2020 PAGE Legislative Priorities
You will find PAGE's 2020 legislative priorities below. These issues will be our primary focus at the state Capitol in 2020; however, the priorities do not reflect PAGE's entire legislative activity, as our legislative team works on a number of education-related issues during the legislative session.
These priorities were developed by our PAGE Legislative Task Force, which represents each Georgia congressional district, as well as members of the PAGE Board of Directors.
Assessment & Accountability
Support efforts to design accountability systems that foster increased student learning and enhance instruction.
- Reduce overreliance on standardized tests by limiting assessments to the minimum number required by federal law.
- Eliminate A-F grading of schools.
- Review Teacher Keys Effectiveness System and Leader Keys Effectiveness System to ensure these educator evaluation systems continue to provide constructive support for instructional improvement.
Mental Health & School Climate
Increase access to student mental health supports inside and outside schools to promote student well-being and academic success.
- Fund school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers at recommended levels.
- Increase funding to deliver mental health training to classroom educators.
- Enhance access to external mental health supports, including telecommunication and mobile counseling in rural and hard-to-staff districts as well as collaborations with state agencies and other service providers.
Teachers Retirement System of Georgia
Ensure the Teacher Retirement System remains a strong and effective educator recruitment and retention tool, one which legislators have commendably supported.
- Continue to fund TRS at the level needed to preserve its fiscal strength, extending lawmakers’ deep and valued commitment to the state’s educator workforce.
- Require a comprehensive cost benefit analysis—including the impact on Georgia teacher recruitment and retention—of all proposals to modify TRS.
Private School Vouchers
Invest public resources effectively to advance learning for public school students.
- Oppose attempts to expand Georgia’s two existing private school voucher programs or add a third voucher program.
- Add necessary transparency and accountability requirements to the state’s current voucher programs.