A Senate Resolution encouraging reports and communication by state agencies about the education workforce attained final passage before the conclusion of the 2025 legislative session.
The Georgia Senate successfully adopted Senate Resolution 237, which urges the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and other state education departments to provide recommendations to “strengthen the K-12 education workforce.”
SR 237 by Senator Billy Hickman, a Republican from Statesboro, was approved in a vote of 53-0. The resolution is not a binding legislation and has no enforcement mechanism behind it, but instead urges state agencies to work together.
The named agencies include:
- The Professional Standards Commission
- The Georgia Department of Education
- The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning
- The Teachers Retirement System of Georgia
- The Office of Student Achievement
- The Technical College System of Georgia
- The Georgia Student Finance Commission
- The Office of Planning and Budget
Specifically, the agencies are asked to consider:
- Encouraging innovative programs to enter the early childhood and K-12 teaching profession, such as enhanced student teaching models, apprenticeship programs, and “tutors to teachers” pathways
- Collecting, reviewing, and providing data for the success of graduates employed in the teaching profession in Georgia from all teacher education programs, both in state and out of state, to include placement, effectiveness, and retention rates after one, three, five, and ten years;
- Exploring partnerships with postsecondary educational institutions and other stakeholders to support improvements to teacher education programs
- Improving public awareness of the benefits, including the Teacher Retirement System, and rewards of the teaching profession to attract a diverse and talented pool of candidates
- Focusing on teacher and school leader retention strategies, including building and expanding mentorship programs for new teachers and improving school leader professional development and other factors that contribute to teacher turnover
“Our state has long faced challenges in addressing teacher shortages in both early childhood and K-12 education,” said Sen. Hickman in a news release. “Strong partnerships between state and local education agencies, school systems, and educational institutions are key to overcoming these challenges. These programs will help attract a diverse pool of future educators, ensuring we can support and strengthen the education workforce through evidence-based strategies.”
The resolution asks that these recommendations, if completed, include information about mentorship programs, professional development, and working conditions to improve educator satisfaction and student outcomes. The report, if completed, must be turned in to the Governor and the Senate by December 1, 2025.
SR 237 can be found here.
