Georgia CommonsSenate · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
SR 237: Professional Standards Commission; provide recommendations to support the state's K-12 education workforce and teacher and school leader pipeline; urge
Last action April 2, 2025 · Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute
A Georgia Senate resolution urges the Professional Standards Commission to work with several state education agencies and develop recommendations for strengthening the state's K-12 teacher and school leader workforce by December 1, 2025.
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 Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia lawmakers have identified ongoing teacher shortages and difficulty retaining experienced educators as problems facing the state's K-12 schools. This resolution does not create new law or funding. Instead, it urges the Professional Standards Commission, the body that oversees educator certification in Georgia, to lead a collaborative effort with the Department of Education, the Department of Early Care and Learning, the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia, the Office of Student Achievement, the University System of Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia, and the Georgia Student Finance Commission. The resolution asks these groups to study issues like innovative pathways into teaching, tracking graduate outcomes from teacher education programs, partnerships to fund student teachers, public awareness of teaching as a career, and mentorship and retention strategies. It sets a deadline of December 1, 2025 for the Commission to report recommendations to the Senate, and a separate timeline set by the Office of Planning and Budget for reporting to the Governor.
What the bill does
- Urges the Professional Standards Commission to lead a collaborative study with multiple state education agencies on the K-12 teacher and school leader pipeline.
- Directs that recommendations address innovative entry pathways into teaching, such as apprenticeship programs and 'tutors to teachers' models.
- Calls for data collection on teacher education program graduates, including placement, effectiveness, and retention rates after one, three, five, and ten years.
- Asks for exploration of funding to compensate student teachers and whether to reinstate HOPE scholarship access to support the teacher workforce.
- Sets a deadline of December 1, 2025 for the Commission to submit recommendations, along with any proposed legislation or budget changes, to the Senate.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the named agencies.
Who it affects
The Professional Standards Commission, the Department of Education, the Department of Early Care and Learning, the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia, the Office of Student Achievement, the University System of Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia, and the Georgia Student Finance Commission, along with current and prospective K-12 teachers and school leaders in Georgia.
Why it matters
If the named agencies act on this resolution, Georgians could eventually see new teacher pathways, mentorship programs, or funding proposals aimed at easing teacher shortages. Because it is a resolution rather than binding law, it creates no immediate legal requirements or funding on its own.
Key provisions
- Paragraph (1) urges the Professional Standards Commission to lead the collaborative effort with the listed agencies and education associations.
- Paragraph (2) lists five priority areas the recommendations should address, including innovative teaching pathways, graduate outcome data, funding partnerships, public awareness, and retention strategies.
- Paragraph (3) calls for the recommendations to emphasize data evaluation and evidence based practices.
- Paragraph (4) sets the reporting deadlines: to the Governor per an Office of Planning and Budget timeline, and to the Senate by December 1, 2025.
- The final resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies to the involved agencies.
From the bill
“the state is experiencing challenges in addressing teacher shortages and retaining experienced educators in the early childhood and K-12 education workforce”
“The Professional Standards Commission should submit such recommendations to the Governor according to a time frame determined by the Office of Planning and Budget, and to the Senate no later than December 1, 2025”
Discussed in meetings (1)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
Senate Education and Youth Committee, February 10, 2026
From 0:24:01 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The chair introduced a workforce report requested through SR 237. A Professional Standards Commission representative said roughly 70 to 80 participants from 18 entities developed the plan. The representative reported 5,358 teacher vacancies in the latest December survey, with every district responding. Recommendations included apprenticeships, transferable course credits, financial help for student teaching, stronger recruitment, protected planning time, leadership support and shared data. The representative also suggested studying an additional salary step beyond 21 years of experience. One member asked about credit transfers between technical colleges and universities. The representative said the goal was to recognize education coursework already completed, including high school courses. That member also asked whether high school phone restrictions could improve retention. The representative said classroom phone enforcement frustrates teachers and described a school restriction that helped. A second member asked about removing duties from teachers and recognizing experienced private school or college teachers without requiring duplicative training. The representative supported teacher input on unnecessary duties, highlighted planning time, and discussed credit for prior learning and existing district waivers. The chair encouraged members to study the report and develop proposals. No vote was taken.
Status timeline
- Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Billy Hickman (R, SD-4)
- John F. Kennedy (R, SD-18)
- Steve Gooch (R, SD-51)
- Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-31)
- Chuck Payne (R, SD-54)
Votes
- Senate voteApril 2, 2025
53 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 3 excused)
Topics
- teacher shortage
- K-12 education
- teacher retention
- education workforce
- school leadership