Teacher Compensation Policy
Shortage-subject areas: Georgia offers additional compensation for teachers in the critical shortage fields of mathematics and science. Secondary teachers who are—or who become—certified to teach math or science are moved to the salary step on the state salary schedule that is applicable to six years of creditable service. Teachers at or above such step are attributed one additional year of creditable service on the salary schedule for each year for five years. After five years, teachers may continue to be attributed one additional year of creditable service if they meet or exceed student achievement criteria.
Elementary teachers who earn endorsements in math and science receive annual $1,000 stipends for up to five years. Teachers who meet or exceed student achievement criteria may continue to receive the stipend.
High-need schools: Georgia does not offer incentives to teach at high-need schools.
Support differential pay initiatives for effective teachers in high-need schools.
Georgia should encourage districts to link compensation to district needs. Such policies can help districts achieve a more equitable distribution of teachers.
Georgia did not respond to NCTQ's request to review this analysis for accuracy.
8B: High-Need Schools and Subjects
States should help address chronic shortages and needs. States should ensure that state-level policies (such as a uniform salary schedule) do not interfere with districts' flexibility in compensating teachers in ways that best meet their individual needs and resources. However, when it comes to addressing chronic shortages, states should do more than simply get out of the way. They should provide direct support for differential pay for effective teaching in shortage subject areas and high-need schools.[1] Attracting effective and qualified teachers to high-need schools or filling vacancies in hard-to-staff subjects are problems that are frequently beyond a district's ability to solve. States that provide direct support for differential pay in these areas are taking an important step in promoting the equitable distribution of quality teachers.[2] Short of providing direct support, states can also use policy levers to indicate to districts that differential pay is not only permissible but necessary.