
I am the only candidate to release a detailed plan on how to modernize our state’s funding formula.
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.
We must modernize the funding formula to meet the moment. Positions like school resource officers aren’t even funded in the current formula. Paraprofessional positions are currently only funded at the kindergarten level; these positions should be expanded through the early grades to ensure better student to teacher ratios and a stronger foundation of the fundamentals for students. School districts only earn $11,000 per bus driver in state funding; funding for all positions need to be evaluated and updated to reflect true costs.
I am the only candidate to release a detailed plan on how to modernize our state’s funding formula.
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.
show richard's plan to ELEVATE EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS (ESPs)
Elevate Education Support Professionals (ESPs)
Education 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.
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.
OPPORTUNITY
show richard's plan to expand opportunity for every child
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.
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.
show richard's plan to expand ctae into the early grades
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.
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.
ACCOUNTABILITY
show richard's plan to lift up our schools -- not just label them
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.
I will continue to fight for an appropriate approach to accountability, working to replace the 100-point/letter grade score with a public friendly dashboard that showcases the challenges, identifies the opportunities, and highlights the successes of every school – connecting parents and community stakeholders with the real information they truly want to know about their local 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.
I will continue to fight for an appropriate approach to accountability, working to replace the 100-point/letter grade score with a public friendly dashboard that showcases the challenges, identifies the opportunities, and highlights the successes of every school – connecting parents and community stakeholders with the real information they truly want to know about their local schools.
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. |
