Support Georgia Educators, Let Them Teach
To enhance educational outcomes in Georgia, we must recruit and retain qualified teachers across the state. As governor, Brian Kemp will increase teacher compensation while reducing high-stakes testing, burdensome mandates, and unpaid duties.
Raise Teacher Pay
Georgia remains competitive amongst Southern Regional Education Board States in average salary ($55,532) – but our efforts since the close of the recession have not kept pace with other states. Georgia lags behind the national average in teacher salary ($59,660) – ranking 23rd out of 50 states in average salary. It’s no surprise that 44% of teachers leave the profession after five years.
The General Assembly provided in FY2018 a 2% across the board salary increase allocation to local school systems at a cost of $160 million.
As governor, Brian Kemp will permanently raise teacher pay by $5,000 a year. This proposal, which will be funded by existing revenue, will cost approximately $600 million a year.
Kemp will also partner with the House Rural Economic Development Council and local community leaders to develop incentives to recruit educators to rural school districts throughout our state. Georgia children should have highly-qualified teachers – no matter their zip code.
Let Teachers Teach
By eliminating burdensome mandates, regulations, and testing, we can allow educators to teach and inspire Georgia students.
As governor, Brian Kemp will:
- Reduce the number and impact of standardized tests by adopting the federal testing minimum allowed by ESSA;
- Support the State School Superintendent through the 2020 standards review and validation process and urge the State School Board to adopt revised standards;
- Embrace local control and reduce state mandates in education;
- Respect and value teachers’ time by reducing paperwork, unpaid duties, micromanagement so they can actually teach
