While other bills were drawing a lot of attention and media coverage during the 2019 legislative session, there was at least one education bill that passed quietly — but will have a major impact on students and school districts across the state. Senate Bill 108 now requires courses in computer science to be provided in middle and high schools through a phase-in process.
Under the new law that took effect July 1, all middle schools and high schools in Georgia will be required to offer Computer Science by the 2024-2025 school year. This gradual rollout is designed to give districts time to find and train computer science teachers. Apparently, that has been a challenge for school districts. State school officials said here are currently 250 credentialed computer science teachers – and 1,000 middle and high schools – in Georgia.
To help school districts address the gap, state officials announced last week that they are awarding grants to 34 school districts to help them build teacher capacity around computer science education. The grants provide funding for teachers to participate in professional learning opportunities, including credential programs.
“It was an honor to work alongside Senators P. K. Martin and Jack Hill and others to get this grant created and funded,” Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan said. “Providing valuable training opportunities for new computer science teachers is a very important priority for our state and my office. In order to reach our goal of being the technology capital of the East Coast, we will need a strong coding workforce. Thanks to the great work of Superintendent Woods and his team, this work can take shape and continue to grow.”
Each of the 34 districts is receiving up to $25,000, for a total of $744,381 awarded. Priority was given to districts serving highly impoverished and/or rural communities.
“Computer science learning is essential for all students – not just those who will ultimately pursue STEM careers,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “As school districts make the shift to offering computer science as a K-12 discipline, one of the most immediate needs is teacher capacity. These grant funds allow districts to invest in the talented teachers already in their building and provide the training needed to develop a CS skillset.
