Bill > SB484

This bill establishes a new pathway for experienced teachers to obtain professional certification from the Professional Standards Commission, which is the state agency responsible for teacher licensing. To qualify, candidates must hold at least a bachelor's degree, possess a minimum of four years of verifiable teaching experience (either in elementary grades K-5 or secondary grades 6-12, with specific hour requirements for postsecondary teaching experience), and complete an "experience based teacher preparation program." This program is defined as either six semester hours of coursework covering pedagogy, the science of reading, ethics, classroom management, professional practice, child development, and special education, or 80 hours of professional development that includes this information. Additionally, candidates must pass the Georgia educator ethics assessment and the content assessment portion of the Georgia Assessments for Certification of Educators (GACE), a standardized testing system for teachers. The bill explicitly states that the commission cannot add or substitute any requirements beyond those listed, and local school systems or public schools are prohibited from discriminating against or treating differently teachers who receive certification through this new pathway, including barring them from job fairs or recruitment events.

Education

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73052