Bills aimed at attracting and retaining educators in Georgia

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Teachers across the nation and here in Georgia are reporting burnout. 82 percent of Georgia schools are short on teachers according to the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. Meanwhile, 20 percent want to leave the profession within the next five years.

Lawmakers are making it clear that education is a priority for them. The Governor announced his plan will include $2,000 raises for teachers.

Lisa Morgan, Director for The Georgia Association of Educators said the raise may help with the teacher shortage, but a bill in the statehouse right now could address one of the top reasons that teachers are leaving- teacher evaluations.

House Bill 457 would remove developmental ratings from mandated teacher evaluations.

“If a teacher gets two “needs developments” within a five-year period, they lose their career. and that doesn’t mean they’re unqualified, just inconsistent with their practice,” said Morgan.

There are several bills this session aimed at attracting and keeping educators here, but also teaching support staff. Senate Bill 105 includes additional retirement benefits for support staff like bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and custodians.

“The average employee when they retire is getting $290 a month for their pension, which is horrific,” said Morgan.

There’s another bill out of Colorado, that has Georgia’s attention. It would create reciprocity between Georgia and several other states so teachers could travel between states and get rid of waiting periods, licensing fees, and expensive exams.