Georgia’s next school superintendent wants major changes to how schools are funded

Georgia’s incoming state school superintendent says addressing the teacher shortage, strengthening special education accountability and updating how the state pays for public education will be among her top priorities when she takes office.

State School Superintendent-elect Lydia Powell sat down with Channel 2 Action News to discuss what she heard from voters during the campaign and what she plans to tackle first.

Powell brings 26 years of experience in education, including 11 years in educational leadership.

When asked what Georgia families and educators told her needs the most urgent attention, Powell pointed to several areas.

“The first thing is special education accountability,” Powell said. “Also, teachers looking at cost-of-living increases and teacher salaries in the state of Georgia.”

She also identified student behavior as a concern but said schools need to make sure children have access to services that address their underlying needs.

Powell said she wants schools to provide “whole child experiences” and stronger wraparound services rather than simply viewing students as behavioral problems.

Tackling Georgia’s teacher shortage

The state’s teacher shortage will also be a major focus.

Powell said larger metro Atlanta districts often have extensive human resources departments and recruiting operations that smaller rural school systems cannot match.

Her proposed solution includes creating a statewide repository that could connect available teachers with job openings across Georgia.

“We need a repository at the state level to ensure that teachers are available to be interviewed for these positions,” Powell said.

She also wants teacher salaries to remain competitive with other professions.

“We want to be able to have a career pathway where you can make a living being a teacher,” she said.

When asked how the state would pay for higher teacher compensation, Powell said education funding must be made a priority as the state budget is developed, while acknowledging that local school systems also contribute to teacher salaries.

First 100 days

Powell said her first 100 days will begin with examining the operations of the Georgia Department of Education.

“There’s some operational things that need to be corrected,” Powell said. “We need to look at that first.”

She also plans to work with incoming Gov. Keisha Lance Bottoms on expanding preschool education throughout Georgia.

Another major goal will require help from lawmakers: updating Georgia’s education funding formula.

Powell pointed to the state’s Quality Basic Education, or QBE, formula, which determines how much state funding public schools receive.

“Our QBE formula that’s in place now is outdated from 1985,” Powell said. “I want to work with our legislature to ensure that we correct that.”

With lawmakers returning to the Capitol shortly after Powell takes office, she said school funding will quickly become part of the conversation.

For Powell, the objective is making sure educational opportunities don’t depend on whether a student attends school in metro Atlanta or rural Georgia.