| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 49 2412 |
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| 2 | 2 | | Senate Resolution 545 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By: Senators Kemp of the 38th, Esteves of the 35th, Sims of the 12th, Jones II of the 22nd, |
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| 4 | 4 | | Jackson of the 41st and others |
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| 5 | 5 | | A RESOLUTION |
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| 6 | 6 | | Creating the Senate Paid Student Teaching Study Committee; and for other purposes. |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1 |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, student teaching in Georgia currently requires aspiring educators to work more2 |
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| 9 | 9 | | than 40 hours per week in public school classrooms without pay, while simultaneously3 |
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| 10 | 10 | | paying tuition and covering living expenses, creating significant financial hardship and4 |
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| 11 | 11 | | feelings of burnout; and5 |
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| 12 | 12 | | WHEREAS, this uncompensated labor creates a barrier for students from low and middle6 |
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| 13 | 13 | | income backgrounds, limiting access to the teaching profession and exacerbating the shortage7 |
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| 14 | 14 | | of new educators in Georgia's education workforce; and8 |
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| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, the growing teacher shortage in Georgia, compounded by high attrition rates9 |
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| 16 | 16 | | and decreased enrollment in traditional educator preparation programs, requires urgent and10 |
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| 17 | 17 | | sustainable policy solutions, including compensation during student teaching to support11 |
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| 18 | 18 | | recruitment and retention; and12 |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, other states have launched successful paid student teaching initiatives, and13 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Georgia currently has the fiscal capacity to explore this investment with unallocated surplus14 |
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| 21 | 21 | | funds available in the state budget; and15 |
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| 22 | 22 | | S. R. 545 |
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| 23 | 23 | | - 1 - 25 LC 49 2412 |
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| 24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, study is needed to examine the feasibility, benefits, and fiscal implications of |
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| 25 | 25 | | 16 |
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| 26 | 26 | | providing compensation to student teachers in Georgia, including, but not limited to, the17 |
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| 27 | 27 | | study of:18 |
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| 28 | 28 | | (1) The financial and logistical challenges faced by student teachers;19 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) The impact of unpaid student teaching on the recruitment and retention of educators,20 |
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| 30 | 30 | | particularly in high-need and rural schools and school systems;21 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (3) The relationship between paid internships and teacher preparedness, diversity, and22 |
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| 32 | 32 | | performance;23 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) Cost estimates and funding mechanisms for implementing a state-wide paid student24 |
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| 34 | 34 | | teaching program; and25 |
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| 35 | 35 | | (5) Best practices from other states and pilot programs.26 |
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| 36 | 36 | | NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:27 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) Creation of Senate study committee. There is created the Senate Paid Student28 |
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| 38 | 38 | | Teaching Study Committee.29 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of six members. Four30 |
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| 40 | 40 | | members shall be members of the Senate appointed by the Senate majority caucus leader31 |
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| 41 | 41 | | and two members shall be members of the Senate appointed by Senate minority caucus32 |
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| 42 | 42 | | leader. The President of the Senate shall designate a legislative member of the committee33 |
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| 43 | 43 | | as chairperson of the committee.34 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,35 |
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| 45 | 45 | | issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or36 |
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| 46 | 46 | | legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.37 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee38 |
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| 48 | 48 | | may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or39 |
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| 49 | 49 | | convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and40 |
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| 50 | 50 | | accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.41 |
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| 51 | 51 | | S. R. 545 |
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| 52 | 52 | | - 2 - 25 LC 49 2412 |
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| 53 | 53 | | (5) Allowances and funding. The legislative members of the committee shall receive |
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| 54 | 54 | | 42 |
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| 55 | 55 | | the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia43 |
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| 56 | 56 | | Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any44 |
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| 57 | 57 | | member of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. 45 |
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| 58 | 58 | | Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds46 |
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| 59 | 59 | | appropriated to the Senate.47 |
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| 60 | 60 | | (6) Report.48 |
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| 61 | 61 | | (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that49 |
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| 62 | 62 | | include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the50 |
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| 63 | 63 | | same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to51 |
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| 64 | 64 | | subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.52 |
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| 65 | 65 | | (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for53 |
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| 66 | 66 | | proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)54 |
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| 67 | 67 | | of this paragraph.55 |
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| 68 | 68 | | (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of56 |
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| 69 | 69 | | abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.57 |
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| 70 | 70 | | A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with58 |
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| 71 | 71 | | the Secretary of the Senate.59 |
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| 72 | 72 | | (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary60 |
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| 73 | 73 | | of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.61 |
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| 74 | 74 | | (7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.62 |
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| 75 | 75 | | S. R. 545 |
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| 76 | 76 | | - 3 - |
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