Georgia Expanding Teacher Pathways

The Georgia Department of Education will invest in a package of programs and partnerships to improve the education workforce across all grade levels. Investments will expand educator pipeline opportunities by covering the costs of exam or certification fees, mentoring, alternative certification routes, and loan forgiveness. The agency will also seek to strengthen the educator pipeline by exploring strategies that include coaching, real-world classroom simulations, and recruitment/retention efforts in high-need education fields. A third initiative will develop a statewide teaching model that will allow retired educators, non-traditional teachers, and classroom teachers to provide virtual tutoring and mentoring across the state.

We are spotlighting this because Georgia is leveraging a comprehensive package of tools to address the needs of the education workforce and create pathways for more educators to enter the profession.

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Reviewer Analysis

TNTP

We are encouraged that the Georgia Dept of Education is utilizing funds that will support current teachers and provide pathways to develop and retain additional teachers. Prior to the pandemic, many districts struggled with hiring and retaining highly quality teachers due to the insurmountable odds many teachers believe they cannot overcome. Because we know that having a high-quality teacher is the single most important factor in student success, their focus and plan to strengthen the educator workforce appears to be heading in the right direction. - Dr. Tequilla Brownie

EdAlllies

This package of policy proposals is aimed at many of the obstacles that educators face throughout the lifecycle of a teacher. These programs are likely to make it easier to develop, recruit, support, and retain teachers into and throughout the profession. - Matt Shaver

Learning Heroes

We are at a historic teaching shortage and the problem is only getting worse. This comprehensive investment should be a top priority in every state right now. - Dr. Eyal Bergman

New Leaders

This is a multifaceted and comprehensive approach – its focus on mentoring and support for teachers is encouraging. Georgia might consider how similar structures could support school leadership pipelines and retention efforts.

Jocelyn Pickford

The focus on high-need fields is important. The comprehensive package is a smart approach. I hope they will include robust data collection to understand impact.

The George W. Bush Presidential Center

On its face, this seems like a good idea to reduce barriers to entry in the field. I would like to know when they tend to lose people from the profession in the state (is it after the first year? The second?). I would recommend that they specifically think about places where the pipeline leaks in addition to growing it at the front end.

Southern Regional Education Board

The coaching component of this plan according to research will have the greatest impact on teacher quality and retention. Will Georgia continue to provide new teachers with mentors beyond the federal funds?

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About the Author

Chad Aldeman is a nationally recognized expert on education policy, including school finance; teacher preparation, evaluation, and compensation; and state standards, assessment, and accountability. Keep up with Chad on the EduProgess: Unpacked blog.