SR977: SR977 Georgia Pre-K Week; recognize October 5-9, 2026

26 LC 112 3911 Senate Resolution 977 By: Senators Payne of the 54th, Hickman of the 4th, Parent of the 44th, Kemp of the 38th, Sims of the 12th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing October 5–9, 2026, as Georgia Pre-K Week; and for other purposes.1 WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program was started by Governor Zell Miller in 1992 as a pilot2 program serving 750 students and now provides quality early education experiences to more3 than half of the state's four-year-old children; and4 WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program has been formally administered statewide by the5 Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning since 2004; and6 WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K has helped prepare more than 2 million of Georgia's children7 for success in kindergarten and beyond since it began; and8 WHEREAS, findings from the longitudinal study on Georgia's Pre-K conducted by the Frank9 Porter Graham Child Development Institute show that children in Georgia's Pre-K10 demonstrate significant gains across all learning domains, and these gains are sustained11 through the end of fourth grade; and12 S. R. 977 - 1 - 26 LC 112 3911 WHEREAS, multiple studies of Pre-K programs, including Georgia' s Pre-K, show that13 participation in Pre-K can greatly improve school readiness skills, particularly for high-risk14 populations; and15 WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program has recognized two outstanding educators—one from16 a public school system and one from a private child care center—as Georgia's Pre-K Program17 Teachers of the Year for 2025-2026: Teresa Swaim from West Jack son Elementary in18 Hoschton and Autumn Hart from Bundle of Joy Academy in Marietta; and19 WHEREAS, Georgia's Pre-K Program is ranked eighth best in the nation for access to Pre-K20 for four-year-olds; and21 WHEREAS, there is a growing commitment to improving the quality of child care in22 Georgia, with more than half of Georgia's Pre-K programs participating in Quality Rated, the23 voluntary quality improvement system for child care programs; and24 WHEREAS, the House Working Group on Early Childhood Education was appointed during25 the 2023 Legislative Session to determine ways in which the system of Pre-K education in26 Georgia could be improved; and27 WHEREAS, the working group's recommendations include specific areas in need of change28 to make the Pre-K program more accessible and effective, such as restoring class sizes to 2029 students, increasing salaries for assistant teachers, providing pay parity between Pre-K and30 K-12 teachers, increasing operating funds for Pre-K programs, counting Pre-K enrollment31 in entitlement earnings for public school systems, and ensuring equivalent lease payments32 for private Pre-K providers; and33 S. R. 977 - 2 - 26 LC 112 3911 WHEREAS, Georgia Pre-K programs serve more than 70,000 children annually in34 approximately 3,785 classrooms operating in all 159 counties in Georgia; and35 WHEREAS, Voices for Georgia's Children and the Georgia Department of Early Care and36 Learning will host Georgia Pre-K Week for the 16th consecutive year during the first full37 week of October.38 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body39 recognize October 5–9, 2026, as Georgia Pre-K Week; thank the h undreds of programs,40 teachers, aides, and staff who have built a nationally recogniz ed Pre-K program and other41 high-quality early education programs; and encourage parents, e ducators, community42 members, and business leaders to participate in Georgia Pre-K W eek and support43 high-quality, accessible, and affordable early education for all children in the great State of44 Georgia.45 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed46 to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for di stribution to Voices for47 Georgia's Children.48 S. R. 977 - 3 -