Why start an FEA Georgia chapter?
Georgia is already seeing a teacher shortage, and if current trends continue, the shortage could reach critical proportions. According to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC), demand for teachers is increasing while supply from our Georgia teacher preparation programs struggles to meet these demands. PSC projects that 190,000 to 200,000 new teachers will be needed in Georgia during the next ten years. Moreover, 50% of all Georgia teachers are at retirement age or will reach retirement age by 2011. A mass exodus of these potential retirees could cause teacher demand to skyrocket. Additional factors in the rising demand for teachers are increases in student enrollment and the loss of large numbers of novice teachers. Clearly, our state needs to increase the number of capable, caring teachers available to Georgia’s classrooms.
