Before signing his teacher pipeline legislation into law Tuesday at Kennesaw State University, Gov. Brian Kemp sent a message to teachers, educators and administrators that they are among the heroes who led the state through the pandemic over the last year. “We have talked a lot about heroes this past year, but I want you to know that it is not lost on me of your heroic efforts we have seen over the past year,” he said.
The signing of Senate Bill 88 and other education related bills was part of the state’s celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week. SB 88 was designed to recruit, retain, and equip educators throughout Georgia, and allows the State Teacher of the Year to serve as an ex-officio member of the State Board of Education. The bill was sponsored by Senator Russ Goodman (R-Cogdell) and carried in the House by Representative Dominic LaRiccia (R-Douglas).
“We spent a lot of time this legislative session on education related bills, and this year saw overwhelming passage of the first part of our teacher pipeline legislation,” said Kemp. “Next year we look forward to working with the members of the General Assembly on further steps to strengthen our schools, our classrooms, our teachers and our educators by allowing retired teachers to return to the classroom full time in certain high-needs areas.”
This legislation also encourages qualified veterans to teach and promotes educating as a career in Georgia’s historically black colleges and universities.
“By ensuring our leaders in the classroom have the tools, support, and training they need to succeed, Georgia will continue to provide a great education to students across our state,” said Kemp. “As the dad of a future educator, I understand how important it is to empower our teachers so they can invest in the next generation of Georgians, and that’s why I’m proud to sign SB 88 into law. In an unprecedented school year, I join all Georgians in thanking educators and school staff for going above and beyond to provide a quality education, nutrition, and learning resources to their students. By ensuring our leaders in the classroom have the tools, support, and training they need to succeed, Georgia will continue to provide a great education to students across our state.”
Kemp also pointed out the lawmakers worked to pass a budget this year that includes over $567 million in restored K-12 funding across the state.
“We also prioritized our teachers early in our vaccine rollout to ensure a quick return to full in-person learning. Today send a message that those brighter, more prosperous days ahead of us start with putting our students and our educators first.”
Kemp also signed SB 66 which combined the Innovation Fund Foundation and and Georgia Foundation for Public Education, “creating government efficiencies and reducing the size of government.”
