Day 18, Part 1: Educators Attend PAGE Day on a Packed Legislative Day Featuring Teach in the Peach
- Legislative Team
- Feb 18
- 3 min read
Please note that due to the volume of action under the Gold Dome today, the Day 18 report will be in two parts. The Day 19 report tomorrow will contain the remainder of Day 18 action.
The House passed HB 92, which pushes back the date by which local communities may opt out of a floating homestead exemption passed by the legislature in 2024. HB 92, sponsored by Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire), now moves to the Senate for consideration in the context of an ongoing policy debate about balancing the goals of property tax relief reflected in the floating homestead law and the role of local property taxes in funding public education.
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PAGE Day on Capitol Hill Connects Educators with Legislators
PAGE Day on Capitol Hill (PDOCH), in partnership with the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) and the Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (GACTE), provided hundreds of attendees with information on timely education bills, the state budget, and advocacy best practices.
Attendees heard from legislators who addressed education bills moving through the General Assembly, including:
House Education Chair Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer)
Senate Education Chair Billy Hickman (R-Statesboro)
House Education Vice Chair Rep. Carmen Rice (R-Columbus)
Rep. Bethany Ballard (R-Warner Robins)
Rep. Lydia Glaize (D-Fairburn)
Rep. Rick Townsend (R-Brunswick)
Rep. Phil Olaleye (D-Atlanta)
Retired Educator and Literacy Council Member Dayle Burns
We appreciate these speakers, as well as Natalie Grubbs, Sidrah Khan, Kylah Pollard, and Kevin Keve, educators who served on a panel illuminating the role of school counselors, social workers, and psychologists in addressing school safety through student mental health.
Before the group dismissed for afternoon events under the Gold Dome, State School Superintendent Richard Woods provided a luncheon keynote and outlined the Georgia Department of Education’s (GaDOE) 2025 legislative priorities.
School Transportation Bills Discussed in House Motor Vehicles
The House Motor Vehicles Committee approved a bill to prohibit citations for violating school zone camera speed limits. Local governments can issue citations for violations of speed zone cameras set up in school zones after a bill passed in 2018 allowing the fees. Legislators also argue that the companies operating the cameras are profiting from the fines. Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon) reported he proposed HB 225 in response to constituent complaints and an investigative report on the cameras by a local reporter in his district. The bill has over 100 bipartisan cosigners. Some committee members dissented as they viewed the elimination of the fines as too drastic. The bill moves on to the House Rules Committee.
The committee also discussed HB 344 by Rep. Don Parsons (R-Marietta), which would lower the civil fine created by the passage of a 2024 law about running stop arms on school buses. HB 409 instituted a flat fine of $1,000; however, Parsons and several committee members expressed concern that this fee was too high. HB 344 would create a graduated fee schedule: $300 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense, and $1,000 for the third. An amendment was offered to lower the fine to a flat fee of $500, and Parsons agreed. The committee held the bill for further work.
Teach in the Peach Teacher Recruitment Initiative Announced
In a Capitol press conference, GaDOE announced launch of Teach in the Peach, a new teacher recruitment initiative. The initiative's core is its website, teachinthepeach.org, which provides information about the benefits of teaching in Georgia and a guide to different certification pathways. The website will also serve as a job posting resource, and school districts are encouraged to submit recruitment and other information.
GaDOE also announced an upcoming Statewide Educator Signing Day on May 6. Sponsored by groups such as the College Football Playoff Foundation, the Atlanta Host Committee, and PAGE, this event will be hosted at the College Football Hall of Fame. Aspiring educators who wish to attend this event may register through their district, college, or other preparation program provider.
Upcoming Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 19 - Legislative Day 19
Senate Public Safety Committee, 1 p.m., 450 CAP
House Ed Policy Subcommittee, 1:30 p.m., 415 CLOB
Thursday, Feb. 20 - Legislative Day 20
Senate Ed & Youth Committee, 1 p.m., 450 CAP
Friday, Feb. 21 - Legislative Day 21
House Motor Vehicles Committee, 8 a.m., 606 CLOB