Title 20

(a) As used in this Code section, the term “migrant student” means a child who is a student in a public school and who has, within 12 months prior to first becoming a student in such school, moved across state or school district lines with a migrant parent or guardian to enable th…

(a) Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the State Board of Education shall provide professional development centered on state-wide strategic initiatives. Such strategic initiatives may include, but are not limited to, training on content standards, support for unde…

Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the State Board of Education shall provide grants to local school systems for the purpose of purchasing supplies for school health nurse programs, as required pursuant to Code Section 20-2-771.2. The grant funds shall be distribu…

(a) The Professional Standards Commission shall provide, by regulation, for certifying and classifying all certificated professional person340 nel employed in the public schools of this state, including personnel who provide virtual instruction to public schools of this state, whe…

The commission shall not require a teacher from another state desiring to transfer to this state to take a test of specific subject matter or a test of broad general knowledge to obtain a renewable certificate if such teacher: (1) Holds a valid, professional state educator’s certifi…

(a) This Code section shall be known and may be cited as the “Tracy Rainey Act.” (b) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “Certificate” means a credential issued by the Professional Standards Commission certifying the qualifications and classification of an individual and to …

(a) Universities and colleges having teacher preparation programs for grades pre-kindergarten through 12 shall require students in such programs to be proficient in computer and other instructional technology applications and skills including understanding desktop computers, their…

All teachers and other professional personnel who hold life certificates shall be entitled to carry forward that lifetime status if they become qualified by reason of additional training for a next higher level of certification in the same field. However, holders of life certificates …

All renewable certificates granted by the Professional Standards Commission shall have a validity period of five years. History. Code 1981, § 20-2-203, enacted by Ga. L. 1985, p. 1657, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1169, § 1; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1546, § 4.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “Paraprofessional” is defined as a person who may have less than professional-level certification, who relates in role and function to a professional and does a portion of the professional’s job or tasks under the supervision of the p…

(a) The General Assembly finds that excellent public school teachers deserve recognition for the extraordinary learning opportunity they provide to Georgia students. (b) The Professional Standards Commission is authorized and directed to establish the “Georgia Master Teacher Progr…

(a) For purposes of this Code section, the term “core academic subject” means English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, or geography. (b)(1) Each local school system may provide an alternative teac…

The Georgia Department of Education and the Professional Standards Commission shall cooperatively develop an online course on educator ethics. Such course shall include information on the code of ethics for educators established by the Professional Standards Commission pursuant t…

(a) No later than December 30, 2019, the Professional Standards Commission shall create a dyslexia endorsement for teachers trained in appropriately recognizing and responding to students with character354 istics of dyslexia and language disorders, such as difficulty with express…

The Professional Standards Commission shall include in its standards for teacher preparation programs for elementary and secondary education instruction on: (1) The definition and characteristics of dyslexia and other disorders; (2) Evidence based interventions and accommodations …

(a) No later than December 30, 2023, the Professional Standards Commission shall create a financial literacy endorsement for teachers trained in the content standards for financial literacy adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to Code Section 20-2-149.4. (b) The Profess…

(a) All personnel employed by local units of administration, including school superintendents, shall have their performance evaluated annually by appropriately trained evaluators. All such performance evaluation records shall be part of the personnel evaluation file and shall be c…

(a) All teachers, principals, other certificated professional personnel, and other personnel of a local unit of administration shall be employed and assigned by its governing board on the recommendation of its executive officer. Minimum qualifications for employment of all personne…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “Clearance certificate” means a certificate issued by the Professional Standards Commission that verifies that an educator has completed fingerprint and criminal background check requirements as specified in this Code section and that th…

(a) The State Board of Education shall establish a schedule of minimum salaries for services rendered which shall be on a ten-month basis and which shall be paid by local units of administration to the various classifications of professional personnel required to be certificated by…

Any person who has been selected as Georgia Teacher of the Year, as determined by the State Board of Education, shall: (1) Be moved up one salary step on the state salary schedule or receive an equivalent percentage rate increase in state salary to become effective on and after t…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “High-needs school” means a Georgia public school that has received an unacceptable rating for a period of two or more consecutive years; and (2) “National certification” means certification obtained from the National Board for Profes…

(a)(1) On and after July 1, 2010, and until such date as may be determined by the State Board of Education that mathematics, science, or both are no longer areas in which there is an insufficient supply of teachers, a secondary school teacher in a local school system who is or be…

(a) If any local board of education furloughs teachers, paraprofessionals, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, support staff, or other nonadministrative positions during any school year, such local board of education shall not use any state funds to provide a salary incre…

(a) The State Board of Education is authorized and directed to devise and implement a pay-for-performance program for rewarding group productivity. By December 31, 1992, and each December 31 thereafter, the State Board of Education shall develop performance criteria which shall b…

The State Board of Education shall establish a salary schedule for school principals that includes a supplement amount for each principal. The amount of the supplement shall be based on the amount appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose each year divided by the tota…

(a) The General Assembly finds that the driving force behind attracting quality teachers to a school and creating a culture of learning and respect in the school environment is the school leadership, and particularly, the school principal. The General Assembly further finds that te…

Classroom aides and paraprofessionals shall have, while performing assigned duties, the authority of “in loco parentis,” except for the administration of corporal punishment; provided, however, that such aides and paraprofessionals have at least the minimal training or experience…

As a condition for receiving funds under this article, it shall be the duty of each local unit of administration to employ and to utilize the services of substitutes for teachers who are absent. It shall be the duty of the local unit of administration to employ substitutes, inclu…

The State Board of Education is authorized and directed to devise a program to provide professional and staff development stipends sufficient to allow eligible licensed personnel, paraprofessionals, and aides to participate in development programs which will enable such employ381…

(a) Every teacher who is employed in grades kindergarten through five for a period of time of more than one-half of the class periods of the regular school day shall be provided a daily lunch period of not less than 30 consecutive minutes, and such employee shall not be assigned a…

(a) It is affirmed that a local unit of administration may, in its discretion, provide payroll deduction services to any organization, association, or corporation which the local unit of administration determines provides a tangible benefit to the school system or to any of its em…

In the event that a local school system furloughs teachers and other school personnel during any school year, such furlough day shall be on a Monday or Friday or in conjunction with a holiday, unless the local board of education provides otherwise. History. Code 1981, § 20-2-221,…

(a) All public school officials and professional personnel certificated by the Professional Standards Commission shall be provided the opportunity to continue their development throughout their professional careers. The primary purpose of the staff development sponsored or offered…

The State Board of Education shall adopt and prescribe all rules, regulations, and policies required by this article and such other rules, regulations, and policies as may be reasonably necessary or advisable for proper implementation, enforcement, and carrying out of this articl…

(a) The State School Superintendent shall be the executive officer of the State Board of Education and the administrative chief executive officer of the Department of Education. The State School Superintendent is authorized to organize and reorganize the Department of Education a…

The political subdivisions governed by county, independent, and area boards of education in this state established pursuant to law shall be known as “local school systems” for the purposes of this article, except where other specific provisions are made. All local school systems, …

In the event a local unit of administration shall fail to comply with any provision of this article or other school laws; any provision of rules, regulations, policies, standards, or requirements established by the State Board of Education pursuant to this article; or the terms o…

(a) The State Board of Education is authorized to waive specifically identified state rules, regulations, policies, and procedures, or provisions of this chapter, upon the request of a local board of education and in accordance with this Code section. The goal for each waiver shall…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “Student” means a student who is or was enrolled in a public school in this state. (2) “Substantial hardship” means a significant, unique, and demonstrable economic, technological, legal, or other type of hardship to the student requ…

(a) The State Board of Education shall provide grants to qualified local units of administration for the purpose of improving the effectiveness of an educational program or service within a school, a cluster of schools, system wide, or regionally, subject to appropriation by the G…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “Department” means the Department of Education. (1.1) “High-need subject area” means one of the three content areas for which there are the greatest percentages of unfilled positions for classroom teachers in a RESA service area as d…

(a) As used in this Code section, the term: (1) “After-school program” means any academic program conducted after regular school hours to serve only: (A) Students who have previously dropped out of school; (B) Students who are in a regular day time school who have previously fail…

The State Board of Education shall provide public secondary schools and local school systems with grants, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and pursuant to applications made at the discretion of such systems. The purpose of such grants shall be to support motor veh…

The State Board of Education shall request funds sufficient to provide grants to qualified public elementary and secondary schools and local school systems, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly. The purpose of such grants shall be to encourage grant recipients to devel…

The State Board of Education shall establish an extended day program for students in grades nine through 12. Subject to appropriation by the General Assembly, funding for extended day services shall be provided to local school systems through grants calculated as follows: (1) Div…