PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA EDUCATORS

"Georgia must stop expecting schools to address a growing student mental health and behavioral crisis without providing them with the professionals, resources, and community partnerships necessary to do the work.Our approach should begin with a simple principle: we must support the whole child and, when necessary, the whole family. Too often, schools respond to mental health and behavioral challenges only after a student reaches a crisis point through discipline, suspension, chronic absenteeism, academic failure, or involvement with law enforcement. We need to move from a crisis response model to a prevention, early intervention, and wraparound support model.That means providing true wraparound services that connect students and families with mental health care, behavioral health services, healthcare, housing and food assistance, family counseling, substance use services, mentoring, and other community resources when those needs are creating barriers to a child's success in school. A child cannot leave the challenges of home and community at the schoolhouse door.When families need assistance, our schools should have trained professionals who can help connect them to the appropriate services rather than simply handing them a list of telephone numbers.I also believe Georgia should establish a long term goal of providing access to a licensed mental health professional or therapist in every public school, with additional staffing based on enrollment and student need.We must also recognize that school counselors and mental health therapists serve different purposes. Georgia's school counselors are critically important, but we cannot continue assuming they can simultaneously manage academic advising, graduation requirements, testing responsibilities, schedules, data collection, college and career readiness, administrative assignments, and provide intensive therapeutic services to students experiencing significant mental health challenges. A school counselor should not be expected to substitute for a licensed therapist or clinical mental health professional. Our teachers should not be expected to serve as therapists either.Georgia should therefore develop a statewide school mental health workforce strategy that provides sustainable state funding for licensed therapists, school psychologists, social workers, behavioral specialists, and other mental health professionals. We should expand partnerships with universities, healthcare systems, community mental health providers, and behavioral health organizations to create pipelines of professionals into our schools, particularly in rural communities and areas where mental health providers are scarce.We also must address the connection between mental health and student behavior. Supporting a student's mental health does not mean eliminating accountability or lowering expectations for behavior. Schools need a continuum of behavioral supports that combines prevention, intervention, restorative practices when appropriate, individualized behavioral plans, family engagement, and appropriate consequences. Students deserve support, but teachers and other students also deserve safe, orderly classrooms where learning can occur.And we cannot discuss this crisis without discussing our educators. Teachers, administrators, counselors, paraprofessionals, and other school employees are experiencing tremendous levels of stress and burnout. School based mental health partnerships should therefore include confidential pathways for employees to access counseling and wellness services. We cannot build healthy schools without supporting the adults responsible for caring for our children.Finally, I will ensure these commitments are backed by sustainable funding rather than temporary grants. My administration will work with the General Assembly to establish dedicated state funding for school based mental health professionals and wraparound services, maximize available federal Medicaid and behavioral health funding, strengthen partnerships between school districts and Georgia's behavioral health system, and provide additional resources based on student need."

"Governor Kemp deserves credit for providing teachers with bonuses and working to ensure that Georgia meets its annual obligations to the Teachers Retirement System. As governor, I will continue that commitment. Supporting Georgia's educators and protecting their retirement should never be a partisan issue.But fully funding the state's annual contribution does not mean that our pension system is fully funded. Georgia's Teachers Retirement System is currently approximately 78.7% funded. The system's previous full actuarial valuation identified approximately $29.5 billion in unfunded actuarial liabilities. Those numbers do not mean TRS is in immediate danger or unable to pay retirees. In fact, TRS remains a strong pension system with a long-term funding strategy. But they do mean Georgia has a significant long-term obligation that we should continue working to reduce.My Georgia Strategic Plan for Teacher Recruitment and Retention will therefore address the entire career of an educator, from the day we recruit someone into the profession until the day that educator retires.First, I have proposed eliminating Georgia state income taxes for teachers. That means more money in educators' pockets immediately without requiring local school districts to absorb the entire cost. I will also pursue new dedicated revenue, including responsibly regulated casino gaming, to help Georgia provide more competitive teacher compensation.Second, I will protect Georgia's defined-benefit Teachers Retirement System and continue fully funding the state's actuarially determined contribution every year. But I believe meeting our minimum annual obligation should be the floor, not our ultimate goal.When Georgia experiences strong revenues and significant budget surpluses, I will work with the General Assembly to make strategic supplemental investments into TRS to reduce its unfunded liability faster. I want us to establish measurable benchmarks toward 90% funding and ultimately full funding, while protecting earned benefits and avoiding unnecessary increases in the amount teachers must contribute from their paychecks.That is not simply retirement policy. It is a teacher recruitment and retention strategy. When we ask talented young people to choose teaching over other professions, we should be able to tell them: Georgia will help you earn a competitive living, build financial security, and retire with dignity after a career of service.Third, to recruit and retain teachers, I will raise Georgia's starting teacher salary to $60,000 a year as well as eliminate state income tax for teachers.Fourth, I understand that in addition to compensation, teachers also need to feel supported and respected in their profession. Teachers are leaving the profession because of workload, working conditions, student discipline challenges, inadequate planning time, administrative burdens, lack of professional support, and, in some cases, ineffective leadership. My administration will develop a statewide educator retention strategy that addresses those issues alongside compensation.I am a strong proponent of PAGE's efforts to provide state-funded stipends of up to $7,500 for student teachers in Georgia through legislative efforts like House Bill 310 (the Student Teacher Promotion Act). We will strengthen teacher residency programs, expand partnerships with Georgia colleges and universities, create pathways for paraprofessionals to become certified teachers, and provide targeted recruitment and retention incentives for high-need schools and hard-to-staff certification areas.And we will measure whether these policies work. Georgia should publicly track teacher vacancies, turnover, retention rates, working conditions, retirement trends, and the financial health of TRS every year.My goal is simple: Georgia should become the best state in the South to begin a teaching career, build a teaching career, and retire from a teaching career. That means more money in teachers' pockets today, better working conditions throughout their careers, and a stronger retirement system waiting for them tomorrow."

"Every Georgia student deserves access to a high-quality public education, regardless of where they live. Declining enrollment should not mean that students in rural communities have fewer opportunities or that districts are forced to eliminate essential services.As Governor, I will modernize Georgia's Quality Basic Education formula so that state funding is simpler, more transparent, and more responsive to the needs of students and school districts. That includes taking a closer look at how the formula accounts for the unique challenges facing rural districts, including transportation, staffing, technology, special education, and access to advanced coursework and other programs. Where we need to support lower density districts with hold harmless funds in our state budget we will do so to ensure equitable access to resources for every single student regardless of their zip code.We should also look for opportunities for districts to share resources and services where doing so makes sense, while preserving the local decision-making that is so important to our communities. And we should use technology thoughtfully to expand access to opportunities that may not otherwise be available in smaller districts.The goal should not simply be to maintain a school system. The goal should be to make sure every student has access to the teachers, programs, services, and opportunities they need to succeed."

"There is no single reason why a student may struggle academically. Academic outcomes are shaped by what happens in the classroom, but also by whether a child enters school ready to learn, has consistent access to quality instruction, receives the support they need when they fall behind, and has a stable environment in which to learn.That is why my education agenda begins early. I will ensure access to Georgia Pre-K for every four-year-old whose family wants it, to expand high-quality early learning opportunities for younger children. I will make significant investments in early literacy and ensure that every third grader is reading on grade level before promotion.We also have to make sure teachers have the tools and training to provide evidence-based instruction and that students who need additional support receive it early. That means strengthening literacy instruction, expanding access to tutoring and other interventions, and ensuring that students with different learning needs have the resources and services necessary to succeed. It also means strengthening our accountability systems so parents know how their students are performing and we can access the resources their children need to be successful in the classroom.Finally, we need to pay attention to the opportunity gaps that contribute to differences in academic outcomes. A student's ZIP code should not determine the quality of education they receive. Modernizing QBE, investing in educators, and making sure schools are adequately resourced are all part of closing those gaps."

"Public education is one of Georgia's greatest economic and civic assets. Our schools educate the workers, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and citizens who will determine Georgia's future. As Governor, I will treat investment in public education as an investment in the long-term strength and competitiveness of Georgia's economy.That starts with adequately resourcing our public schools and modernizing the Quality Basic Education formula so that funding better reflects the needs of students and communities. It means investing in teachers and school leaders, expanding early learning and literacy, and ensuring students have access to the programs and opportunities that prepare them for life after high school.We also need to strengthen the connection between K-12 education and Georgia's workforce. Every Georgia graduate should have a pathway to economic mobility, whether that means a four-year degree, technical credential, apprenticeship, community college, or another postsecondary pathway that leads to a good-paying job. As Mayor of Atlanta, I created the Center for Workforce Innovation in partnership with Atlanta Technical College and major employers to train people for in-demand jobs. As Governor, I will build on that model statewide to train Georgia's talent.This work aligns with my commitment to helping Georgia's small businesses start, grow, and create jobs. Small businesses can be powerful partners to our public schools by providing internships, apprenticeships, career exposure, and employment opportunities for students. My administration will also help small and locally owned businesses compete for state and school-system contracts, gain access to capital and technical assistance, and build a strong pipeline of skilled Georgia workers.None of our investment in public education would be possible without our educators and education support staff. As Governor, I will formalize a Teacher Advisory Council, a direct, standing pipeline between the existing State School Superintendent's Teacher Advisory Council (TAC) and the Governor's Office of Education and Workforce Strategy (GOEWS) to ensure the Governor's Office hears directly and regularly from practicing classroom teachers on cross-agency policy questions, without duplicating infrastructure that already exists under the Department of Education.Finally, supporting public education and supporting small businesses are not separate goals. Both are essential to developing talent, strengthening communities, attracting investment, and building an economy that works for every Georgian."