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    • Apr 23, 2021

April Georgia Professional Standards Commission Meeting Report

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) held its monthly meetings April 7-8, 2021.

Ethics Division

The GaPSC recommended a suspension of 10 days for a teacher accused of picking up a student and his friend from the student’s home after the student contacted her, taking the student and his friend to her home, and providing a hotel room for them. The teacher reported the matter to the principal and counselor and claimed that the student’s mother kicked the student and his friend out of the house. The educator allegedly did not disclose that she was going to pick the students up, take them to her home, or provide a hotel room for them. The mother of the student disputes this claim, as she says she did not kick the student and his friend out of the house; she merely kicked the student out of his room after he refused to clean it. The GaPSC also recommended a suspension of 90 days to an educator accused of sexual harassment, damaging property, and failing to disclose a previous criminal matter. The educator allegedly made numerous harassing phone calls and threats to her ex-boyfriend, who is also an educator. Most of the alleged inappropriate behavior occurred after school hours. The educator was terminated shortly after allegedly damaging her ex-boyfriend’s vehicle.

Educator Preparation Division

The Commission granted Continuing Approval for Augusta University and these 22 educator preparation programs:

  • Art (P-12); MAT degree

  • Biology; Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Chemistry; Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Computer Science Endorsement

  • Educational Leadership Tier I; Certification-only; Master's degree

  • Educational Leadership Tier II; Certification-only; Ed Specialist degree

  • Elementary Education (P-5); Baccalaureate Degree; MAT degree

  • English (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • ESOL Endorsement

  • French (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Gifted In-Field Endorsement

  • History (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Mathematics (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Middle Grades (4-8) -- Language arts, Math, Science, Social Science; Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Music (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Physics; Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Political Science (6-12); Baccalaureate degree

  • Reading Endorsement

  • School Counselor (P-12); Master's degree

  • Spanish (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Special Education General Curriculum (P12); Consultative; Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • STEM Education Endorsement

The Commission granted Continuing Approval for Clayton State University and these 10 educator preparation programs:

  • Biology Education (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • English Education (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • ESOL Endorsement

  • Gifted In-Field Education Endorsement

  • History Education (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Mathematics Education; (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Middle Grades (4-8) -- Language arts, Math, Reading, Science, Social science; Baccalaureate degree

  • Music (P-12); Baccalaureate degree

  • Reading Endorsement

  • Special Education General Curriculum (P12); Certification-only

The Commission granted Continuing Approval for Columbus State University and these 31 educator preparation programs:

  • Art (P-12); Baccalaureate degree. Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Biology Secondary Education Track (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Chemistry Secondary Education Track (6- 12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Computer Science (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only

  • Computer Science Endorsement

  • Curriculum and Instruction - Accomplished Teaching (P-12); Master's degree

  • Curriculum and Leadership (Ed.D.); Curriculum Track (P-12); Doctoral degree

  • Earth/Space Science Secondary Education Track (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Educational Leadership Tier I (P-12); Certification-only; Master's degree

  • Educational Leadership Tier II (P-12); Certification-only; Ed Specialist degree

  • Elementary Education (P-5); Baccalaureate Degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • English and Secondary Education (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • ESOL Endorsement

  • Health and Physical Education (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • History and Secondary Education (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • K-5 Mathematics Endorsement

  • Mathematics Secondary Education Track (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Middle Grades (4-8) -- Language arts, Math, Reading, Science, Social Science; Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Music (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only

  • Online Computer Science (P-12); MAT degree

  • Online Mathematics Education (6-12); MAT degree

  • Online Science Education; (6-12); MAT degree

  • Online Teaching Endorsement

  • Reading Endorsement

  • School Counselor (P-12); Certification-only; Master's degree

  • Spanish Education (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only

  • Special Education General Curriculum (P12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • STEM Education Endorsement

  • Teacher Leadership (P-12); Master's degree

  • Teacher Leadership Endorsement

  • Theatre Education (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only

The Commission granted Developmental Approval for the Birth through Kindergarten; Baccalaureate degree program at Mercer University. The Commission granted Continuing Approval for the University of Georgia and 47 educator preparation programs:

  • Agriculture (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; Master's degree

  • Art (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Biology; Baccalaureate degree. Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Birth through Kindergarten Education Program; Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Business Education (6-12); Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Career and Technical Specializations; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Chemistry (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Coaching Endorsement

  • Dance (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only

  • Earth/Space Science (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Economics (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Educational Leadership Tier I; Certification-only; Master's degree

  • Educational Leadership Tier II; Certification-only; Ed Specialist degree; Doctoral degree

  • Elementary Education (P-5); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • English (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • ESOL Endorsement Program

  • Family and Consumer Science (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Foreign Language (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • French (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Geography (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • German (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Gifted In-Field Endorsement

  • Health and Physical Education (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Healthcare Science & Technology (6-12); Certification-only; MAT degree

  • History (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Instructional Technology (P-12); Certification-only; Master's degree; Ed Specialist degree

  • K-5 Mathematics Endorsement

  • Latin (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Marketing Education (6-12) Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Mathematics (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Middle Grades (4-8) -- Language arts, Math, Reading, Science, Social science; Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Music (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; Master's degree

  • Online Teaching Endorsement

  • Physics (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Political Science (6-12); Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Pre-School Special Education Endorsement

  • Reading Endorsement

  • School Counselor (P-12); Ed Specialist degree

  • School Nutrition Director (P-12); Certification-only

  • School Psychology (P-12); Ed Specialist degree; Doctoral degree

  • Spanish (P-12); Baccalaureate degree; Certification-only; MAT degree

  • Special Education Adapted Curriculum (P12) Consultative; Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Special Education General Curriculum (P12) Consultative; Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Special Education Preschool (B-P) Consultative; Baccalaureate degree; MAT degree

  • Speech Language Pathology (P-12); Master's degree

  • Technology Education (P-12); Certification-only; MAT degree

The Commission also granted Developmental Approval for the Elementary Agriculture Education (P-5) Endorsement at the University of Georgia. The Commission granted Continuing Approval for the Tier I Educational Leadership (P-12); Certification-only; Master's degree, and Tier II Educational Leadership (P-12); Certification-only; Specialist; and Doctoral degree programs at Valdosta State University. The Commission granted Developmental Approval for the ESOL Endorsement at Central Savannah River Area RESA. The Commission granted Developmental Approval for the Computer Science Endorsement at Clayton County Schools. The Commission granted Developmental Approval for the Urban Education Endorsement at Savannah State University.

May GaPSC Meeting The next meetings will be May 12-13, 2021.

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