2008 Georgia Teacher of the Year
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[email protected] 20339a 10/06 Official Publication of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators www.pageinc.org Vol. 29 No.3 May/June 2007 OFFICERS contents President Dr. Anna Brown President-Elect FeAtURes Judy Teasley 4 Secretary 04 Helping Great Teachers Become Even Better Vickie Hammond Treasurer Lamar Scott DepARtments Past-President Ken Russell 02 F rom the President: Reflecting on the Year DIRECTORS 03 From the Executive Director: District 1 District 7 Accountability for Legislators TBD Vickie Reed District 2 District 8 12 Foundation News: Vickie Joiner Leslie Mills District 3 District 9 Georgia’s 2007 State PAGE STAR Student and Teacher Mary Carzoli Catherine Strickland Announced by the PAGE Foundation District 4 District 10 Tim Mullen Susan McFadyen System STAR Teachers District 5 District 11 2007 FEAST: Invest in a Child’s Mind... TEACH! David Brown Richard Thomas 12 District 6 District 12 Gwinnett County’s Berkmar High School—The Mike Smith Raymechia Smith 2007 PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon State Champion EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Honor Your Favorite Teacher Tim Callahan L egal: 2007 PAGE Final Legislative Report Associate Editor 24 Erica Driver 26 Professional Learning: Contributing Editor Lynn Varner Professional Insights – Transition Programs: NEW SOUTH PUBLISHING What Does the Research Show? President Larry Lebovitz Publisher news AnD InFoRmAtIon John Hanna 30 F orum: New Teachers, Old Standards? Editor-in-Chief 26 Laura Newsome 31 Members in the News Graphic Designer Jack Simonetta 31 PAGE Planner Production Coordinator On the cover: Emily Jennette, 2008 Georgia Teacher of the Year. Mike Johnson Photo by Rod Reilly. 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Copyright ©2007 May/June 2007 PAGE ONE From The President | Dr. anna brown Reflecting on the Year s you are wrapping up the 2006-07 school year, I hope Ayou will set aside some time to reflect on what you have accom- As I complete plished this year. Most often, we as my term as your educators will reflect on the year and focus on what we could have done PAGE President, or would have done differently. The I would like to end of the school year always draws different emotions from teachers, extend my thanks ranging from feelings of exuberance to the PAGE staff, to disillusionment. We are excited officers, board about completing another year with our students, yet at the same time members and you, wish that we could have done more our members, for our students. This year, make an effort to consider beyond what did from whom I not work and think about the posi- have learned tive results. a great deal. It You should feel proud to be a part of Georgia’s efforts in moving ahead has been a very as we incorporate more challenging memorable year work in our classrooms through the implementation of our new Georgia and a rewarding Performance Standards. Although experience. many teachers are struggling with this implementation, it is something that can and will be accomplished through hard work and tenacity. As you reflect on more collegial in our problem solving. This type the year, think about the performance tasks your of collegial learning can encourage us to think students have completed. Have you adjusted your somewhat differently about what and how we instructional activities to align more to what stu- teach. With that said, consider how your profes- dents must know and be able to do? sional learning this year has effected you and your Beyond instruction, look at the successes your ability to work with other teachers. What have you students have had. Sometimes it’s hard to rec- learned from others, and what have you shared ognize them when you are their teacher. One with co-workers? of the best ways you can gauge your students’ In the September/October issue of PAGE ONE, accomplishments is by simply asking them. I once I challenged members to be proactive in their asked my students to compile a journal during roles as educators. Reflecting on the positive the last few weeks of school. I was surprised to outcomes of your school year is one way to discover what students enjoyed most and what accomplish this. As I complete my term as your Dr. anna brown they learned. PAGE President, I would like to extend my thanks Other than the classroom, participating in pro- to the PAGE staff, officers, board members and fessional learning is an important part of our role you, our members, from whom I have learned as educators. Many professional learning pro- a great deal. It has been a very memorable year grams are designed around getting us to become and a rewarding experience. u PAGE ONE May/June 2007 From The Executive Director | Dr. allene Magill Accountability for Legislators “An Insider Advantage/Majority Opinion survey conducted recently reveals the lowest approval rating for the Georgia General Assembly that we, at Insider, have seen since we started tracking in 2002. If the election were held today, less than half of respondents said they would vote to reelect their own state representative or senator.” Insider Advantage, 4/13/07 he polling information above is not all the type of accountability that highlights problems that surprising, particularly when you and then drives those changes needed to address Tconsider the legislature’s actions con- and correct the problems. cerning public education and public employees PAGE is going to step up its efforts to hold our over the past few years. The funding cuts to our legislators more accountable. (You will be hear- schools by themselves have been bad enough, ing from us over the summer and into the fall.) but the ongoing verbal and legislative assault on Many legislators are acting in Atlanta in ways that As we have said public education and public employees has been directly contradict the claims they made last fall to many times, even worse. get elected. A grass roots effort is needed to bring Under the Gold Dome we now have a group of home to their constituents their voting records, as the state’s legislators who ran for election across the state last their comments and the types of legislation they largest group fall claiming to support schools, and stated that have been promoting over the past few years. for professional education was their top priority. Perhaps the miss- Many, if not most of their constituents, would be ing word in those claims, “public,” was one we all concerned if not appalled if they knew how their educators, should have paid more attention to.