John Barge, the state schools chief and Republican candidate for governor, tossed verbal bouquets at the feet of educators from the across the state Tuesday, telling the Professional Association of Georgia Educators that the work of its membership has been under-appreciated for too long.
It wasn’t exactly a barn-burning campaign stump speech; he took no shots at either of his GOP primary opponents, Gov. Nathan Deal or Dalton Mayor David Pennington.
But Barge has made education the centerpiece of his campaign and PAGE’s annual luncheon was the perfect vehicle for a non-political political speech.
“I want to celebrate you today,” Barge told teachers and school administrators during the luncheon, which was held at the Sloppy Floyd Building near the State Capitol.
Barge then read from what he described as a sort of poem in praise of educators, which he called “Here’s to the Teacher:”
“Here’s to the teacher rising at 4:00 a.m. to tend to the needs of her own family prior to leaving home for her school.
“Here’s to the teacher who arrives at school by 6:00 a.m. to ready her classroom for the day’s lesson.
“Here’s to the teacher who arrives at school an hour early every day to tutor students who are struggling to keep up the pace in the regular class — who receives no extra pay.
“Here’s to the lunchroom workers who arrived early to prepare breakfast for the majority of students in the school whose only meals that day will be the free breakfast and lunch they receive at school.
“Here’s to the kindergarten teacher who miraculously teaches 32 five-year-olds for seven hours a day without assistance because budget cuts eliminated her paraprofessional.”
The educators, an important part of the coalition Barge hopes to build as he campaigns for governor, chuckled and nodded in agreement as the superintendent spoke.
Afterward, several said Barge “gets” them, the work they do and their frustration of hearing criticism of the state’s K-12 public education system as inadequate.
“There’s no doubt he has a feel for what teachers deal with,” said Judy Teasley, a retired educator who taught in Columbia and Warren counties. “He pretty much shares the frustration.”
Heavenly Montgomery, an educator in Fulton County for 19 years, said she isn’t sure which candidate she’ll back in the governor race, but she said she’s narrowed her list to two: Barge and state Sen. Jason Carter, D-Decatur.
“As for Gov. Deal, I haven’t felt any support from him as a teacher,” Montgomery said. “I do feel support from Dr. Barge and Sen. Carter.”
About the Author
