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2026 GAE Day at the Capitol
Crossover Day is today,
the date by which legislation must
have passed out of the chamber of its origination
to be eligible for consideration by the other chamber
The qualifying period for candidates for
statewide, legislative, and Congressional
candidates for the November 2026 election ended Friday at noon
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Largest attendance ever at a GAE Day at the Capitol
More than 300 members of the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) showed up yesterday for the annual GAE Day at the Capitol. Classroom teachers, administrators, school bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, maintenance personnel, and aspiring educators packed in tight to hear from the leading figures in the state on issues pertaining to public education, including:
- Senate Education Committee chair Billy Hickman, R-Statesboro;
- Republican State School Superintendent Richard Woods and Christy Todd, chief of staff for the Georgia Department of Education and past Georgia Teacher of the Year;
- Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, the most senior member of the House, former public school teacher, and GAE member;
- Rep. Doreen Carter, D-Lithonia, member, House Education Committee;
- Rep. Phil Olaleye, D-Atlanta, member of the House Education Committee and sponsor of legislation to compensate student teachers;
- Rep. Chris Erwin, R-Homer, chair, House Education Committee; and
- Rep. Akbar Ali, D-Lawrenceville, sponsor of the bill to prevent the waiving of duty-free lunch and planning time.
In addition, Rep. Dar'shun Kendrick made a surprise appearance to present outgoing GAE president Lisa Morgan with a House-passed Resolution, honoring her, HR 1359. Morgan, a kindergarten teacher, has served as the president of GAE since 2020 and an elected official in the organization since 2014.
Morgan holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Piedmont University, Demorest, Georgia. She is currently completing an Educational Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Alabama. Morgan was born and raised in Athens, Tennessee and attended Athens City Schools and McMinn County Schools. She has resided in the Atlanta area since 1991.
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|  Sen. Billy Hickman, chair of the Senate Education and Youth Committee, spoke to GAE members about his commitment to literacy education in grades K-3 and his bill, SB 150, continuing and improving a program that allows retired educators to return to the classroom to teach in hard-to-fill subject areas.
| |  | State School Superintendent Richard Woods spoke of his legislative agenda this year, a presentation called "Making Georgia the #1 State for Teachers to Teach."
| |  | Rep. Gerald Greene, R-Cuthbert, a GAE member and the longest serving member in the Georgia House of Representatives, paid a warm and thoughtful tribute to GAE and its members and challenged members for the future.
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|  | Rep. Doreen Carter, D-Lithonia, member of the House Education Committee
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Rep. Phil Olaleye, member of the House Education Committee and sponsor of the bill, HB 310, to provide a stipend for student teachers
| |  | Chair of the House Education Committee, Rep. Chris Erwin, took time to answer a number of GAE members' questions
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|  State Rep. Akbar Ali, D-Lawrenceville, received an enthusiastic reception from GAE members Thursday for his bill, HB 1244, to prevent school districts from waiving teacher duty-free lunch and planning period time.
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|  | A GAE member sits at Superintendent Richard Woods' first desk
as a teacher in the Irwin County school, which was on display at the event.
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State Sen. Elena Parent announces
she will not run for re-election in 2026
State Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, a longtime friend of GAE, announced she will not seek re-election this year. She was first elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 2010.
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The next Legislative Alert will be Monday, March 9
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100 Crescent Center Pkwy, Suite 500 | Tucker, GA 30084 US
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