ATLANTA – State Representative Joseph Gullett (R-Dallas) recently created an email address, myschoolstory2020@gmail.com, for students and educators to report positive and negative experiences since returning to school for the 2020 fall semester.
“Instead of focusing solely on what is wrong, I want to give students, educators and parents the opportunity to express positive experiences that have resulted from returning to a traditional school setting,” said Rep. Gullett. “Discipline, personal encouragement, socialization and access to enrichment programs are all elements that traditional school settings foster. While these benefits can be gained through homeschooling and online classes as well, there are students in our community who simply need face-to-face learning to thrive.”
Rep. Gullett hopes that by soliciting stories of both good and bad experiences, he can identify the entirety of educational experiences amidst the threat of COVID-19.
“We are living in unprecedented times,” added Rep. Gullett. “That means making unprecedented decisions. In order to evaluate those decisions, we have to hear the positives, as well as the negatives. I am simply asking that those experiencing it firsthand share their thoughts. I became a legislator to make a difference. When I see a way to do something better or to be more useful, I’m going to step in and do what I can to help.”
In addition to collecting personal stories from students and educators, Rep. Gullett has been working with local educators and child protection officials to learn more about the critical role that schools play in reporting child abuse.
“The drop off in the number of reports since the beginning of the COVID-19 does not mean that child abuse has ended in our state,” added Rep. Gullett. “Rather, the sad truth is that the abuse is not being recognized and reported. We must never underestimate the importance of educators as mandated reporters.”
Those who are interested in sharing their personal experiences since returning to school can submit their thoughts and stories to Rep. Gullett at myschoolstory2020@gmail.com.
Representative Joseph Gullett represents the citizens of District 19, which includes portions of Paulding County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Governmental Affairs, Insurance and Juvenile Justice committees.
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