Monthly update, 2021 August

Georgia Education News from GOSA

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AUGUST, 2021
Dear Partners, Colleagues and Friends,
Governor Brian Kemp has stated that a ZIP code should not determine a student's destiny. He is supporting programs and initiatives at GOSA that provide sustainable investments in human capital that are giving students in all parts of Georgia access to better skilled teachers and leaders literacy coaching.
He is supporting new teachers and school leaders through various initiatives and budgets including the Governor's School Leadership Academy (GSLA) hosted by GOSA. The research is very clear that new teachers need mentoring and coaching so that they will have the tools and confidence to continue teaching. Research is also clear that teachers leave the classroom when there is inadequate leadership at the school and district levels. GSLA focuses on the education continuum by providing training that supports the development and coaching of new teachers and professional development and growth opportunities for teacher leaders, aspiring principals and principals. Read more about the summer kick-offs for all cohorts in this month's newsletter.
Literacy improvements are also a top priority for Governor Kemp and the Georgia Literacy Coordinating Council, and Georgia is making strides in addressing the challenges associated with low literacy rates. The Council, co-chaired by Matt Jones, Chief of Staff, Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), and I, began in the fall of 2019 with goals for literacy improvements from birth through adult years. This Council is committed to identifying systems, public and private, that can incorporate a "family" approach to literacy improvements. The Council reports to the Children's Cabinet to satisfy one of its goals for reading literacy improvements. The public-private interchange is creating many opportunities to assist families
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SubsctrhibroeughoutPGaesotrIgsias.uLeiske poverty, low literacy is a cycle. We know that we must address literaTcryanslate improvements for children and their parents to break that cycle. For more information about the Council, go to http://www.gachildrenscabinet.org/Resources.
Growing Readers is an instructionally focused Georgia-grown literacy program that invests in teachers to support effective reading instruction in kindergarten through third grade. Growing Readers was designed through a partnership between GOSA and Georgia's RESA network and is sustained through financial support from GOSA and GaDOE. Growing Readers is in its sixth year of evaluation and continues to show increased levels of teacher efficacy and student gains in reading in participating schools. To date, Growing Readers has trained and coached 1,760 teachers in 269 schools and 86 districts impacting 54,600 students. Growing Reader specialists serve as literacy coaches to both classroom teachers and other specialists to build sustainable systems of practice and reach more Georgia classrooms. The Governor's and legislature's support for this program is paying dividends on students' futures.
I appreciate Governor Kemp's desire for continuous educational and literacy improvements. I thank our legislators and partners for their support for our programs and initiatives. Our economy and our children's futures will greatly benefit from investments in teachers, educational leaders, and our schools.
In closing, my thoughts are with educators, students and parents who are hoping for schools to remain open and in person during the rise of COVID. I would encourage each Georgian to talk with their healthcare professionals about getting vaccinated. The variant is on the rise and more contagious and deadly than ever. We need everyone vaccinated to get back to normal.
Best, Joy Hawkins Executive Director

Governor's School Leadership Academy 2021-2022

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2/22/2023, 2:17 PM

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The Governor's Office of Student Achievement congratulates the 2021-2022 Governor's School Leadership Academy (GSLA) program participants. To date, GSLA has served teachers and leaders in 64% of school districts in Georgia.
The GSLA team provides free yearlong support to educators through professional development and coaching for educators in five different stages of their professional journeys: Induction Teacher Teacher Leader Aspiring Principal Principal Support District Development
Georgia Association of Education Leaders Announces Partnership with Governor's School Leadership Academy from GOSA!
Georgia Association of Education Leaders (GAEL) is partnering this year with the Governor's Office of Student Achievement and its Governor's School Leadership Academy (GSLA) to add extra value to GAEL's Aspiring Principals Program.
The specifics of the partnership are still in development but one of the significant impacts for GAEL's program participants will be that they will now be able to receive between session oneon-one coaching.
The partnership is another example of how GAEL seeks continuously to build partnerships that add value and services to their members and professional learning participants.
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Georgia Education News from GOSA SubscGriobveernor'sPaHsotnIsosrsuePsrogram 58th Year

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This summer, 650 talented high school juniors and seniors from around the state were chosen to participate in the 58th year of the Governor's Honors Program (GHP).

Over 30,000 students have participated in GHP since the program started in 1964, and each year approximately 3,000 individual students are nominated for the state level competition.

Coming in November, the nomination period will open for the 2022 GHP class. Students must be nominated by a Georgia public school district, private/independent school, or a Georgia state charter school.

GHP enables students to work with expert instructors on a specific major area of study that they

have already demonstrated a commitment to in their high school experience. Students do not

need to be the top in their class or have taken AP courses; GHP recognizes "gifted" students as

those with a passion for learning and curiosity about subject matter outside of their schoolwork.

Currently, the major areas of study offered in the GHP program are:

Agricultural Research

Music

Biotechnology and Science Science

Communicative Arts

Social Studies

Dance

Theatre Performance

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SubscribEengineePriansgt Issues Mathematics

Visual Arts World Languages

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Announcements regarding the nomination period, and program information can be found here: Governor's Honors Program.
Growing Readers Kicks-Off Across the State

Growing Readers is a literacy professional learning grant designed and implemented through Georgia's 16 Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs) and administered through the Governor's Office of Student Achievement and the Georgia Department of Education.

Growing Readers provides consistent, high-quality, replicable professional learning to Georgia teachers on effective reading instruction.

RESA Specialists work together as a professional learning community focused on common goals, common actions, and common outcomes for teachers and students, kindergarten through third grade. The program's goal is to increase the number of children reading at grade level by the end of third grade.

Georgia's RESA Network recently launched their Growing Readers website: https://growingreadersga.com/

INVESTING IN TEACHERS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR READERS

Georgia Teacher of the Year for 2022 Announced

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Cherie Bonder Dennis, an English as a Second Language (ESOL) teacher at Hesse K-8 School 2/22/2023, 2:17 PM

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SubscirnibSeavannaPha-Csht aIsthsaumesCounty Public Schools, is the 2022 Georgia Teacher of the Year.

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Teaching is a second career for Dennis. She initially worked in advertising, but her heart was in

the classroom. She's now been teaching in Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools for 10

years.

As an educator, Dennis strives to connect students with their community and ensure instruction is relevant to students' lives. As Georgia Teacher of the Year, Dennis will represent Georgia teachers by speaking to the public about the teaching profession and serving as an ex-officio member of the State Board of Education.
Schools and Libraries Partner to Benefit Students in Georgia Georgia Public Library Service has launched the new PLAY library card in select areas of the state, with plans to eventually roll out the card in all 159 Georgia counties.

The PLAY card is unique because it is distributed through schools to each of their individual students. The card will contain a unique school number that is also the student's library access number. Students with the card will be able to access the entire collection of PINES Library Systems' 11 million materials that can be delivered to their home libraries free of charge.

Georgia Library PINES (Public Information Network for Electronic Services) is the public library automation and lending network for 300 libraries and affiliated service outlets in 52 library systems covering 146 counties in Georgia.

https://georgialibraries.org/student-pines-card/ CTAE Delivers Georgia's Future Workforce

Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) is preparing Georgia's students for their next step after high school: college, beginning a career, registered apprenticeships, or the military. Georgia CTAE pathway course offerings leverage partnerships with industry and higher education to ensure students have the skills they need to thrive in the future workforce.

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Georgia Education News from GOSA

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SubscCriTbAeE offersPahsigthIssscuheosol students more than 130 career pathways within the 17 Georgia CareTerranslate Clusters. The newest Career Pathway for high schoolers will be Cloud Computing, which is composed of three courses: Introduction to Software Technology, Computer Science Principles, and Cloud Computing. Amazon Web Services (AWS) reached out to GaDOE to propose a pathway that would prepare students for entry-level careers in the cloud computing industry part of a broader initiative that includes courses at the technical college level. The K-12 courses were developed with feedback from industry representatives from AWS, Google Cloud, NCR, Accenture, Microsoft, and other businesses. Read More Here
CTAE is also offered to middle school students, making 36 career pathways and 12 Career Clusters available to young adolescents (ages 10-15). CTAE middle school courses feature rigorous performance standards that students master to help prepare them for choosing a high school career pathway that interests them.

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Great Promise Partnership Joins Forces with Georgia Department of Education
Established in 2012, GPP has a proven track record of pairing at-risk high school students with companies, so students learn real-world job skills as they finish school, while employers develop their workforce. Students spend part of their day in the classroom and the other at a job location. Read the Full Announcement Here: https://gppartnership.org/
Speaking of Jobs...
The Georgia Department of Economic Development just announced a new record for jobs and investments during fiscal year 2021. More than 34,000 jobs were created across all regions of the state by economic development projects between July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021. These projects mean nearly $11 billion in new investments!
During this period, Georgia earned new top rankings:
Remains Strong in Fortune 500/1000 Rankings, with Georgia-based Global Payments
entering for the first time.
No. 1 Business Climate for a record-setting eighth year by Site Selection. "Top State for Doing Business" for the seventh consecutive year by Area Development. No. 1 State for Aerospace Manufacturing Attractiveness by Price Waterhouse (PwC). Back-to-back No. 1 Tech Hub rankings, Atlanta.
2/22/2023, 2:17 PM

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Subscribe TelevPisaisotnIasnsduefislm production continues to bring a positive impact to the state, providinTgraanslate
total economic impact of $68.82 billion and directly supporting 484,056 jobs.
Georgia Department of Public Health Ask an Expert Video Series Dr. Cherie Drenzek answered COVID19 vaccine questions and emphasized the efficacy of vaccines currently available. Watch the interview here: http://ow.ly /Nizx30rP9hZ GET VACCINATED GEORGIA!

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