Education Curriculum and Teacher Support
house curriculum and academic achievement subcommittee
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Feb 09, 2026 at 02:00 AM
Meeting Information
The House Curriculum and Academic Achievement Subcommittee convened to discuss and vote on two significant pieces of legislation: House Bill 1193, focused on enhancing literacy initiatives across Georgia, and House Bill 310, designed to address teacher shortages through student teacher grants.
Meeting Summary
House Bill 1193: Literacy Initiatives
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Chairman Erwin introduced House Bill 1193, which aims to improve literacy rates in Georgia by establishing qualified literacy coaches in public schools (K-3), implementing universal reading screeners, and requiring a unified literacy plan for school systems. [Video 00:20:01]
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The bill mandates that all local school systems offer a full-day kindergarten program and encourages families to enroll children by age five, while also allowing parental discretion for kindergarten enrollment for six-year-olds with late birthdays. [Video 00:37:02] [Video 01:04:10]
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Discussion included the qualifications for literacy coaches, emphasizing that they are teachers with K-3 experience, not administrators, and the establishment of a Georgia Literacy Task Force to select high-quality instructional materials and universal reading screeners. [Video 00:34:15] [Video 01:01:32]
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Public testimony from various individuals and organizations, including the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) and Decoding Dyslexia Georgia, expressed strong support for HB 1193, highlighting the critical need for literacy coaches and parental choice. [Video 01:08:28] [Video 01:09:56]
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The subcommittee voted to pass House Bill 1193 to the full committee. [Video 01:22:34]
House Bill 310: Student Teacher Grants
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Representative Olalier introduced House Bill 310, which aims to address Georgia's teacher shortage by providing up to $5,000 grants to student teachers with demonstrated financial need during their unpaid student teaching semester, and a $2,500 signing bonus for those who commit to teaching in Georgia public schools. [Video 01:24:44]
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Committee members discussed the bill's funding mechanisms, administration by the Student Finance Commission and Department of Education, and the potential for targeting grants to high-need areas or subjects, though the current bill focuses on financial need. [Video 01:34:04] [Video 01:48:17]
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Public testimony, including from representatives of the Georgia Association of Educators and a Morehouse College student, highlighted the financial barriers faced by student teachers and emphasized how the grants would help retain qualified educators in the state. [Video 01:39:50] [Video 01:42:01]
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The subcommittee voted to pass House Bill 310 to the full committee. [Video 01:49:38]
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