Georgia Department of Education

Check out this grant opportunity from the Innovation Fund Foundation!

323 graduating seniors from across Georgia have been recognized as 2021 Georgia Scholars. Click here to learn more: https://www.gadoe.org//com/Pages/PressReleaseDetails.aspx

The State Board of Education, state legislators, and other guests had the opportunity this week to tour Cobb Innovation and Technology Academy, a CTAE academy open to students across Cobb County Schools. Thank you to Cobb for hosting us and for the opportunity to see this innovative program in action!

Statement from Superintendent Woods on Month of the Military Child The month of April is a time to celebrate the resilience, contributions, and sacrifices of Georgia’s military children and families. I was one of those children myself, as my father served in the U.S. Navy throughout my youth. I will never forget the public-school teachers who helped me learn and gave me a sense of belonging during a childhood full of adjustment and frequent moves. Those experiences underscore my own commitment to ensuring Georgia’s military-connected students receive the strongest possible supports in our public schools. To our military families: thank you for the sacrifices you’ve made, which are often not recognized. You will always have an advocate in me."

The State Board of Education will hold a public hearing for citizens in the 8th Congressional District on Thursday, April 22, 2021. The meeting will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Auditorium at Howard High School, 6400 Forsyth Road, Macon, GA 31210. The event will also be streamed live at youtube.com/bibbschools to allow citizens to attend and participate in the public hearing in-person or virtually.

More than $5 million in CARES funds to help expand school district nursing services. Read the press release here: https://www.gadoe.org//com/Pages/PressReleaseDetails.aspx

Georgia public schools to receive $3.8 billion in federal stimulus funds. Read the press release here: https://www.gadoe.org//com/Pages/PressReleaseDetails.aspx

State Board member Matt Donaldson presenting a book to Superintendent Woods. Dena Walden at Twin City Elementary is a teacher in Matt’s hometown of Twin City. She wrote this book and wanted to thank the superintendent for all his leadership during the pandemic.

Update on teacher and education support personnel bonus payments March 25, 2021 The State Board of Education today approved Governor Brian Kemp's and State School Superintendent Richard Woods' recommendation that Georgia use federal stimulus funds to provide a one-time, $1,000 bonus payment to every K-12 public-school teacher and other education support personnel. The bonus is being provided to teachers and education support staff to support stronger recruitment and retenti...on of these critical positions as a gesture of gratitude for their work and sacrifices during the COVID-19 pandemic. These bonuses are intended to thank all public-school employees from the teacher who found new ways to reach a classroom of students, to the bus driver who kept those students safe on the way to school," Superintendent Woods said. We want to ensure these hard-working employees are recognized for their above-and-beyond efforts and we want them to stay in public education for the benefit of the students they serve." The payments are intended for all teachers and education support personnel in Georgia's K-12 public schools, including but not limited to teachers, paraprofessionals, school counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, custodians, bus drivers, school nutrition staff, media specialists, clerical staff and administrative assistants, school principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, therapists, and long-term substitutes. A separate bonus for Pre-K educators is being provided by the Department of Early Care and Learning. The state is using the state reserve portion of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) federal stimulus funds to provide the bonuses. State reserve funds are intended to address statewide needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic and public schools. School districts will receive a specific listing of eligible job codes along with funding for all eligible employees.

The Georgia Department of Education is pleased to announce the Emergency Assistance for Non-public Schools (EANS) program application is now live. The EANS program application is available at https://www.gadoe.org/EANS Register for the EANS training webinar at https://register.gotowebinar.com/regist/7920852493426489357

NEWS: Georgia’s high-school graduation rate increased again in 2020, rising to 83.8 percent an all-time high since the state began using the adjusted cohort calculation now required by federal law, and up from 82 percent in 2019. Georgia’s graduation rate has increased by 14.1 percentage points since 2012, with steady increases each year. In 2020, 105 Georgia school districts and 230 schools recorded graduation rates at or above 90 percent. Twenty-nine districts and 89 scho...ols recorded rates at or above 95 percent. More: https://www.gadoe.org//com/Pages/PressReleaseDetails.aspx

The deadline for U.S. Presidential Scholar applications has been extended to Friday, November 13. Email [email protected] with any questions.

Resource alert! Get Georgia Reading at Home offers early learning resources for children from birth through age 5, learning resources for grades K 3, and guidance on food access, health care, and financial assistance. Downloadable PDFs feature examples of simple, fun activities to do at home, offline, and in the community that can help children begin building skills for grades K 3. The GaDOE Division of Curriculum and Instruction identified these skills and activities based on the Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) and the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE).

Adopting a student-level approach to teaching & learning means creating clear K-12 progressions for each discipline -- so students and teachers have a clear understanding and expectation of what the path to proficiency is. For students who struggle on that path, there will be a clear understanding of what skills, concepts, and supports they need to get on grade-level. For students exceeding on that path, there will be a clear understanding of how to push their learning higher. View our full Roadmap to Reimagining K-12 Education here: https://www.gadoe.org//A_Roadmap_to_Reimagining_K-12_Educa

SCHOOL OF THE DAY: Russell Elementary School in Houston County School System -- home of the Patriots! The Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) team at Russell Elementary created this video to kick off the year and inspire kids to make healthy decisions at school. The video includes safety measures used in the school, such as wearing masks and social distancing, along with positive messages and words of encouragement. Georgia has more than 2,000 public schools, all unique and working hard to expand opportunities and offer a high-quality education to their students. Through this feature, we'll introduce you to a new school each day. #GaDOESchooloftheDay #GAPublicSchoolsTogether

All students should have access to career education, computer science, fine arts, world language, physical education, gifted education, recess and play, STEM or STEAM, and Georgia-grown school meals no matter their zip code or area of the state. View our full Roadmap to Reimagining K-12 Education here: https://www.gadoe.org//A_Roadmap_to_Reimagining_K-12_Educa

Is your school using virtual learning over half of the time? Is your school not offering in-person learning for all students grades K-7? If so, you might be eligible for a SOLVE scholarship. SOLVE Scholarships offer funding for certain students whose schools are only offering in-person learning for less than half of the time and for schools who are not offering in-person learning for all students grades K-7. Click here for more information: https://www.decal.ga.gov/CAPS/Solve.aspx

From Superintendent Woods: "We cannot return to the status quo of over-testing and hyper-accountability. We must reimagine what our education system can and must become. Today, I am releasing A Roadmap to Reimagining K-12 Education in Georgia, which lays out our vision for the months and years ahead." Click here or enter gadoe.org/reimagineK12 for the Roadmap: https://www.gadoe.org//A_Roadmap_to_Reimagining_K-12_Educa Click here for Superintendent Woods' op-ed: https://www.gadoe.org//com/Pages/PressReleaseDetails.aspx

For families of Pre-K children and Pre-K through 3rd grade teachers -- check out the Roadmap to Reading from Cox Campus. Sign up to get simple, science-backed guidance for teaching reading and pre-reading skills delivered to your inbox.

Don't forget to complete the survey on 2020-21 EOC weights. Click here to access: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3TWWTMZ

SHARE TO SPREAD THE WORD: Georgians, time is running out! You have until 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, October 16, to fill out your 2020 Census. If you haven't already, please visit http://my2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020 and fill yours out. Multiple streams of federal funding for public schools depend on an accurate count.

NEWS: Superintendent Woods has selected 64 students to serve on his 2020-21 Student Advisory Council. (Note -- photo is from a previous Council and was taken pre-pandemic in 2019.) Click here for the list of students and more information: https://www.gadoe.org//com/Pages/PressReleaseDetails.aspx

Georgia’s class of 2020 continued a now-half-decade trend of outpacing the nation on the ACT, with the state’s average score increasing as the national average dropped. I am always glad to see Georgia students succeeding, but there’s something special about the class of 2020’s accomplishments, State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. These students, who saw their senior year come to an abrupt halt due to a global pandemic, have now outscored their peers across the nation on both the SAT and ACT. To say I’m proud of them would be an understatement. Georgia continues to exceed expectations on state and national metrics and show that you don’t have to be all about the test to provide a first-class education. That’s thanks to the teachers and students doing the work each day on the classroom level.