---
title: SB 300. "Student Teacher Promotion Act"; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb300
cite_as: SB 300, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb300
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb300.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb300/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70945
date: 2025-02-28
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12
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.
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb300.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 300
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-02-27
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- Emanuel Jones
- Gail Davenport
- Tonya Anderson
- Donzella James
- Randal Mangham
- RaShaun Kemp
- Nan Orrock
- Ed Harbison
- Sheikh Rahman
- Freddie Sims
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB300/2025
upstream_id: 1987857
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- teacher recruitment
- student teaching
- education funding
- K-12 schools
- Georgia teacher pipeline
---
# SB 300. "Student Teacher Promotion Act"; enact
## Text
Senate Bill 300
By: Senators Jones of the 10th, Davenport of the 17th, Anderson of the 43rd, James of the
28th, Mangham of the 55th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 9 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to grants for educational programs, so as to establish a program to
support recruitment of teachers by providing grant funds to be paid by public schools to
student teachers participating in the required student teaching component of their teacher
education programs; to provide for applications for grants; to provide for maximum
payments; to require the State Board of Education to establish rules and regulations to
implement the program; to provide for definitions; to provide for a short title; to provide for
related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Student Teacher Promotion Act."
SECTION 2.
Part 9 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to grants for educational programs, is amended by revising Code Section 20-2-252,
which is reserved, as follows:
"20-2-252.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'student teacher' means a college or university
student in a teacher education program approved by the Professional Standards
Commission in an institution of the University System of Georgia or in a private
postsecondary institution who, as part of such teacher education program, is engaged in
student teaching.
(b)(1) The State Board of Education shall provide public schools and local school
systems with grants, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and pursuant to
applications made by such public schools and local school systems. A student teacher
who is assigned to a school that has not applied for a grant shall be permitted to apply for
grant funds directly with the State Board of Education. The purpose of such grants shall
be to support recruitment of teachers by providing grant funds to be paid by such public
schools and local school systems to student teachers who participate in the student
teaching component of their teacher education program with such public school or local
school system.
(2) The total amount of such grant funds paid to each student teacher shall not exceed
$7,500.00. The public schools or local school systems receiving such grants from the
State Board of Education may expend grant funds only for purposes of providing for the
payment of grant funds to student teachers who are actively engaged and in good standing
in the student teaching component of their teacher education program with such public
school or local school system. Public schools and local school systems shall be
authorized to make payments of grant funds to such student teachers in installments
during the student teaching component of their teacher education programs.
(c)(1) The State Board of Education, in consultation with public schools and local school
systems, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and the Professional
Standards Commission, shall establish rules and regulations to implement the provisions
of this Code section.
(2) The State Board of Education shall be authorized to establish reporting requirements
on the public schools and local school systems participating in the grant program.
(d) The Department of Education shall develop and publish on its public website an
application process and seek applications from public schools and local school systems for
the grant program no later than September 1, 2025. Reserved."
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia Senate bill would create a state grant program paying up to $7,500 to college students doing their required student teaching, funded through public schools and local school systems.
### Plain-language summary
Student teachers in Georgia currently do their required classroom training, often called student teaching, without pay from the schools where they train. This bill, called the Student Teacher Promotion Act, would set up a grant program run by the State Board of Education to change that.
Public schools and local school systems could apply to the State Board of Education for grant funds, which they would then pay out to student teachers working with them. A student teacher whose school has not applied could apply directly to the State Board for funds. Total payments to any one student teacher could not exceed $7,500, and schools could pay the money in installments during the training period. The State Board would write rules to run the program, and the Department of Education would have to publish an application process by September 1, 2025.
### What it does
- Creates a new grant program letting public schools and local school systems apply to the State Board of Education for money to pay student teachers.
- Caps total grant payments to any single student teacher at $7,500 during their student teaching component.
- Allows a student teacher to apply directly to the State Board of Education if their assigned school has not applied for a grant.
- Lets schools and school systems pay grant funds to student teachers in installments rather than a single lump sum.
- Requires the State Board of Education to write rules and regulations, in consultation with the Board of Regents and the Professional Standards Commission, to run the program.
- Requires the Department of Education to publish an application process on its website by September 1, 2025.
### Who it affects
College and university students completing student teaching in teacher education programs approved by the Professional Standards Commission, public schools and local school systems that may apply for and distribute grant funds, and the State Board of Education and Department of Education, which would run the program.
### Why it matters
Student teaching is typically unpaid, which can make it financially difficult for aspiring teachers to complete their training. This bill would give schools a way to pay student teachers up to $7,500, potentially easing that financial burden and supporting teacher recruitment, though funding depends on future legislative appropriations.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 names the bill the 'Student Teacher Promotion Act.'
- Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. ยง 20-2-252 to define 'student teacher' as a college or university student in an approved teacher education program engaged in student teaching.
- Section 2 directs the State Board of Education to provide grants to public schools and local school systems, subject to money being appropriated by the General Assembly.
- Section 2 sets the maximum grant payment per student teacher at $7,500.00 and allows payment in installments.
- Section 2 requires the State Board of Education to set rules and reporting requirements for participating schools and systems.
- Section 2 requires the Department of Education to publish an application process and seek applications by September 1, 2025.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-02-27)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-02-28)
- Sponsors: Emanuel Jones, Gail Davenport, Tonya Anderson, Donzella James, Randal Mangham, RaShaun Kemp, Nan Orrock, Ed Harbison, Sheikh Rahman, Freddie Sims
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70945
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb300.md?full=1