A panel exploring ways to attract and retain better teachers in Georgia focused on pay and training during discussions Tuesday.
The “teacher recruitment and retention” committee of Gov. Nathan Deal’s Education Reform Commission will make formal recommendations later this year. The preliminary ideas that seem popular so far with the committee — one of five under the commission — include student loan cancellation programs for new teachers who select high-needs schools and a year of “clinical” classroom training experience, modeled on nursing programs, as part of the college experience for would-be teachers.
One of the main ideas discussed, though, was higher starting pay that would be funded in part by eliminating requirements that school districts automatically pay more for advanced degrees.
“We should make a statement that entry-level salary has to go up,” said committee member Mike Dudgeon, a Republican state representative from Johns Creek. Current teachers would be exempt since they were hired under a formula that pays more for training and experience.
Dudgeon and others stressed that the proposals discussed Tuesday are preliminary “ideas” and may not end up as formal recommendations.
Deal wants formal proposals from the full commission by December so he can initiate legislation to overhaul education policy in the coming session of the General Assembly.
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