MEDIA CONTACT: Robert Gaines, rgaines@gpee.org, 678-476-4491
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September 23, 2025 –
The Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education (Georgia Partnership) today released “Creating Community, Building Skills, & Boosting the Teacher Pipeline,” the third case study from its broader CARES Impact Study. This multi-year research project examines how Georgia districts used federal COVID-19 relief funds to support student learning and well-being.
The case study features Lumpkin County Schools, Rockdale County Schools, and Tattnall County Schools. It focuses on strategies to help more people enter and remain in the teaching profession. Case study participants described described several factors that affect the educator workforce in their communities, including:
- Changing career expectations
- Heightened needs among non-traditional pathway teachers
- High cost of becoming a teacher
- Funding constraints
In response, each district developed multiple strategies to support educators across their careers. While each district’s strategy is unique, they share four essential components:
- Committed leadership
- Investment in early-career teachers
- Intentional design and iterative implementation
- Relationship-driven recruitment and retention strategies
“It is an undisputed fact that teachers are the most important in-school factor in student success,” said Georgia Partnership President/CEO, Dr. Dana Rickman. “However, Georgia, continues to face a two-fold problem: a shortage of qualified teachers prepared to enter the classroom and many teachers who would not recommend teaching as a career. The three districts featured in this report are showing how they deployed a multitude of strategies to attract and support teachers and ultimately stabilize their workforce.”