Georgia CommonsHR 1857: Education, Department of; increase teacher compensation and establish a salary structure indexed to the cost of living to ensure competitive, sustainable wages; urge
Last action March 27, 2026 · House Second Readers
A Georgia House resolution urges the Department of Education to raise teacher pay and tie the state's minimum salary schedule to the cost of living, without changing law itself.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Georgia currently sets a state-wide minimum salary schedule for teachers based on certification level and years of experience, but that schedule does not automatically adjust for inflation or regional cost-of-living changes. This resolution states the House of Representatives' position that the Georgia Department of Education should increase teacher compensation and build a salary structure indexed to the cost of living. The resolution asks the Department to develop and implement a framework that ties the minimum salary schedule for certificated educators to economic data such as inflation and regional conditions. As a resolution rather than a bill, it does not amend any Georgia statute or require any action; it directs the Clerk of the House to send copies to the Department of Education, the public, and the press.
What the bill does
- Expresses the House's position urging the Department of Education to raise teacher compensation statewide.
- Calls on the Department to build a framework indexing the minimum teacher salary schedule to cost-of-living data, including inflation and regional economic conditions.
- Directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the Department of Education, the public, and the press.
- Does not amend any Georgia statute, set a specific dollar amount, or require the Department to act within a deadline.
Who it affects
Georgia's public school teachers and certificated professional personnel, whose pay could eventually be affected, and the Georgia Department of Education, which is urged to design and adopt the new salary framework.
Why it matters
If the Department of Education acts on this resolution, teacher salaries could eventually rise and adjust automatically with living costs, addressing recruitment and retention concerns. But because it is a resolution, it carries no legal requirement and creates no funding or timeline for change.
Key provisions
- First resolving clause urges the Department of Education to increase teacher compensation and establish a cost-of-living indexed salary structure.
- Second resolving clause specifically asks the Department to develop and implement a framework indexing the minimum salary schedule to inflation and regional economic data.
- Final clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the Department, the public, and the press.
From the bill
“the members of this body urge the Georgia Department of Education to increase teacher compensation and establish a salary structure indexed to the cost of living to ensure competitive, sustainable wages for educators in this state”
“develop and implement a framework to index the minimum salary schedule for certificated educators to the cost of living, including inflation and regional economic conditions”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
- Mekyah McQueen (D, HD-061)
- Phil Olaleye (D, HD-059)
- Teddy Reese (D, HD-140)
- Jasmine Clark (D, HD-108)
Topics
- teacher pay
- education funding
- cost of living
- Georgia Department of Education