James_March-April_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 82
The National Institutes of
Health reports that 43 percent
of teachers intend to leave the
profession, identifying school
violence and staffing shortages
as public health issues. Teachers account for one quarter of
all non-fatal workplace assaults
among government workers.
Research summarized by the
American Psychological Association similarly shows assault rates
near 40 percent in some school
systems, with chronic victimhood accelerating burnout and
resignation.
In Georgia alone, the 2024–25
school year has reportedly seen
755 violent incidents, 95 arrests,
and one incarceration, though
concerns persist regarding the
accuracy of reporting.
Georgia’s College and Career Ready Performance Index
(CCRPI) compounds the problem.
Because “school climate” metrics
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influence public perception and
real estate decisions, discipline
data are routinely minimized or
misclassified. Teachers report
that referrals often receive no
response, creating no record.
Fights are downgraded to lesser
infractions. In effect, incidents
disappear. Educators First argues
that this component of the CCRPI
should be eliminated entirely and
that administrative non-action on
referrals should constitute a grievable offense.
Proposed Georgia Remedies
Importantly, Georgia is not
without legislative leadership
willing to confront this reality.
State Rep. Bethany Ballard,
R-Warner Robins, is carrying a
student discipline bill on behalf of
Educators First. State Rep. John
Corbett, R-Lake Park, is working
to strengthen language through
House Bill 1231, building on
legislation he previously carried
regarding guaranteed teacher
planning time (O.C.G.A. § 20-2218). State Sen. Tonya Anderson,
D-Lithonia, is carrying a contracts
bill for Educators First.
These efforts reflect an emerging recognition that protecting
students and protecting teachers
are not mutually exclusive goals.
An assault on a teacher is
not merely a workplace incident.
It is an assault on instructional
integrity, institutional stability
and public trust. Georgia can do
better. The question is whether
we are prepared to act decisively— or continue pretending that
disappearing data and silent
classrooms signal success.
Tana Page is co-founder and president of
Educators First, a professional education
nonprofit group, headquartered in Kennesaw. A lifelong educator and a lifelong
Dawgs fan, she may be reached at tana@
educatorsfirst.org.
