HR1857: HR1857 Education, Department of; increase teacher compensation and establish a salary structure indexed to the cost of living to ensure competitive, sustainable wages; urge

26 LC 65 0094 House Resolution 1857 By: Representatives Berry of the 56th, McQueen of the 61st, Olaleye of the 59th, Reese of the 140th, and Clark of the 108th A RESOLUTION Urging the Georgia Department of Education to increase teacher compensation and establish1 a salary structure indexed to the cost of living to ensure competitive, sustainable wages for2 educators in this state; and for other purposes.3 WHEREAS, teachers and certificated professional personnel are essential to the success of4 Georgia's education system and the long-term economic prosperity of the state; and5 WHEREAS, current teacher salaries in many areas of Georgia do n ot keep pace with the6 rising cost of living, making it increasingly difficult to recr uit and retain highly qualified7 educators; and8 WHEREAS, existing law provides for a state-wide minimum salary schedule based on9 certification level and years of experience, but does not consistently account for inflation or10 changes in the cost of living over time; and11 WHEREAS, aligning teacher salaries with comparable professions requiring similar levels12 of education and training would strengthen the educator workfor ce and improve student13 outcomes; and14 H. R. 1857 - 1 - 26 LC 65 0094 WHEREAS, establishing a transparent, data-driven mechanism to regularly adjust teacher15 pay based on reliable cost-of-living metrics would provide stab ility, predictability, and16 fairness in educator compensation; and17 WHEREAS, periodic review of salary benchmarks using nationally recognized economic18 data sources would ensure that Georgia remains competitive in attracting and retaining top19 teaching talent.20 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that21 the members of this body urge the Georgia Department of Educati on to increase teacher22 compensation and establish a salary structure indexed to the co st of living to ensure23 competitive, sustainable wages for educators in this state.24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Georgia Department of Education is urged to25 develop and implement a framework to index the minimum salary schedule for certificated26 educators to the cost of living, including inflation and regional economic conditions.27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized28 and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution avai lable for distribution to the29 Georgia Department of Education, the public, and the press.30 H. R. 1857 - 2 -