GCSU education dean completes study on teacher pipeline, meets with legislators at Capitol

The dean of Georgia College & State University’s John H. Lounsbury College of Education recently visited legislators at the Capitol in Washington D.C. to advocate for federal funding in support of teacher preparation. Dr. Joseph Peters was there as part of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Washington Week.

Peters is the immediate past president of the Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. In that role, he recently completed a study on issues related to the teacher pipeline in Georgia.

The study proved Georgia has an immediate and future need for teachers. Georgia Chamber of Commerce President Chris Clark—a Georgia College graduate with a master’s in public administration—predicts that the education sector’s need will increase from the current 7,000 vacancies to 40,000 by the year 2025.

“We are at a critical juncture in the need for teachers in the state of Georgia,” Peters said. “Conversations like the one we had in Washington are a crucial step in the right direction. We’re hoping these efforts shine a light on the issue and can support federal funding for future grants.”

Peters met with Senator Jon Ossoff, members of Senator Raphael Warnock’s team and members of Representative Austin Scott’s team, among others.