Column 56 for October 1, 2000

This week, both of the Georgia teacher groups made recommendations to the Governor’s Education Reform Study Commission. With the huge and growing shortage of teachers in Georgia, the commission is looking for ways to remedy the situation.

The shortage is no surprise to me. Georgia teachers have taken a real political beating over the past two years. Morale is low and frustration is high. Politicos in Atlanta can beat their chests about how we’re the best paid in the Southeast, but that’s more of a condemnation of the region than a brag when we’re still below the national average!

While both organizations called for large pay increases, there are differences. First of all, let no one think these organizations are unions. Georgia is one of the few states where it’s against the law for teachers to have a union and collectively bargain. GAE and PAGE both support teachers and lobby for better education for our children. GAE is affiliated with the National Education Association, the nations largest, strongest and most politically active teacher organization. In my opinion, here in Georgia, they have been more supportive of the front-line teachers than has PAGE, whom I’ve always considered more management-oriented. GAE has been handicapped however by some provisions of the NEA’s national platforms, which don’t fly well in areas with large concentrations of fundamentalist/ultra-conservatives. On the other hand, PAGE caved in at the last minute to state political pressures and ended up supporting the governors misguided education reform package.

The GAE just called for massive increases in pay which will probably be considered ridiculous by both the politicos mentioned above and by the average Georgia taxpayer. I agree that the proposed salaries won’t make it here. Our economy and our taxation attitudes aren’t that good, at least at this point. But we should take a closer look. The proposed rates would merely bring Georgia in line with the more progressive states that are praised for their educational results… Maybe then we could attract, produce, and retain the quantity and quality of new teachers we dream of so often!

PAGE, on the other hand, advocated much smaller, yet probably more politically acceptable increases. Barbara Christmas, executive vice president of PAGE, commented, "A minimum of 6 percent would keep us on track." On track for what?

As long as our priorities are primarily on higher test scores and not better educated children, I suppose staying on that track is okay… I happen to believe that we, led by the duly, once-elected Governor Barnes, are on the wrong track. We need to be on a new "track." I agree with Ralph Noble, a Whitfield County teacher, who says, "The issue is respect. It is time to show with actions and words that teaching is a respected career." Yes, a career worth pursuing by our best and brightest college students!

Nuff said! Peace. tomiswho@mindspring.com