The 5 Biggest Changes Shaping Georgia K-12 Education In 2025: What Parents And Teachers Need To Know

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is embarking on one of its most transformative periods in recent history, with a flurry of new legislative priorities, record-breaking state funding, and major policy shifts slated for the 2025 calendar year and the upcoming 2025-2026 school year. As of December 15, 2025, the focus is clearly on three critical areas: boosting teacher compensation, expanding school choice, and aggressively addressing student literacy.

For parents, students, and educators across the state, understanding these changes is crucial. State School Superintendent Richard Woods and Governor Brian Kemp have overseen the allocation of a record budget, signaling a deep commitment to Georgia's public school students and the entire K-12 education system. This article breaks down the five most significant and current updates coming out of the GaDOE.

State School Superintendent and GaDOE Leadership Profile

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is the state agency that oversees all K-12 public education for Georgia's nearly 1.7 million students. It is led by a publicly elected official.

• The Unseen Story Jessica Simpsons Battle For Privacy And Body Image In A Digital Age Mlvqa

• Name: Richard Woods
• Title: Georgia State School Superintendent
• In Office Since: January 2015
• Background: Woods is a former classroom teacher, school administrator, and curriculum director. He has served over 30 years in public education.
• Current Focus (2025): Legislative priorities centered on teacher and support staff compensation, school safety, and academic initiatives like the Literacy Trust.
• Governing Body: Georgia State Board of Education (BOE)
• Key Legislation Partner: Georgia General Assembly

1. Record-Breaking Funding and the Push for Teacher Compensation

The financial commitment to Georgia’s public schools has reached an unprecedented level, with the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget setting new records. This massive influx of funding is primarily aimed at improving the Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula and, most notably, providing significant financial relief and incentive for educators.

The FY 2025 Budget Highlights

Governor Kemp’s FY 2025 budget proposal provides a record amount of state funds to K-12 education. The budget includes:

• Total Allocation: Over $14.1 billion in QBE earnings, representing the largest state funding amount ever provided to K-12 education.
• Budget Increase: A $1.4 billion increase above the current funding levels.
• Teacher Pay Raise: Superintendent Woods has called for a substantial $10,000 pay raise for all certified teachers to address retention and recruitment issues.
• Support Staff Pay: A concurrent push for competitive pay for crucial school support staff, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and paraprofessionals, is a key component of the compensation strategy.

This focus on compensation is part of a broader strategy to strengthen Georgia's classrooms and ensure every student has a high-quality, dedicated educator. The GaDOE is also supporting a new teacher recruitment campaign called "Teach in the Peach" to attract new talent to the state.

• The Untouchable Privacy 7 Secrets Of Rachel Mcadams And Jamie Lindens Life Beyond The Red Carpet E820e

2. The Launch of the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act (School Choice)

One of the most significant policy changes taking effect for the 2025-2026 school year is the rollout of the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act. This new legislation is a major step toward expanding school choice options for families in the state.

How the Education Savings Account (ESA) Works

The Act creates an Education Savings Account (ESA) program designed to support students in Georgia's lowest-performing schools. Key details include:

• Scholarship Amount: Eligible students can receive up to $6,500 in annual funding.
• Eligibility: The program targets K-12 students currently enrolled in the state's lowest-performing schools, allowing them to use the funds for private school tuition or other approved educational expenses.
• Implementation: The application process for the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act began in March 2025, with the program becoming fully operational for the 2025-2026 academic year.

This initiative is highly debated, with proponents arguing it empowers parents and provides better options for children in failing schools, while critics express concern about diverting public funds from the traditional public school system.

• The One Where They Tanked Jokes 15 Shocking New Secrets From The Friends Tv Show Behind The Scenes G9zdh

3. A Deep Focus on Literacy and Academic Excellence

Academic performance remains a top priority, with a dedicated focus on improving foundational skills, particularly reading. The GaDOE's efforts are guided by the "Georgia Literacy Plan: Vision 2030," which aims to ensure every child is a proficient reader.

Key Literacy Initiatives

• The Literacy Trust: A major legislative priority for 2025 is the establishment of a formal Literacy Trust to provide dedicated, ongoing support and funding for state literacy requirements and initiatives.
• Literacy Coaches: The state has already placed full-time, dedicated literacy coaches in 60 low-performing elementary schools for the 2024-2025 school year, a move that has already shown early evidence of boosting reading scores.
• Civics Education: The GaDOE is also prioritizing civics, with a legislative push to provide a pocket Constitution to all 4th graders to bolster understanding of American government.

These targeted efforts are building on recent successes. In 2024, Georgia public school students collectively outperformed the nation on both the SAT and ACT college entrance exams, demonstrating a positive trend in student success.

4. Enhancing School Safety and Educator Support

School safety measures and comprehensive educator support are central to the GaDOE's legislative agenda for 2025. The goal is to create a secure learning environment while simultaneously nurturing the professional growth of teachers.

School Safety and Security

Superintendent Woods' 2025 legislative priorities include mandatory measures to enhance physical security:

• Crisis Alert System: A call for a standardized, statewide crisis alert system to be implemented in every school.
• School Resource Officer (SRO): A push to ensure that every school in Georgia has a dedicated, full-time School Resource Officer (SRO).

Educator Support and Evaluation

To support teachers, the GaDOE is implementing new professional development and evaluation systems:

• GaLEADS Pilot: The GaDOE is piloting a new teacher evaluation system called GaLEADS in a dozen school districts. This program aims to provide a more effective and supportive framework for evaluating educator practices and promoting professional growth.
• Certified Teacher Induction Program: The department is also focusing on its Certified Teacher Induction Program to provide essential support and coaching to new teachers during their crucial early years in the classroom, helping to combat teacher burnout and attrition.

5. Academic Achievements and State Recognition

The GaDOE continues to recognize and celebrate high-performing schools and students, using data to drive improvement and highlight success stories across the state's districts.

Recent Performance Metrics (2024-2025)

• High School Graduation Rate: Georgia achieved an all-time high four-year high school graduation rate of 85.4% in 2024, marking a significant increase and a major milestone for the state's education system.
• Distinguished and Reward Schools: The GaDOE has released the 2025 lists of Distinguished and Reward Schools, which are designations that honor the highest-performing schools and those showing the greatest progress in student outcomes.
• Georgia Scholars: The department has named 145 high school seniors as 2025 Georgia Scholars, recognizing their outstanding academic achievement and commitment to excellence.

These accomplishments reflect the hard work of public school students, teachers, and administrators across the state and serve as a benchmark for ongoing efforts to improve academic excellence statewide.