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.
What We’re Learning From Georgia’s Special Education Teachers
More than 2,600 special education teachers from across Georgia recently shared their experiences through a statewide survey led by the Georgia Department of Education’s Human Capital team. The feedback is helping inform ongoing work related to educator recruitment, support, and retention. The article highlights key themes emerging from the survey, explains why this work began with listening rather than solutions, and outlines how educator voice will continue to shape future efforts. Read the full story: “We Asked. Educators Answered. Here’s What We’re Learning.”
- Additional Information: Article Link
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
Apply for the John Hancock Award
Celebrate your school’s commitment to cursive writing through the John Hancock Award. Georgia public schools may apply annually for one of two recognition levels, with qualifying schools receiving a physical John Hancock Banner and ribbon.
- Additional Information: Webpage | Award Criteria | FAQs | Application
- Contact: Kimberly Wetzel, hancockaward@doe.k12.ga.us
- Deadline: June 1, 2027 at 5 p.m.
District Spotlight
Glynn County Schools is helping teachers connect classroom instruction with real-world career opportunities through its Educator Externship Program.
The program gives educators firsthand experience with local industries, helping them better understand workplace operations, in-demand skills, and career pathways available to students. Educators from McIntosh County Schools, the College of Coastal Georgia, and Coastal Pines Technical College are also participating.
Through partnerships with regional employers, including Southeast Georgia Health System, the Jekyll Island Authority, and Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, participating educators gain insights they can bring back to their classrooms to help students make connections between what they’re learning in school and their future careers.
- Additional Information: From Glynn County Schools
Inside GaDOE
This week, State School Superintendent Richard Woods continued visiting schools to recognize John Hancock Student Signature Award recipients, with stops in the Lanier, Atkinson, Coffee, Bacon, Liberty, Bryan, Savannah-Chatham, Dooly, and Macon 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.
Superintendent Woods also continued his visits with first-year teachers, meeting with educators in the Savannah-Chatham, Crisp, and Houston county school districts. The visits provide an opportunity to hear directly from new teachers about their experiences, gather their feedback, and better understand how the state can support educators entering the profession.
Superintendent Woods and Chief of Staff Christy Todd attended Fall Bootstrap this week and enjoyed connecting with superintendents from across Georgia. Christy provided an update on GaDOE’s work in literacy, teacher recruitment and retention, and innovative learning models. She was joined by partners Dr. Jody Barrow, Executive Secretary of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission; Fran Dundore, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Strategy; and Dr. Marc Feuerbach, Superintendent of Cartersville City Schools, who shared updates and local perspectives on the work underway together.
Don’t forget to explore the Professional Learning Catalog for upcoming GaDOE conferences, trainings, and events.