Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Georgia to deploy 60 full-time literacy coaches in elementary schools statewide

In a move aimed at enhancing literacy outcomes in elementary schools across Georgia, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) has announced plans to place 60 full-time literacy coaches in elementary schools throughout the state. The initiative, unveiled today by State School Superintendent Richard Woods, targets the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools to bolster literacy education […]

Posted inGeorgia Politics

Georgia schools getting electric buses through federal grant

by Dave Williams | Jan 23, 2024 | Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA – Seven Georgia school districts will receive nearly $60 million in federal funding for new electric and low-emission buses. The Georgia grant is part of $1 billion going to school systems across the country to pay for clean buses. The money comes from the bipartisan infrastructure spending […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Superintendent Woods appoints leader to build statewide literacy coaching model

State School Superintendent Richard Woods has appointed Dr. J. Nicholas Philmon, a key figure in developing structured literacy practices in Marietta City Schools, to spearhead and develop a statewide literacy coaching model in Georgia. As the Structured Literacy Coaching Coordinator, Dr. Philmon, while retaining his position with Marietta City Schools, will collaborate with the Georgia […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp Mentions Education In State of The State Address

Today, Gov. Brian Kemp delivered his State of the State Address at the Georgia Capitol Museum. At the beginning of the address, Kemp promised to “put hard work and Georgians first,” fund priorities like education, public safety, and healthcare, and keep the government “efficient, responsible, and accountable.” During the address, Kemp mentioned the Georgia Match […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education, Georgia House, Georgia State

We’re hiring! Seeking a veteran reporter for state reporting

ABOUT THE ROLE Education in Atlanta is seeking a government reporter who has range and can follow the beat to all things happening at the state capital that directly (and indirectly) impact education. This job is great for someone who likes to dig beyond the headlines, seeking documents and data to evaluate education programs and […]

Posted inAtlanta Public Schools

State Superintendent: Baffled by Atlanta Public Schools keeping state retention bonuses

This holiday season, many public school teachers in Georgia are celebrating Gov. Brian Kemp giving all state employees a $1,000 retention bonus, including teachers. However, Education in Atlanta has learned that there is confusion on whether teachers in Atlanta Public Schools will receive the additional compensation. On Monday, Governor Kemp announced educators would be given […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Gov. Kemp announces $1000 bonus for all state employees

Gov. Kemp announces bonuses for every state employee, including public school teachers; each k-12 educator will receive a $1000 bonus that will appear on a paycheck this month. During a news conference, Gov. Brian Kemp announced this morning where Speaker Burns, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Matt Hatchett, and Senator Bo Hatchett joined him.  “We are […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Georgia Council on Literacy tackling tough challenge head-on

by Dave Williams  | Capitol Beat News Service KENNESAW – Georgia’s low literacy rate can be fixed despite the dismal statistics currently plaguing educators, the head of a council of state legislators, literacy experts, teachers, and school district officials said Tuesday. “We will not shrink back from our mission,” Scott Johnson, chairman of the Georgia Council on Literacy, […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Governor Kemp’s GEORGIA MATCH Initiative to Send 120,000 High School Seniors College Admission Letters

Next week, more than 120,000 high school seniors in Georgia will receive personalized letters from Governor Kemp. These letters will list the public technical institutions, colleges, and universities in the state that are reserving spots for them in the Fall 2024 semester based on their academic eligibility. This initiative, known as GEORGIA MATCH, is a […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Georgia schools show gains in early literacy for 2022-2023 Milestone Assessments

Last week the Georgia Department of Education released scores from the 2022-2023 Milestones Assessments, and there seems to be early gains in early literacy across the state. The 3rd Grade Georgia Milestones Assessment measures how well 3rd-grade students have learned knowledge and skills in the core areas of language arts and mathematics. The third grade […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

State Board of Education considers change to minimum percentage requirement for End of Course Assessments

The State Board of Education meetings held on June 14th and 15th heard two rule changes that will impact students in grades K-12 this upcoming school year. The first rule was focused on waiving the promotion, placements, and retention rule for the Georgia Milestones Math Assessments for students in grades 5 and 8. The second rule […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Georgia dropping ‘woke’ words from teacher preparation rules

by Dave Williams | Jun 8, 2023 | Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA – The Georgia Professional Standards Commission voted unanimously Thursday to delete “woke” words, including “equity” and “inclusion,” from the state’s teacher preparation rules. Along with “diversity,” a word the commission voted last month to delete from the preparation standards, the changes were requested by the University System […]

Posted inGeorgia Politics

Professional Standards Commission dumping ‘diversity’ from teacher preparation rules

by Dave Williams | May 11, 2023 | Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA – The Georgia Professional Standards Commission voted unanimously Thursday to remove the word “diversity” from the state’s educator preparation rules despite an outpouring of opposition. The request to delete diversity and several other words came from the University System of Georgia, which was seeking to clarify expectations […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Georgia Professional Standards Commission set to vote on removing diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements from educator training

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) is scheduled to vote on May 11, 2023, to remove language for diversity, equity, and inclusion language from requirements for educator training. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)  was established in 1991 to assume full responsibility for the preparation, certification, and professional conduct of certified personnel employed in Georgia […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

The science of reading undergirds Georgia’s new literacy-education laws 

by Rebecca Grapevine | Apr 21, 2023 | Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA – Georgia is gearing up to implement a new approach to teaching reading in the early grades.   Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed into law two literacy bills passed during this year’s legislative session.   About 36% of Georgia third graders read below grade level, according to the state’s 2022 Milestones test results, […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Georgia class of 2022 ranked 15th in nation for Advanced Placement pass rates

by Rebecca Grapevine | Apr 5, 2023 | Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA – More than one-fifth of Georgia’s public high school graduates earned passing scores on at least one Advanced Placement examination, putting the state in 15th place nationally, according to new data out this week.   The AP program allows students to take college-equivalent courses while still in high school. Each course […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Georgia House Education Policy Subcommittee passes $6,000+ voucher bill

The Georgia House of Representatives Education Policy Subcommittee voted to pass SB 233, also known as “The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act,” in an Education Policy Subcommittee Meeting.  According to Senator and author of the bill Greg Dolezal, this bill will give students and parents more options regarding where they receive their education.  “What this bill […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

Several metro schools districts receive Opportunity Grants from GaDOE

Georgia Department of Education announced its second series of Opportunity grants aimed at expanding options and opportunities for students in Georgia. These grants will support more programming in fine arts, health, physical education, world languages, and summer bridge programs for rural school districts. This second round of funding totaling $1,820,804 is made possible through federal […]

Posted inGeorgia Department of Education

State Senate announces findings from Study Committee on Excellence, Innovation, and Technology at Historically Black Colleges and Universities 

On Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, Sen. Sonya Halpern (D – Atlanta), held a press conference with members of the General Assembly and stakeholders from Georgia’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, to announce the findings and recommendations of the Senate Study Committee on Excellence, Innovation, and Technology at HBCUs. Halpern spearheaded the effort, which […]