Teacher Contract Deadlines Extended

Today Governor Sonny Perdue announced that he has signed into law a bill that gives school systems an extra month to offer teacher contracts for next school year. Many systems are facing tight financial constraints because of the economic downturn, and the extra month will provide additional time to determine the number of teachers needed for the upcoming year. School districts now have until May 15 to extend contracts and teachers have until June 1 to accept their contracts. The law also extends the sunset on the Master Teacher program, and ends the additional supplement to teachers who have leadership degrees that are not in leadership positions.

Augusta educators to increase class size to cope with teacher shortage

Officials in eastern Georgia are struggling with more students per classroom in some schools.

School administrators in Augusta say budget cuts have caused a shortage of teachers. Because of that, they are seeking permission to expand class sizes in 62 elementary classrooms. It's a problem that school systems across the state have struggled with.

Barbara Pulliam is a school board member in Richmond County. She is also a retired teacher. She opposes efforts to increase class size:

"Small classes not only promote better learning. It eliminates discipline problems. Small classes [are] the answer to a lot of the problems that we're having."

School officials say their request is small: 62 out of 813 classrooms. The matter now goes before state education officials.

Georgia lacking science and math teachers

Georgia isn’t producing enough math or science teachers. That’s according to a new report by the University System of Georgia. The report says in the next three years, schools will need nearly seven times more math and science teachers than the state is currently producing. In response, the university system is launching a statewide campaign to boost math, science and engineering graduates from 4,700 to 7,200 over five years.

Cagle scores first big win with charter school systems law

Georgia school systems can compete for more freedom from state regulations under a bill signed into law Tuesday.

The law allows communities can apply to the state board of education to turn their school districts into "charter school systems." Like individual charter schools now, these systems could replace state regulations with their own.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle has championed the idea of charter systems as a way of giving communities more control over their local schools.

"I don't think that there is a one-size-fits-all model that works across the board all over Georgia," he said at the bill signing. "The needs in Savannah are different than the needs in Gainesville or Valdosta."

Cagle says school systems could get their charters revoked if students failed to meet achievement standards.

Teachers' unions have criticized the program. They say it allows school administrators to circumvent state laws governing the hiring and firing of public school teachers.

The board of education will allow just five school systems to become charters during the first year of the program.

Greene County leads in teacher turnover

More than 30% of teachers in Greene County are leaving their jobs. That’s in contrast to most other Georgia school districts that expect a less than 10% teacher turnover. The Athens Banner-Herald reports that most of the teachers in the school district near Lake Oconee are leaving Anita White Carson Middle School. 19 will resign and 3 will retire. They make up more than half of the schools teaching staff. But Greene County’s superintendent says the high turnover is an "opportunity."