Georgia offering new awards for early education teachers of the year
Preschool teachers can win thousands of dollars from the state under a new award program meant to recognize the top educators of Georgia’s youngest children.
The deadline for program directors to nominate staff for Georgia’s Early Childhood Educator of the Year is Sept. 3.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) and the Georgia Foundation for Early Care + Learning is offering awards in three categories:
- Infant Teacher of the Year (0-18 months),
- Toddler Teacher of the Year (15-36 months) and
- Preschool Teacher of the Year (36-48 months).
Nominations are to be submitted online at www.decal.ga.gov or www.gaearlyed.org.
The top six finalists (two from each category) will each receive $500.
The winner in each category will receive an additional $3,000 plus $2,000 for a classroom makeover.
The winners will also be awarded up to $2,500 for their schools to cover travel costs and stipends for substitute teachers who fill in for them while they do their duty as Georgia’s Early Childhood Educator of the Year.
The Early Childhood Educator of the Year program is similar to the state’s Pre-K Teachers of the Year program, which began in the 2016-2017 school year.
About the Author
Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.
