Keeping Students Safe and Focused on Learning

Schools must be places where students feel safe, welcomed, and supported. They are not, and should never be, venues for immigration enforcement. When students fear being questioned, profiled, or targeted because of their background or family circumstances, learning suffers and attendance declines.

Educators are responsible for teaching and supporting students - not enforcing federal immigration policy. GAE must continue to advocate for clear policies that protect student privacy, prevent profiling, and ensure that every child can attend school without fear or intimidation. Students belong in classrooms, and schools function best when families trust that their children are safe while learning.

Fully Funding Georgia's Public Schools

Georgia's public schools cannot meet the needs of students without sustained and responsible investment. Chronic underfunding affects class size, student services, instructional resources, and educator workload. Promises to students and educators mean little without the funding necessary to support them.

GAE must continue to push for strong investment in public education so that every student - regardless of ZIP code - has access to high-quality instruction and every educator has the resources needed to do their job well.

Protecting Educators and the Profession

Educators enter the profession to serve students and communities, not to accumulate wealth. In return, they deserve professional respect, safe working conditions, fair compensation, and retirement security. Attacks on pensions and educator protections weaken the profession and make it harder to recruit and retain talented educators.

GAE must stand firm in defending educators and advocating for policies that strengthen, rather than undermine, the profession and the public schools we serve.

Strengthening Our Collective Voice

Georgia law currently prohibits collective bargaining for public employees. While this legal reality limits formal bargaining, it does not - and must not - silence the voices of educators.

GAE exists to ensure that educators are not isolated or ignored. Through collective advocacy, organized action, and strong local associations, educators can influence decisions that affect classrooms, schools, and communities. When educators speak together, policymakers listen.

As Vice President, I will work to strengthen our collective voice by supporting local associations, encouraging member engagement, and ensuring educators have meaningful opportunities to be heard at every level. Even without collective bargaining, unity and organization remain powerful tools.

Ending Overreliance on High-Stakes Testing

Assessments can provide useful information about student learning, but they were never designed to be the sole measure of a school's success or an educator's effectiveness. High-stakes testing systems ignore the many factors that influence student outcomes, including poverty, access to resources, and community conditions.

We must move away from test-and-punish models and toward policies that support students holistically. When schools are supported and communities are engaged, students are better positioned to succeed.

Daniel Sobczak

bringing experience from the past, leadership for the present, and vision for the future