Georgia Department of Education Website
Data Requests & Contact

November 13, 2026 – Superintendents

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.

Leadership Transition: A Note from Chief of Staff Christy Todd

As you know, Dr. Lydia Powell was elected as State School Superintendent earlier this month. Dr. Powell’s term will begin January 11, 2027. Over the next two months, State School Superintendent Richard Woods and I — along with the entire GaDOE team — are laser-focused on ensuring a smooth, thoughtful, and professional transition. Our focus remains on delivering a high level of service and support to your districts, schools, educators, and students, and on working closely with Dr. Powell and her transition team to ensure they are ready to support you on day one. We will continue to communicate any information you and your teams may need through the Weekly Digest. Superintendent Woods would also like to express his gratitude for your leadership, and for the opportunity to work with each of you over the last 12 years. Thank you for your continued partnership and all you do for Georgia’s students!

Action Required: Register Your District for the Enhanced Statewide Job Board

GaDOE and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) are partnering to launch an enhanced statewide educator job board designed to help connect educator candidates with employment opportunities across Georgia. To ensure your district is included, we are asking districts to complete a brief registration form to identify contacts and provide the information needed for participation. Participation does not require your district to change or replace its current job board or applicant tracking system. The statewide job board is intended to increase visibility for your vacancies and direct candidates to your existing application process. Benefits of participation include increased exposure of open positions to educator candidates across Georgi, expanded recruitment reach through a centralized statewide platform, continued use of your current hiring and application systems, and greater visibility for educator opportunities within your district.

  • Additional Information: Registration Link
  • Deadline: November 20, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
  • Contact: Selena Blankenship, selena.blankenship@doe.k12.ga.us

FY26 School Security Grant Survey Now Open

In FY26, the General Assembly appropriated over $100 million to school systems for school security programs, and GaDOE provided each public school with an equal allocation. Based on interest of the General Assembly, GaDOE is conducting this survey to collect specific information on how districts expended their funds with the goal of sharing this information with state-level stakeholders to help inform future funding decisions. Please complete the survey by November 30, 2026. Thank you in advance for your response!

2026-27 Certified Teacher Induction Program Application Now Open

GaDOE’s Certified Teacher Induction Program (CTIP) application is now open. Districts are encouraged to review the application materials and begin preparing for certification. Stay informed by joining the CTIP GaDOE Community for the latest program updates, resources, webinars, and certification announcements. We look forward to supporting your district’s journey toward building and sustaining a high-quality teacher induction program!

Participation in the National Study of Special Education Spending (NSSES)

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the U.S. Department of Education is launching an important new initiative: the National Study of Special Education Spending (NSSES). This study will provide policymakers and special education administrators with the first national estimates in more than twenty years on how – and how much – states and districts spend to educate students with disabilities. Select school districts in Georgia may be contacted to participate.

  • Additional Information: Memo
  • Contact: Charity Roberts, charity.roberts@doe.k12.ga.us

New Financial Software Pilot

Financial Review and Grants Accounting, in collaboration with Technology Services, have enhanced the financial tools currently used by districts. The updated tool is scheduled for release on July 1, 2027. As we complete testing, we are seeking pilot districts to participate and provide valuable feedback. If your district is interested in piloting the new tool, please contact Larry Hunter at lhunter@doe.k12.ga.us.

  • Deadline: December 4, 2026 at 12 a.m.
  • Contact: Larry Hunter, lhunter@doe.k12.ga.us

Real-Time Attendance Data and Real-World Solutions

Three new attendance resources are available to support schools’ efforts to improve chronic absenteeism. Real-time chronic absenteeism data can be accessed in the MyGaDOE Portal using the new components in
Student Record. Additionally, Attendance Works and FutureED have released their updated Attendance Playbook and Implementation Guide to provide real-world solutions for schools and leaders.

District Spotlight

At Lovin Elementary in Gwinnett County, students help reduce cafeteria food waste by collecting fruit and vegetable scraps for compost, sharing unopened food, and sending salad scraps to the school’s chickens. The school’s composting program also gives students hands-on learning opportunities, and some food scraps are shared with Creative Enterprises for its garden. Lovin students now compost about 100 pounds of produce each week and collect around 100 share-table items each lunch.