Five northeast Georgia school systems are getting a portion of $741,000 the state Department of Education is setting aside for computer science teacher training.
Barrow County schools are getting $24,840 and the Commerce, Fannin County, Forsyth County, and Jackson County systems are each getting $25,000.
In all, the department is awarding grants to 34 school districts to help them build teacher capacity around computer science education.
“It was an honor to work alongside Senators P. K. Martin and Jack Hill and others to get this grant created and funded,” Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan said. “Providing valuable training opportunities for new computer science teachers is a very important priority for our state and my office. In order to reach our goal of being the technology capital of the East Coast, we will need a strong coding workforce. Thanks to the great work of Superintendent Woods and his team, this work can take shape and continue to grow.”
“Computer science learning is essential for all students – not just those who will ultimately pursue STEM careers,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “As school districts make the shift to offering computer science as a K-12 discipline, one of the most immediate needs is teacher capacity. These grant funds allow districts to invest in the talented teachers already in their building and provide the training needed to develop a CS skillset.”
Click here to a list of all the school systems included in the award.