Georgia Federation of Teachers

08/29/2026

Georgia ranks in the middle in many education categories. Is that a problem?

It’s something that’s top of mind for Georgia Federation of Teachers President Verdaillia Turner. She agreed with Erwin that Georgia’s student outcomes are “better than we might expect” given the level of funding. But that’s exactly why it’s time to increase the investment, she said.

“If you take this efficiency argument at face value, this lends even greater support to the case for increasing funding, as doing so could potentially yield particularly stronger return,” she said.

Georgia tends to rank in the middle on topics like academics, teacher pay and spending, but has made recent steps toward improvement.

08/05/2026

Will districts finally create an environment that fully supports educators in our public schools to combat high teacher turnover rates?

11Alive reporter Joe Ripley examines rising teacher turnover, why e...

08/04/2026

What has to happen in the school or classroom this year for this to become a reality?

The proposed legislation, known as the Georgia Parent Accountability Act, would allow for fines, community service and potential jail time for parents whose children are found to have assaulted school staff.

07/17/2026

In Washington D.C. for the AFT’s national convention.

06/30/2026

“AI is here to stay and we’re going to have to use it effectively but efficiently,” Verdaillia Turner, Georgia Federation of Teachers president, said. “We’re going to have to put some safeguards up, some laws around it.”

The research in the report also varied depending on age group.

Turner said she welcomes the use of AI if it’s done right.

“We have to make sure children can think, teachers can think and that individualized instruction is paramount for each child,” she said. “So it’s only a tool and we’re going to need some regulations around how we use AI.”

According to the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts, nearly 60% of the more than 13,000 teachers surveyed said they use AI to help improve instructional materials and creating certain content for students.

06/30/2026

Venecia Whyte-Foster, a middle school English teacher in Savannah-Chatham County, said she was an early adopter of the technology.

“I embraced it immediately as it came out,” she said. “I’m like, ‘OK, this is not going away. My kids are going to use it. How do I use it in my class effectively?’”

A report from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts found a majority of teachers in the state are using generative AI for planning or in the classroom, but also express concern that students’ use of the technology could harm their learning.

06/25/2026

Should districts in GA restrict devices for learning?

The nation’s second-largest school district now has one of the country’s strictest screen time policies. https://ktla.com/news/local-news/lausd-screen-time-limits-students/

06/24/2026

American Educator: ‘Where We Stand: Devices-Down, Eyes-Up, Hands-On Learning’

Our nation is celebrating 250 years amid democratic decline, division and disruption—including the disruption to learning and well-being resulting from the lack of guardrails around technology. The Summer 2026 American Educator features an excerpt of AFT President Randi Weingarten’s landmark speech at the National Press Club on May 27 outlining a vision for boosting student learning in the era of artificial intelligence: “We need a relentless, intentional focus on what our young people need: greater literacy, numeracy, and civic engagement and active learning that excites and engages them—all while ensuring their social and mental well-being and ability to form healthy relationships. Devices down, eyes up, hands on.”

We in an era of massive disruption. Artificial intelligence is triggering seismic shifts in virtually every aspect of society. The affordability crisis is squeezing working- and middle-class families and pushing those living in poverty over the edge. Addictive technology and social media platforms a...

06/24/2026

Free summer learning opportunities for educators

Teachers, school staff and paraprofessionals can make the most of their summer with free, for-credit professional development from Share My Lesson’s Summer of Learning webinar series. Hosted live July 21-30, this new series features trusted education organizations and experts and will explore artificial intelligence, literacy, student well-being, civic engagement, classroom culture and more. Each one of the 30-plus sessions offers practical ideas educators can use right away as they prepare for the new school year. Please share this opportunity with your members and colleagues and encourage them to enter for a chance to win one of 10 KoolTunes Igloo coolers. Explore the full lineup, and discover engaging activities to extend summer learning for students as well.

Whether you are taking the summer for some rest and relaxation ... or you're ready to earn some professional development credit or teach summer school, Share My Lesson has what educators need most.

06/22/2026

Work with your public schools, because public schools work!

It was a pleasure meeting the 2026 National Teacher of the Year at the National PTA convention last week in Pittsburgh, PA.

Mr. Leon Smith is an Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History and AP African American Studies teacher at Haverford High School in Pennsylvania.