--- title: HR 870. Thomas, Jade; one of 10 finalists for the 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr870 cite_as: HR 870, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr870 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr870.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr870/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71903 date: 2025-03-31 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr869.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr871.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr870.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 870 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-31 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Bethany Ballard - Noel Williams - Shaw Blackmon - Anissa Jones - Robert Dickey text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR870/2025 upstream_id: 2017667 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - teacher recognition - Georgia Teacher of the Year - education honors - Lake Joy Elementary School --- # HR 870. Thomas, Jade; one of 10 finalists for the 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year; commend ## Text 25 LC 129 0444 House Resolution 870 By: Representatives Ballard of the 147th, Williams of the 148th, Blackmon of the 146th, Jones of the 143rd, and Dickey of the 134th A RESOLUTION Commending Jade Thomas, one of 10 finalists for the 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year; and1 for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, a proper quality education for the young people of this state is the single most3 important objective of the General Assembly; and4 WHEREAS, nothing is more vital to the future of our state than the education of our young5 people, and Jade Thomas exemplifies the selfless dedication that is characteristic of our finest6 teachers; and7 WHEREAS, Jade Thomas is a highly praised Fourth grade English language arts and social8 studies teacher at Lake Joy Elementary School, tirelessly directing an extraordinary amount9 of time and talent toward guiding students to a brighter future; and10 WHEREAS, Jade Thomas has earned distinction and numerous awards for teaching11 excellence as a result of her dedication to her students and he r profession and has been12 honored as one of 10 finalists for the 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year; and13 H. R. 870 - 1 - 25 LC 129 0444 WHEREAS, she served as a guardian of this nation's freedom and liberty with the United14 States Marine Corps, valiantly and courageously protecting her fellow Americans; her15 military experiences led her to become a co-founder of the school's Military Kids Club; and 16 WHEREAS, in recognition of such remarkable contributions to the education and welfare17 of Georgia's students, it is abundantly fitting and proper for this body to honor the18 extraordinary accomplishments and academic achievements of this outstanding educator.19 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that20 the members of this body commend Jade Thomas, one of 10 finalists for the 2026 Georgia21 Teacher of the Year, and express their most sincere best wishes for continued success.22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized23 and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Jade24 Thomas.25 H. R. 870 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A House resolution formally commends Jade Thomas, a Lake Joy Elementary School teacher, for being named one of 10 finalists for the 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, not a law that changes any statute. It honors Jade Thomas, a fourth grade English language arts and social studies teacher at Lake Joy Elementary School, for being selected as one of 10 finalists for the 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year award. The resolution's text describes her teaching record, her military service in the United States Marine Corps, and her role as co-founder of her school's Military Kids Club. It directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare an official copy of the resolution for delivery to Thomas as a keepsake recognizing the honor. ### What it does - Formally commends Jade Thomas for being named one of 10 finalists for the 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year. - States the House of Representatives' recognition of her teaching record and her prior military service in the United States Marine Corps. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute an official copy of the resolution to Jade Thomas. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement, since it is a ceremonial resolution rather than a bill amending Georgia statutes. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Jade Thomas, a teacher at Lake Joy Elementary School, and by extension recognizes her students and colleagues at that school. It has no broader legal effect on other teachers, schools, or Georgia residents. ### Why it matters The resolution carries symbolic rather than legal weight. It gives Jade Thomas and Lake Joy Elementary School formal recognition from the Georgia House of Representatives, but it does not change funding, policy, or requirements for teachers or schools statewide. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe Jade Thomas's role as a fourth grade English language arts and social studies teacher and her recognition as a 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year finalist. - The whereas clauses also note her service in the United States Marine Corps and her co-founding of the school's Military Kids Club. - The resolving clause has the House of Representatives commend Thomas and wish her continued success. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to provide her with an official copy of the resolution. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-31) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-31) - Sponsors: Bethany Ballard, Noel Williams, Shaw Blackmon, Anissa Jones, Robert Dickey - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71903 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr870.md?full=1