Below are your weekly updates and reminders from the Georgia Department of Education. Here are your links to the District Deadlines and To-Dos Dashboard and the Digest Archive.
New Resource: Adolescent Literacy Playbook
GaDOE has released a new Adolescent Literacy Playbook to help schools strengthen reading and writing instruction in grades 4-12. Building on Georgia’s early literacy work, the playbook provides practical guidance for strengthening literacy across subjects, identifying student needs, and aligning instruction with the science of reading and Georgia’s new K-12 English Language Arts standards.
- Additional Information: Adolescent Literacy Playbook
GaDOE Partners with The Home Depot on Skilled Trades Career Exploration Resources — Now Available
GaDOE is partnering with The Home Depot to introduce Georgia students and educators to Path to Pro Skills Explorers, a free set of hands-on career-exploration resources for middle- and high-school students. The resources cover skilled trades such as construction, electrical work, and plumbing, with several modules aligning to Georgia’s existing construction Career Pathway. Educators, parents, and youth organizations can access the free resources at the link below.
- Additional Information: Path to Pro Skills Explorers
Register for Georgia’s Public Schools — Stories That Shape Us
Registration remains open for Georgia’s Public Schools: Stories That Shape Us, a special evening celebrating the impact of Georgia’s public schools through stories from students, educators, and graduates. The event will take place Tuesday, October 20, at the Alliance Theatre’s Goizueta Stage in Atlanta, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the program from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Registration is complimentary, but advance registration is required and seating is limited to 300 guests. We hope to bring together an audience that extends well beyond the education community, and we’d appreciate your help in spreading the word. Please consider sharing the invitation with your teams and more broadly in your communities — including with families, business and community partners, local leaders, and others who may be interested in attending.
- Additional Information: Event Registration
- Contact: Meghan Frick, mfrick@doe.k12.ga.us
Mentoring Survey
This survey gathers feedback from district leaders, school leaders, mentors, and educators on current mentoring programs and professional learning opportunities. Please have it completed by the individual(s) most familiar with your district’s mentoring, induction, educator support, or professional learning efforts. Your insights will help identify effective practices, implementation challenges, and areas where additional support is needed, informing future resources, training, and professional learning opportunities for educators across Georgia.
- Additional Information: Survey Link
- Contact: DeOnna Dalton, deonna.dalton@doe.k12.ga.us
- Deadline: October 26, 2026 at 5 p.m.
Reminder: Statewide Day of Service
GaDOE invites schools and districts to participate in the 2027 Georgia Statewide Day of Service on Thursday, March 18, 2027. Inspired by the leadership of 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year Rachel Kinsaul, this initiative encourages students to engage in meaningful service-learning projects that strengthen community connections while reinforcing classroom learning. Schools may participate on March 18 or choose another date that best fits their schedules; planning resources and the Commit to Participate form are available on the Statewide Day of Service webpage.
- Additional Information: Statewide Day of Service Webpage
- Contact: Kimberly Wetzel, kimberly.wetzel@doe.k12.ga.us
District Spotlight
Tift County Schools is expanding opportunities for advanced learners through talent-development work aligned with its 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. The district is launching talent-development opportunities for kindergarten and first-grade students and developing curriculum extensions for grades 2-5, with opportunities incorporated into the school day through small-group enrichment, co-teaching, and whole-class extensions. Tift County is also building teacher capacity through its internal Gifted Endorsement Program, which graduated its first cohort of 12 teachers in May and welcomed a second cohort of 16 teachers in August. Moving forward, the district plans to monitor the K-1 rollout, expand capacity across elementary and middle schools, and track participation data as it works to develop a more representative pipeline of advanced learners.
- Additional Information: From Tift County Schools
Inside GaDOE
Last week, GaDOE participated in the 2026 Governor’s Workforce Summit, which brought together education, business, government, and workforce leaders around Georgia’s workforce priorities. Superintendent Woods provided remarks Friday, and several outstanding Georgia students were highlighted throughout the two-day summit.
Superintendent Woods also continued visiting schools to recognize John Hancock Award recipients, with stops in the Bibb, Houston, and Peach county school districts. During the visits, he also distributed pocket Constitutions to students as part of GaDOE’s continued focus on connecting literacy, history, and civics.
Last week also brought together curriculum and instructional leaders in Athens for GaDOE Day and the GACIS Fall Conference. Superintendent Woods spoke to GACIS attendees Thursday as educators continued conversations around instructional leadership and coherence.
The State Board of Education also met last week for its September meetings.
And this week, GaDOE’s Office of Rural Education & Innovation is hosting the North Rural Education & Innovation Summit in Young Harris, with district-led sessions focused on practical strategies making an impact in rural schools and communities.
Don’t forget to explore the Professional Learning Catalog for upcoming GaDOE conferences, trainings, and events.