SB484: SB484 Certificated Professional Personnel; pathway to certification by the Professional Standards Commission for experienced teachers; provide

Currently, Georgia teachers generally need to complete a state-approved teacher preparation program tied to a college degree in education to get a professional certificate. This bill creates an alternate route for people who already have real classroom experience but not that formal training. Under the new Code section 20-2-206.1, a candidate with a bachelor's degree, at least four years of verifiable teaching experience (in elementary grades, secondary grades, or as a postsecondary instructor), and passing scores on the ethics and content portions of the Georgia Assessments for Certification of Educators (GACE) could qualify once a local school system or public school offers them a job. They would also need to complete a short 'experience based teacher preparation program,' either six semester hours of coursework or 80 hours of professional development covering pedagogy, reading science, child development, and special education. The bill bars the commission from adding extra requirements and bars schools from treating these certificate holders differently, including at job fairs.

• Creates a new certification pathway (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-206.1) letting experienced teachers get a professional certificate without a traditional teacher preparation degree program.
• Requires at least four years of verifiable teaching experience, a bachelor's degree, and passing GACE ethics and content exam scores to qualify.
• Defines an 'experience based teacher preparation program' as either six semester hours of specific coursework or 80 hours of professional development.
• Bars the Professional Standards Commission from adding requirements beyond those listed in the bill for this certificate.
• Prohibits local school systems and public schools from discriminating against or treating differently teachers who hold this certificate, including excluding them from job fairs or recruitment events.
• Repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.

Experienced teachers seeking certification without a traditional education degree, teacher candidates applying through this new pathway, local school systems and public schools that hire them, and the Professional Standards Commission, which administers certification.

Georgia school districts facing teacher shortages could hire and certify experienced classroom instructors who lack a traditional education degree, potentially widening the pool of eligible teachers. Schools would also be barred from treating these certificate holders differently, affecting hiring and recruitment practices.

• Subsection (a) defines 'experience based teacher preparation program' as six semester hours of coursework covering pedagogy, reading science, and child development, or 80 hours of equivalent professional development.
• Subsection (b) requires the commission to issue a professional certificate once a school offers employment to a candidate meeting the degree, experience, coursework, and GACE testing requirements.
• Subsection (b)(2) sets differing experience thresholds for elementary candidates (four years teaching grades K-5) versus secondary candidates (four years teaching grades 6-12 or 72 semester hours of postsecondary teaching).
• Subsection (c) prohibits the commission from imposing additional requirements beyond those listed for this certificate.
• Subsection (d) prohibits schools from discriminating against or treating differently teachers who hold this certificate, including barring them from job fairs or recruitment activities.
• Section 2 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2026-02-11Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-02-10Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)Primary sponsor
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)

• teacher certification
• education policy
• teacher shortages
• Professional Standards Commission