During the campaign, Searcy, a former state representative who supports school choice, touted her ability to work across the aisle. But with Republicans prevailing in other statewide races, her message apparently didn’t break through.

In the wake of recent results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress — showing flat performance in Georgia since 2019, but a sharp in eighth-grade math — Woods told ����Ӱ�� he plans to “stabilize and improve student academic performance as we move out of the pandemic” and to “bolster and support our teacher workforce.”

With Woods looking to hold onto his seat, the state education department would continue its shift away from Common Core standards, long associated with the Obama administration despite their origin in the states. Georgia is in the process of implementing new math and English language arts . Observers suggest it will also join other states in emphasizing evidence-based literacy instruction.

“I have seen some encouraging signs that literacy is emerging as a focus,” said Ken Zeff, executive director of Learn4Life, a nonprofit working to improve education in the metro Atlanta area. “That could help reverse not just the latest NAEP results, but generations of students struggling with literacy.”

During the campaign, Woods emphasized his efforts to reduce testing and teacher evaluation visits. He said Searcy’s lack of experience as a classroom teacher made her unprepared to lead the education department. 

Searcy criticized Woods’s support for a state law restricting how teachers can discuss some , which she said ties teachers’ hands and undermines their professionalism.

A charter schools supporter, Searcy served as superintendent of a small, all-girls charter network before leaving to work as an educational consultant. Her advocacy for school choice, however, lost her the endorsement of the Georgia Association of Educators, the state affiliate of the National Education Association.

The race was largely overshadowed by other high-profile match-ups on the ballot, namely former football star Herschel Walker’s bid to oust Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Stacey Abrams’s second attempt to defeat Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Kemp was re-elected with almost 54% of the vote, but the Walker/Warnock race is still too close to call.

The two-term incumbent’s support of a controversial that restricts what teachers can say about race and diversity in the classroom was apparently less worrisome to the union than the platform of Alisha Thomas Searcy, his Democratic challenger. 

“His opponent, regrettably, has a long history of advocating for taxpayer funding of private schools that we cannot overlook,” President Lisa Morgan said when announcing the union’s slate of candidates.

Searcy was elected to the state House at just 23 and consistently advocated for school choice legislation during her 12 years in office. She co-authored a law that allows students to transfer to other schools within their district, voted in favor of the state’s and championed a constitutional amendment creating the State Charter Schools Commission. Groups seeking to start a new charter school can apply directly to the commission instead of their local district. 

“It’s opening up opportunities within public education for literally hundreds of thousands of children,” Searcy said, noting that her views are likely to earn her some Republican votes. “I have a track record of working across the aisle and having bipartisan relationships.”

Woods also supports charter schools, but expanding choice has not been the focus of his campaign.

The match-up between Woods and Searcy is occuring in the shadows of two high-profile Georgia contests — between Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams, and the between Democratic incumbent Rev. Raphael Warnock and former football star Republican Herschel Walker. But with growing concerns over using federal relief funds to boost student achievement and supporting a beleaguered , the state’s schools face a critical moment. 

The candidates “don’t have traditional platforms that align with what you would expect,” said Mikayla Arciaga, a former Atlanta Public Schools teacher and education advocate. “This is a true test of voter education and whether people really weigh what is most important.”

Searcy won the primary with 57% of the vote, avoiding a runoff. She complained recently that Abrams and Democratic groups have shunned her, likely because of her focus on school choice. But she told ����Ӱ�� that she thinks those groups have since “changed course.”

“There may have been a problem with the establishment, not with voters,” she said. “I’m optimistic about being included on everything and moving forward.”

‘Can’t ride the middle’ 

Both Woods and Searcy have pledged to increase support for teachers. A former teacher and administrator, Woods has reduced the number of annual teacher evaluations and cut back on standardized testing. Now he’d like the federal government to only require testing every other year and for districts to pare down local assessments.

Woods also called for a report on teacher burnout — of recommendations for protecting teachers’ planning and teaching time, removing “unrealistic expectations” and increasing mental health support. Hailing from a county in central Georgia, Woods could appeal to rural voters who often from laws and policies dictated from Atlanta.

“He has done things that have helped, but you can’t unequivocally say he’s a champion for teachers,” Arciaga said. “He can’t ride the middle anymore.”

During a recent hosted by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education and Learn4Life, Searcy took a shot at Woods’s record on teachers, contrasting it with her own experience as a former superintendent of a small all-girls .

“I didn’t just listen and produce a report. I took action because that’s what strong superintendents do,” she said. She said she ensured teachers had enough classroom supplies, gave them $500 for training opportunities and held celebrations when teachers signed contracts to return the next year. During her tenure at Ivy Preparatory Academy, from 2015 to 2018, she said she increased teacher retention from 25% to 75%.

Searcy, who lost in a Democratic primary for state superintendent in 2014, argued that the incumbent hasn’t done enough to push for higher teacher pay. According to the National Education Association, for teachers in the state, $38,692, ranks 35th, and the average pay of $60,553 ranks 21st. 

Professional respect

The election also comes as the state implements a new “divisive concepts” law that many argue is vaguely worded and undermines teachers’ professionalism. Some have balked at adopting local policies that would allow parents or others to file complaints about a teacher’s comments. The school board in the DeKalb County district initially resisted for two months, but then reversed course, passing its policy . 

Searcy said she supports those districts’ positions on the issue and if she’s elected, would make sure the guidance for teachers is clear and protects them from consequences as long as they’re teaching state standards.

“Teachers are concerned the state doesn’t respect them as professionals to know what to teach and how to teach it,” she said.

A former history teacher, Woods told ����Ӱ�� there was nothing in the law “that would prevent me from being a great teacher.” But he said districts that don’t pass a complaint policy could risk their accreditation or status as “charter” districts immune from some state regulations.

For voters, the decision may come down to their experience. Woods said his 25 years in K-12 schools give him an advantage over Searcy, who has not been a teacher. 

But some of her supporters say it’s time for a fresh perspective.

“We need a leader who has experience in 21st century schools,” said Jason B. Allen, an educator who served on Ivy Prep’s board and ran unsuccessfully last year for the Atlanta school board. 

Ultimately, voters may make their decisions based on who they support for governor, said Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia. In that case, Democrats opposed to expanding school choice could be surprised if they choose Searcy, he said. 

He added that some of the dissatisfaction at local school board meetings over the past year hasn’t reached the state level enough to attract more interest in the superintendent’s race.
“Even if one of these candidates wins the lottery,” he said, “there’s so much noise over the Senate and gubernatorial contests, it’s hard to get people’s attention.”