Day 19: PAGE Day & Legislative Action
- 17 hours ago
- 7 min read
Thank you to those who attended and presented at 2026 PAGE Day on Capitol Hill. The informative and productive day included educator advocacy and comments from candidates seeking to lead the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE).
The Senate passed education legislation, and multiple school-related bills were considered by committees.
Educators Engage in 2026 PAGE Day on Capitol Hill
Nearly 300 educators attended PAGE Day on Capitol Hill, in partnership with the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) and the Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (GACTE).
Classroom teachers, building and district level administrators, teacher candidates, faculty from colleges of education, and other educators participated in policy briefings, heard from policymakers, and advocated on behalf of schools.
House Education Chair Chris Erwin (R-Homer) described how educators can effectively engage with legislators before providing an overview of the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, which he sponsored.
Senate Education Chair Billy Hickman
(R-Statesboro) presented PAGE Director of Legislative Services Margaret Ciccarelli with a resolution honoring PAGE Day, later providing an overview of his bill reauthorizing and expanding Georgia’s teacher return to work program and other legislation stemming from a 2025 bill he sponsored to develop recommendations to strengthen Georgia’s teacher pipeline.
Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) Executive Secretary Joseph Barrow followed up on Hickman’s comments, providing additional information about the teacher pipeline recommendations, which Hickman’s resolution charged the GaPSC to develop. Barrow also discussed teacher vacancies and a task force the GaPSC has convened regarding leadership degrees.
Also focused on the educator workforce was State School Superintendent Richard Woods, who shared a poignant story about his educational background, GaDOE legislative priorities, and Teach in the Peach resources.
Rep. Phil Olaleye (D-Atlanta) described his legislation to provide 500 Pell-eligible student teachers with $5,000 grants and $2,500 contract signing incentives. His bill would create a three-year pilot, and the urgency of Olaleye’s proposal was underscored by comments from Zeporia Gilmore and Andre Thompson from Albany State University.
Abe Flanigan and Alison Ricket from Georgia Southern University presented research findings on Georgia educators’ opinions on the efficacy of student cell phone bans before PAGE Day attendees adjourned to visit the Capitol and advocate for many of the policies discussed throughout the morning.
State School Superintendent Forum Highlights Candidates’ Visions for Schools
After educators advocated under the Gold Dome, they returned for a special luncheon panel.
Candidates for State School Superintendent provided answers to questions submitted by PAGE members in preparation for the forum. Questions focused on supporting high-poverty schools with high educator turnover, the degree to which technology is appropriate in Georgia classrooms, incentives to recruit and retain special education teachers, and other timely school issues.
Many thanks to the candidates for participating, and many thanks to the PAGE members who submitted candidate forum questions. PAGE will soon provide video
footage from the forum.
Senate Approves Dropout Recovery Bill
The Senate unanimously passed SB 369 by Sen. Shawn Still (R-Suwanee) to define dropout recovery charter schools and convert existing charter schools into dropout recovery charter schools. It would also provide for measurable objective performance standards.
SB 369 now moves to the House for consideration.
House Education Subcommittees Advance Voucher and School District Audit Legislation
The House Education Policy and Innovation Subcommittee advanced four bills:
HB 634 by Rep. Carter Barrett (R-Cumming) clarifies the process for determining the award amount for students who receive a private school voucher through the Special Needs Scholarship program, which is based on their Individual Education Plan (IEP). The bill also expedites the distribution of the award and specifies the data to include in the program’s annual report, prepared by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA).
HB 1220 by Rep. Bethany Ballard (R-Warner Robins) exempts students with an IEP, a Section 504 plan, or a diagnosis of dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder, speech language delay and disorder or other identified condition from the requirement to attend a public school for six weeks to be eligible for a private school voucher awarded by a Student Scholarship Organization (SSO). Students whose parents are active military personnel stationed in Georgia would also be exempt from the six-week attendance requirement.
HB 1164 by Rep. Will Wade (R-Dawsonville) requires the State Board of Education (SBOE) to appoint an audit committee and outline the committee's responsibilities. It revises financial audit provisions for school districts and state charter schools. The bill requires the Department of Audits and Accounts (DOAA) to create a tiered system to monitor the financial conditions of districts and state charter schools, and to institute interventions for those identified as in fiscal distress or in a critical fiscal emergency. Under HB 1164, GOSA has expanded authority to conduct performance audits of school districts, including their use of waivers.
HB 1218 by Rep. Robert Flournoy (D-Hampton) allows students in grades 6-12 who attend a public virtual school full-time to participate in interscholastic and extracurricular activities in their resident school system.
The bills now move to the full House Education Committee for consideration.
The House Education Curriculum and Academic Achievement Subcommittee passed the following four bills:
HB 1123 by House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton) would require any public school that offers after-school programs to offer them to its Pre-K students in the same manner they are offered to other students. The Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) would be authorized to grant annual waivers of this requirement to schools demonstrating extenuating circumstances. The provisions of the bill would take effect in the 2026-2027 school year. The subcommittee passed the bill unanimously.
HB 1259* by Rep. Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville) would prohibit local school systems that fail to maintain an average College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) score of 70 over the last two school years from providing virtual instruction to out-of-district students. The bill also requires school systems to compile a list of out-of-district students enrolled as of Oct. 1 and March 1 of each year. Finally, the bill excludes these out-of-district virtual students from equalization funding calculations. The bill passed unanimously. *(View Committee Substitute Version of Bill Passed Today)
HB 1030*by Rep. Sandy Donatucci (R-Buford), the “Math Matters Act,” makes several significant changes to math instruction in Georgia, including requiring the adoption of new math standards, increasing required instructional time, automatically enrolling certain high-performing students in advanced math courses, and imposing new requirements for educator certification. Bill provisions would not be waivable by schools. HB 1030 also requires GaDOE to report various data on student math assessment performance and the number of students enrolled in advanced math courses. *(View Committee Substitute Version of Bill Passed Today)
HB 1107* by Rep. Carmen Rice (R-Columbus), the “Excellent Teacher Preparation Act,” would require the GaPSC to develop and annually report comprehensive performance measures for all educator preparation providers (EPPs) in the state. The performance measures would focus on the preparedness and performance of EPP graduates and individuals who complete the initial preparation program in certain fields. The bill outlines various metrics, including first- and best-attempt exam passage rates, job placement rates, graduate retention rates, and evaluation scores from EPP graduates, which will be included in these performance measures. *(View Committee Substitute Version of Bill Passed Today)
These bills now await consideration by the full House Education Committee.
Senate Ed Approves Financial Auditing Bill and Ed Workforce Data Advisory Committee
The Senate Education and Youth Committee also considered a substitute version of a bill regarding financial audits of school systems in response to the Dublin City Schools budget shortfall. SB 472* by Chair Hickman would expand the authority of the SBOE and DOAA related to fiscal oversight and governance of local school systems. The bill adds additional triggers to remove local board members beyond accreditation issues, including if the state auditor deems a district high risk or finds it has engaged in financial mismanagement or misconduct. SB 472 would establish procedures for hearings, temporary board appointments, reinstatement petitions for board members removed from their positions, and for permanent removal of board members. In addition to board governance provisions, the bill caps advance distribution of state-provided education funding at 50% of a system’s prior-year allotment, unless the state auditor determines that a larger advance is necessary. Districts would also be required to adopt and comply with state-directed financial monitoring and intervention plans assigned by the state auditor.
Additionally, the bill requires DOAA to implement a statewide program by July 1, 2026, to audit local school systems and state charter schools. DOAA is authorized to provide escalating levels of support and intervention for districts based on audit findings. The agency can contract audits of local school systems; however, the contracted company must comply with all requirements created in SB 472.
Sen. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) expressed concern that superintendents can file a complaint about individual board members through the processes created in SB 472. Setzler said he prefers that board members be given the option to file a complaint about superintendents or financial management staff in school districts through the same process, noting that individual board members often make decisions based on the information provided by district leaders. The committee did not vote on the bill after Hickman expressed interest in working with Setzler on potential changes to the complaint process. *(View Committee Substitute of Bill Considered Today)
The committee approved SB 487 by Chair Hickman, which would establish the Education Workforce Data Governance Advisory Committee within GOSA to advise and assist with the collection, analysis, and use of education workforce data to bolster educator recruitment and retention. Hickman said the committee meant to codify the cross-agency work started by the group convened in SR 237. The committee consists of representatives from GaPSC, GaDOE, DECAL, the University System of Georgia (USG), and the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). The bill was amended by the committee to add a representative from the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC). Sen. Elena Parent (D-Atlanta) offered an amendment to add a sunset date of July 1, 2036, which was approved unanimously.
Senate Retirement Committee Takes No Action on PSERS to TRS Opt-In Bill
SB 209, by Sen. Russ Goodman (R-Cogdell) would allow Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) members to irrevocably opt-in to the Teachers Retirement System (TRS). The measure has been presented as a way to provide districts an incentive to help with the recruitment and retention of hard-to-fill positions.
Due to questions about the actuarial study of the bill and the fact that Sen. Goodman stated the bill may need revisions to ensure that it does not mandate districts provide employees this option, the committee took no action on the bill. Further consideration may occur at a future meeting.
Upcoming Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 18 - Legislative Day 20
1 p.m. House Higher Education, 606 CLOB
Thursday, Feb. 19 - Legislative Day 21
1 p.m. House Judiciary, 132 CAP
Friday, Feb. 20 - Legislative Day 22