The Georgia Department of Education is awarding a third round of grants to school districts to help them build teacher capacity around computer science education, State School Superintendent Richard Woods announced today. Seventeen school districts will receive the grants, for a total allocation of $279,000.
Computer science (CS) has become a high-demand career across multiple industries, and includes skills all students need to learn. Thus far, the largest challenge for school districts in building this new discipline is building teaching capacity, though that capacity is expanding. There are currently 615 credentialed CS teachers and just under 1,000 middle and high schools in Georgia. That’s up from 403 teachers in 2020 and 250 in 2019.
The grant provides funding for teachers to participate in professional learning opportunities, including credential programs, to help mitigate the remaining gap.
“Technology has emerged as a vital component of our daily lives, with its impact growing stronger each day,” Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan said. “For Georgia to maintain its role as a national leader in economic innovation, we must continue to prioritize investments in education and workforce development. I commend the Georgia Department of Education for working to meet this growing demand for computer science professionals in the Peach State.”
“We must continue preparing our children for the jobs and opportunities they’ll encounter in the future – not just for the economy of today,” Superintendent Woods said. “These CS Capacity Grants help school systems build a pipeline of qualified computer science teachers within their district to ensure children are prepared with the technical skills – and the experience in problem-solving and real-world thinking – that will serve them well in any career they choose.”
Funds were awarded through a competitive application process, with priority given to school systems serving highly impoverished and/or rural communities.
The grant is aligned to GaDOE’s Roadmap to Reimagining K-12 Education, which calls for setting the expectation that every child, in every part of the state, has access to a well-rounded education – including computer science.
List of 2021 Awardees
• Cherokee County Schools
• Colquitt County Schools
• Dade County Schools
• Decatur County Schools
• Effingham County Schools
• Emanuel County Schools
• Fayette County Schools
• Gainesville City Schools
• Glynn County Schools
• Greene County Schools
• Jefferson City Schools
• McIntosh County Schools
• Pike County Schools
• Pulaski County Schools
• Seminole County Schools
• Walker County Schools
• Wayne County Schools
