Georgia Professional Standards Commission Meeting Report - April 2025

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) met virtually April 9 and 10.

Senate Resolution Seeks Recommendations to Strengthen Educator Workforce

Passed near the end of the 2025 Legislative Session, SR 237 urges the GaSPC to develop recommendations to strengthen the K-12 educator workforce and the pipeline for teachers and school leaders. To produce these recommendations, the GaPSC will work with multiple state agencies and associations including PAGE. SR 237 outlines several priorities for the recommendations, including: •Encouraging innovative programs to enter the early childhood and K-12 teaching profession •Collecting, reviewing, and providing data for the success of graduates of teacher education programs •Exploring partnerships with postsecondary institutions and other stakeholders to support improvements to teacher education programs •Examining the possibility of compensating student teachers •Focusing on teacher and school leader retention strategies such as mentoring and professional development PAGE thanks Senate Education & Youth Committee Chair, Sen. Billy Hickman (R-Statesboro) for sponsoring SR 237 and looks forward to working with the GaPSC to develop recommendations.

SR 237 Author, Sen. Billy Hickman

Executive Secretary Update

GaPSC Executive Secretary Jody Barrow provided the commission with an overview of the 2025 Legislative Session, including relevant bills that passed. He specifically noted SR 237, which urges the GaPSC to provide recommendations to strengthen the educator workforce.

The GaPSC has convened an Artificial Intelligence (AI) guidance development committee and plans to publish guidance regarding ethical AI use by educators prior to the start of the 2025-26 school year.

GACE Standard Setting Process

GaPSC program director Anne Marie Fenton and representatives from Evaluation Systems, Pearson (ES) gave an overview of the process for setting the passing score for new GACE assessments. Future meetings will see reports on the results of standard setting studies, and the GaPSC members will be asked to review and approve passing scores.

Ethics

The commission approved all recommendations for cases on the agenda. Commissioners also corrected a clerical error.

Educator Preparation & Certification

The commission approved the Educator Preparation & Certification Committee recommendation that the Feb. 12, 2025, Savannah-Chatham County Schools progress report is satisfactory in addressing the area for improvement (AFI) in Standard 1.2 and that the AFI be removed for the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation & Pedagogy (GaTAPP) Program.

Next Meeting The next committee meetings are virtual on May 7. The next commission meeting is virtual on May 8.  The full calendar of 2024-2025 GaPSC meetings can be found HERE.The next committee meetings are virtual on Dec. 11.