Wednesday, December 6, 2000
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Wednesday, December 6, 2000 |
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Teachers' union sets priorities The 49,000-member Professional Association of Georgia Educators, the state's largest teachers' union, has announced that its legislative priorities for the upcoming session of the Georgia Assembly include a substantial salary increase for educators, additional paraprofessionals for K-3 and special education, and maintaining a high quality middle school program. "Our members across the state have been at the forefront of education reform. They are willing to be held accountable," said Barbara Christmas, PAGE executive vice-president. "We have consistently demonstrated our good faith efforts to work in a positive and professional manner with all leaders," she added. "Come January, we need the governor and the legislature to work with us in continuing to improve the reforms which passed last year," she said. "We believe a substantial salary increase 6 percent at a minimum is both reasonable and necessary to attract and retain quality educators," she said. "We also believe that the legislature needs to revisit the paraprofessional issue and find ways to increase paraprofessional positions in grades K-3 and in special education," Christmas said. "The important work these individuals do makes the classroom professionals they support much more effective. Let's enhance the work of the teachers by providing them with the clerical and administrative support they need." PAGE also will seek to preserve teacher planning time, as well as art, music and physical education in the state's middle schools. "We support efforts to enhance student achievement in these grades and to reduce the dropout rate," Christmas said. "But we believe that, by working with and listening to middle school educators, common ground can be reached. We can have academic rigor along with a rich and comprehensive curriculum that will meet the needs of these students. We need to work together to reach consensus on this."
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