Education on the mind of Georgia’s new governor, Brian Kemp

Full funding for education, reading in third grade and school safety all got a mention in Gov. Brian Kemp’s inaugural address Monday afternoon.

The successor to Gov. Nathan Deal struck a moderate tone and mentioned education at least four times during his first official speech after being sworn in as Georgia’s leader.

“We’ll fully fund education, stand with our farmers and protect the values that we hold dear,” he said a third of the way through a quarter-hour speech at Georgia Tech. He talked about growing jobs, cutting taxes and fighting for all Georgians, “not just the ones that voted for me,” and he repeatedly returned to education.

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Georgia under his leadership will invest in early learning, he said, noting that 63 percent of third graders cannot read on grade level.

He said Georgians deserve affordable healthcare and quality education, no matter their zip code, and said he’d partner with the legislature to ensure access to both, adding, “We will keep our schools, our streets and our kids safe.”

While campaigning, Kemp pledged to help schools fund safety improvements, and he promised to give teachers a $5,000 raise. Expect more details when he gives his state of the state address at the Georgia Capitol Thursday.