Georgia's lawmakers are eyeing a substantial slice of the state's lottery surplus to pump into its Pre-K programs, aiming to give Georgia's youngest learners a stronger educational foundation. The push comes as enrollment in the state's Pre-K has seen a significant dip, despite an overall population growth of about 10 percent since 2012. According to 11Alive, the number of youngsters in these classes has actually decreased by 11 percent in the same timespan.
State leaders are not just focused on bolstering the number of children in Pre-K, but they're also targeting the quality of education by reducing class sizes and upgrading teacher salaries. The aim is a $100 million annual investment from the $100 billion lottery reserve to improve various facets of the programs, which would also include increases in operating funds and additional Pre-K programs. House Speaker Jon Burns underscored the urgency, saying, "It's time we take action." Burns told FOX 5 Atlanta, "We're going to work very closely with the Senate and the Governor's office to see how many of these we get across the finish line. This will make a difference."
Another pain point for the Pre-K system has been the glaring disparity between the salaries of Pre-K teachers and their K-12 counterparts. As state House speaker Pro Tem Rep. Jan Jones noted, assistant teachers in the program earn a meager $20,000, a rate that makes many retail jobs look tempting in comparison. "An assistant teacher today earns $20,000," Jones elaborated. "She or he would make more working full time at Target." Jones championed a proposed 25 percent raise for these educators, an initiative designed to bring their compensation into the same league as K-12 teachers.
The state's plan for educational reform understands the basic elements that have been languishing for far too long – teacher pay and educational standards need an uplift. It acknowledges the reality that, previous requirements for Pre-K educators, which needed only an associate degree, have shifted to requiring a bachelor's in early childhood education – without the accompanying salary hike that should follow suit. This strategic investment in early education is endorsed as a move that promises long-term benefits, with Georgia DECAL Commissioner Amy Jacobs highlighting the transformative potential: "Georgia Pre-K has been around for 31 years in Georgia," Jacobs observed. "We've had a lot of support from previous governors, and always the General Assembly, but this one really takes it to the next level," she remarked in statements to FOX 5 Atlanta.
