A curated list of helpful links prepared by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators Legal department Helpful Links Certification and Ethics Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GPSC): Certification, Educator Preparation, Educator Assessment and Ethics State Board of Education Rules and Regulations State Board of Education Rules (All) Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) Leader Keys Effectiveness System (LKES) Teacher Salary Schedules Class Size Rule Awarding Experience for Salary Purposes Social Security and Retirem ent Teachers Retirement System of Georgia Information for Government Employees Windfall Elimination Provision Fact Sheet Retirement Planner — Windfall Elimination Provision Government Pension Offset Fact Sheet Retirement Planner — Government Pension Offset TRS Retirement Planner State Health Benefit Plan State Health Benefit Plan

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2024 STAR Region Winners STAR Region 1 Grayson Sneed STAR STUDENT Mr. Billy Singletary STAR TEACHER Whitfield County Coahulla Creek High School Kiwanis Club of Dalton STAR Region 3A Pranaya Balaji STAR STUDENT Mr. Joe League STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Andrew David Fang STAR STUDENT Mr. Doug Wolfe STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Omer Mustafa Inan STAR STUDENT Mrs. Tamara Hollingsworth STAR TEACHER Cobb County George Walton High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Parv Mahajan STAR STUDENT Ms. Julia Rachkovskiy STAR TEACHER Gwinnett County Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Partnership Gwinnett STAR Region 3A Kinley Michelle Sikes STAR STUDENT Mr. Jason Hardin STAR TEACHER Cherokee County Creekview High School Canton Lions Club STAR Region 3A Jillian Vacha STAR STUDENT Mrs. Andrea Boyce STAR TEACHER Gwinnett County North Gwinnett High School Partnership Gwinnett STAR Region 3A Henry Yu STAR STUDENT Mr. Kent Ames STAR TEACHER Forsyth County South Forsyth High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3B Rush William Maples STAR STUDENT Ms. Christie Leanza STAR TEACHER Fayette County Starr's Mill High School Kiwanis Club of Fayette County STAR Region 5 Raymond Yao STAR STUDENT Mrs. Storie Atkins STAR TEACHER Muscogee County Columbus High School Rotary Club of Columbus STAR Region 6 William Steinfeld STAR STUDENT Mrs. Alisha Rochon STAR TEACHER Baldwin County Georgia Military College High School Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 8 Emiline Wayde Baxter STAR STUDENT Mr. AJ Goldman STAR TEACHER Chatham County Savannah Country Day School Kiwanis Club of Savannah STAR Region 9 Evan Jacob Ariail STAR STUDENT Mr. Charles Gammel STAR TEACHER Thomasville City Thomasville High School Kiwanis Club of Thomasville STAR Region 11 Cody Bryan Page STAR STUDENT Mr. Jess Coleman STAR TEACHER Ware County Ware County High School Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 2 Yumeng He STAR STUDENT Mrs. Nicole Ager STAR TEACHER Rabun County Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School Rabun County Chamber of Commerce / Forward Rabun, Inc. STAR Region 3A Katherine Taylor Carter STAR STUDENT Ms. Alissa Jean STAR TEACHER Cobb County Wheeler High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Sebastian Flores STAR STUDENT Ms. Caitlen Stovall STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Denmark High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Gordon Lichtstein STAR STUDENT Mr. Henry Tsay STAR TEACHER Decatur City Decatur High School Decatur Rotary Club STAR Region 3A Kyan Nguyen STAR STUDENT Mr. Paul Chance STAR TEACHER Cobb County Wheeler High School Metro Marietta Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Alexander Thomas STAR STUDENT Mr. Brad Davis STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Alliance Academy for Innovation Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 3A Jillian Sara Yoder STAR STUDENT Mr. Elliott Reid STAR TEACHER Atlanta City North Atlanta High School Kiwanis Club of Atlanta, Inc. STAR Region 3A Hudson Zhou STAR STUDENT Ms. Saru Bhardwaj STAR TEACHER Forsyth County Lambert High School Cumming Kiwanis Club STAR Region 4 John Nesbit STAR STUDENT Mr. Jake Forrester STAR TEACHER Oconee County Oconee County High School Oconee County Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 6 Shiva Kevin Soundappan STAR STUDENT Mr. Daryl Leslie STAR TEACHER Houston County Houston County High School Perry Area Chamber of Commerce STAR Region 7 Samuel Joseph Hobbs STAR STUDENT Mr. Steven Hahn STAR TEACHER Columbia County Evans High School Harlem Woman's Club STAR Region 8 Eli Compton STAR STUDENT Mrs. Ashley Thompson STAR TEACHER Bulloch County Statesboro High School Bulloch County Foundation STAR Region 10 James Lanford Scott STAR STUDENT Mr. Jonathan Payne STAR TEACHER Lowndes County Lowndes High School Azalea City Civic Club

< Back to GAD Home Georgia Academic Decathlon Speech Competition FAQs Decathlete Questions Q: I've never given a speech. Where do I start? A: The best place to start is at the beginning: choosing a speech topic. It is up to you as a decathlete to select a speech topic and make sure you pick a topic that interests you and about which you enjoy speaking. When you choose your topic, research it well so that, if necessary, you can speak on the topic at will with no memorization necessary. Q: What are some resources for me when developing my speech? A: Try Toastmasters International where they have free online resources for you to use or you could join a local Toastmasters club where you can meet and talk to people who give speeches for a living or who want to improve their speechmaking skills. Another resource is your pastor/priest/rabbi/imam who has to give a speech every week. You can also talk to your school's theater/drama teacher who will tell you that giving a speech is a bit like putting on a play. YouTube is a great place to call up famous speeches and watch them whenever you can. Q: How do I practice my speech? A: One of the best places to practice your speech is to give it to anyone and everyone who will listen. Have your parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and relatives listen to your speech and score it for you. Have one of them record your speech so that you can watch it. Constant practice is your best friend. Q: What about impromptu speeches? I've heard those are really hard! A: Impromptu speeches are only difficult if you've never given them before. Successful impromptu speaking is easy if you: 1) Practice, practice, practice! and 2) If you know the subject matter well. Typically, competition impromptu topics range from current events and decathlon subjects to how you feel about personal topics. Q: How can I practice impromptu speaking? A: Whenever you practice your prepared speech, have those same people give you impromptu topics on which to speak. Also, watch any current political debates. Those are a perfect examples of impromptu speaking. Q: To whom will I be giving my speeches during state competition? A: You will be speaking in front of two or three volunteer adult judges. These judges come from all walks of life and ages. You may have a judge who is a college student, one who is a private sector professional, and one who is a retiree. Also in the room will be a timing judge, a student who has volunteered their time and whose sole job that night is to keep track of the timing of your speeches. Now, of course, if your prepared speech wins the top score at the state competition, you may be giving your speech at the awards banquet. Won't that be amazing? Q: I'm really nervous about speaking to strangers. A: Don't worry at all about giving your speech to the judges. Believe me when I say that they are just as nervous as you are and, if given the chance, they would hand everyone a medal who walks through their doors. Do your best, that's all they ask, and you best will be incredible with lots of practice. Coach Questions Q: I know the prepared speech topics are open to the choice of the decathletes, but what if there's one topic a decathlete has chosen that I really dislike? A: Give your decathlete a chance to develop the topic they've chosen, while choosing a second topic as a backup. Unless the topic is extremely offensive or derisive, your decathlete may surprise you with the topic they've chosen. Q: How can I encourage my decathletes to practice their speeches? A: Make sure they practice their speech, in front of you, at least once a week. Feel free to pull in other teachers from the school to give your decathletes a fresh opinion and perspective. You can even have those teachers score the decathletes speeches. If you have a set time each week, then you know they're at least practicing that much. Encourage them to practice in front of their parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends. Invite someone from your local Toastmasters club to speak to the decathletes and offer assistance. Q: How can I encourage my decathletes to practice and develop their impromptu speaking skills? A: The USAD organization has a book of impromptu speech topics from past competitions you can use for decathlete practice. I encourage you to purchase this book (or find another coach who can let you borrow theirs), make copies of the pages, and cut up the impromptu topics into strips and put them in a basket. Have the students pick a topic out of the basket and give a speech, just like they would at competition. Again, do this once a week in lieu of prepared speech practice and I think your decathletes will be well-prepared. Judge Questions Q: I don't think I'm qualified to judge speeches. I mean, I don't give speeches so how can I properly judge them? A: If you have a desire to get to know more about young people today and don't mind volunteering several hours on a Friday evening to listen to said young people, then you are very qualified to judge the speech portion of the GAD competition. Don't worry about being thrown in the fire. You'll attend a workshop, before the speech competition begins, where you'll learn how to judge the decathletes' speeches. Q: What if all the speeches are about Lady Gaga or Facebook or things I just don't understand or enjoy? I'm rather out of touch with today's youth. A: Trust me, if there are any speeches about Lady Gaga or Facebook or anything else this current generation of young people holds dear, you will be enthralled and a fan before the night is over. These young decathletes are passionate about many things and will speak about many topics, not just current pop music. They may speak about their futures, their heroes, or how they deal with bullying. You'll be pleasantly surprised. RETURN TO GEORGIA ACADEMIC DECATHLON HOME Back to Top CONTACT: Michelle Crawford GAD State Director mcrawford@pageinc.org 404-414-3041

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Serving members in Atkinson, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Cook, Echols, Glynn, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Valdosta City, and Ware < Back Joy Robinson Membership Services Representative jrobinson@pageinc.org Following a 15-year career as a Georgia elementary school teacher, Joy joined PAGE staff in 2022 as an MSR serving educators in the southcentral and southwest areas of the state. Originally from New York, Joy moved to South Georgia after high school and graduated from Valdosta State University. A previous member of the PAGE Board of Directors, she has participated in several PAGE professional learning initiatives, and is currently a PAGE coach. Joy is committed to building relationships and supporting teachers throughout her region.

Join PAGE, renew membership, and update membership information. MEMBERSHIP PORTAL KEEP YOUR INF ORMATION CURRENT WITH PAGE ACCESS THE MEMBERSHIP PORTAL Ensure that Your Membership Remains Current If you transfer from a school system where you are on payroll deduction, you’ll need to provide PAGE with this new information in order to maintain membership and prevent a lapse in coverage and benefits. Stay In-the-Know by Keeping Your Contact Information Updated Review your contact information, updating if needed, to ensure accuracy. Providing a personal email rather than a work email address is preferred as some school system filters will prevent receipt of messages. Change from Student Membership to Professional When transitioning from student to teacher, ensure continued coverage by also transitioning your membership to professional. And you’ll receive your first year at half price!

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Scholarship Recipients PAGE Foundation Scholarships Scholarship Recipients 2026 PAGE Foundation Scholarship Recipients PAGE Professional Scholarships Catalina Betts EIP/ESOL Teacher Indian Knoll Elementary School, Cherokee County Schools Attending Walden University Pursuing Ed.D. in Early Childhood Education Stephanie Fairchild 4th-grade Teacher Jackson Elementary School, Gwinnett County Schools Attending Kennesaw State University Pursuing M.Ed. in Special Education Cassidy Gaines Attending University of Georgia Pursuing M.Ed. in Instructional Technology Melissa Latsch Kindergarten Teacher MW Holt Elementary School, Gwinnett County Schools Attending Emmanuel University Pursuing M.Ed. in Elementary Education Crystal Parten Georgia Regional Literacy Specialist, CSRA RESA Attending University of West Alabama Pursuing Ed.D. in Rural Education: Organizational Change and Leadership Juan Redwine 8th-grade Physical Science Teacher Carrollton Middle School, Carrollton City Schools Attending Kennesaw State University Pursuing Ed.S. in Secondary & Middle Grades Education Kelly Starkey Teacher Colquitt County Achievement Center Attending Valdosta State University Pursuing Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership/Educational Leadership I Betsy Walker Math Teacher South Paulding High School Attending University of West Georgia Pursuing Ed.S. in Secondary Education & Teaching Erika Walker Teacher Westlake High School, Fulton County Schools Attending University of North Carolina-Greensboro Pursuing Ed.D. in Kinesiology PAGE Jack Christmas Scholarship Tiffany Asafo-Adjei Early Intervention Teacher Graves Elementary School, Gwinnett County Schools Attending Brenau University Pursuing Ed.D. in Elementary Education PAGE Charles "Coach" Cooper Scholarship Laura Bender Teacher Lambert High School, Forsyth County Schools Attending Augusta University Pursuing M.Ed. in Secondary Education - Physics PAGE DeKalb Scholarship Dr. Lydia Atubeh Visual Arts Teacher DeKalb Early College Academy Attending Georgia State University Pursuing Add-on Certification Tier 1 Ed Leadership PAGE H.M. & Norma Fulbright Scholarship Elizabeth Ngo Teacher Stallings Island Middle School, Columbia County Schools Attending Georgia College & State University Pursuing M.Ed. in Instructional Technology PAGE Dr. Allene Magill Scholarship Courtney Reese Paraprofessional Blakeney Elementary School, Burke County Schools Attending Grand Canyon University Elementary and Special Education Major PAGE Support Personnel Scholarship Alyssa Madrie Kindergarten Paraprofessional Joseph H Huie Elementary School, Clayton County Schools Attending University of West Georgia Elementary Education Major PAGE S. Marvin Griffin Scholarships Autumn Dailey Attending Georgia College & State University Elementary Education Major PAGE Undergraduate Scholarship Addie Orr Attending Berry College Elementary Education Major with a minor in Teaching English as a Foreign Language PAGE Dr. Alton Crews Future Georgia Educators Scholarship Faith Ryan Bradwell Institute graduate Attending University of Georgia Return to Scholarships Home

Daerzio Harris is the President of the Board of Directors of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. PAGE President Amy Carter Amy Carter has been a Georgia educator for over 25 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social science education; a master’s degree in early childhood education; and an education specialist degree in reading, children’s literature, and language arts (all from the University of Georgia). Most of her career has been in Morgan County teaching middle school social studies. She also spent three years at Jasper County High School in the social studies department. Currently, she serves as the reading interventionist at Morgan County Middle School, a position that allows her to work with teachers and provide support across various tiers of intervention. Amy is passionate about civic education. She enjoys incorporating children’s literature into the curriculum and connecting the local community to educational experiences.

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