Georgia teachers may enjoy a little more time off thanks to legislation introduced on Jan. 30.
Educators in Georgia work 10 months out of the year. Bill 127, sponsored by five Georgia House members, aims to give school personnel five days of paid personal or professional time off. While this is a boon for school employees, it comes with conditions.
Approval for the time off may be denied based on the needs of the school or district, depending on the day. Some days on the calendar year are deemed “essential.”
Educators across the state will not be required to provide a reason for their time off. The bill includes a clause that absolves them from disclosing either personal or professional circumstances.
“Any such grant of approval may be withheld or denied because of the failure or refusal of personnel to disclose the specific purpose for which such an absence is sought,” the bill states.
The added time off comes at a critical time as school districts across the U.S. struggle to fill positions.
USA Today reported that 86% of districts had trouble filling open positions for the 2023-24 school year. Special education, science, and foreign language positions are the most likely to go unfilled, and in high-poverty areas, the numbers are even worse.
incontent-ad3">Many teachers are leaving the profession in search of less demanding positions. Teachers have cited stress and burnout as key reasons for exiting the field. The duties of an educator are vast, and salaries are often meager, depending on the state.
The average salary for teachers in the United States was approximately $64,300 in 2022. Georgia’s teachers earned an average of $63,950, according to the National Education Association.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has been taking steps in recent years to entice and retain teachers. In July 2024, Gov. Kemp raised teacher pay by $2,500 statewide. This was not the first time Kemp had increased teacher pay.
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