GA Code § 20-2-230 (2021)
2021 Georgia Code|Title 20 - Education|Chapter 2 - Elementary and Secondary Education|Article 6 - Quality Basic Education|Part 7 - Staff Development|§ 20-2-230. Programs

  All public school officials and professional personnel certificated by the Professional Standards Commission shall be provided the opportunity to continue their development throughout their professional careers. The primary purpose of the staff development sponsored or offered by local boards of education and the Department of Education shall be the implementation of this policy. Two additional purposes of such staff development programs shall be to adopt into general practice the findings of scientifically designed research which has been widely replicated, particularly as it relates to teacher and school effectiveness, and to address professional needs and deficiencies identified during the process of objective performance evaluations.     The State Board of Education shall adopt a training program for members of local boards of education by July 1, 2011. The State Board of Education may periodically adopt revisions to such training program as it deems necessary.   Within three months of adoption by the State Board of Education of a training program pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, each local board of education shall adopt a training program for members of such boards that includes, at a minimum, such training program and requirements established by the State Board of Education pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection. Each local board of education shall incorporate any revisions adopted by the State Board of Education to the training program pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection within three months of adoption of such revisions.   All local boards of education are authorized to pay such board members for attendance at a required training program the same per diem as authorized by local or general law for attendance at regular meetings, as well as reimbursement of actual expenses for travel, lodging, meals, and registration fees for such training, either before or after such board members assume office.     The State Board of Education shall require each newly elected member of a local board of education to receive guidance and training regarding his or her own local school system's most recent audit findings and the risk status of the local school system as determined by the Department of Audits and Accounts or the Department of Education. Such training for newly elected board members shall also include training on the role of the local school superintendent with respect to financial management and financial governance of a local school system.   The State Board of Education shall require members of local boards of education to complete the training required under this Code section with either the Department of Education or the Department of Audits and Accounts if the local board of education has been designated by the Department of Audits and Accounts as a high-risk local school system pursuant to Code Section 20-2-67 or if the Department of Audits and Accounts has determined that corrective actions have not been implemented or devised to correct serious findings in the local school system's Department of Audits and Accounts audit report from the previous year.     (Code 1981, §20-2-250, enacted by Ga. L. 1985, p. 1657, § 1; Code 1981, §20-2-230, as redesignated by Ga. L. 1987, p. 1169, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 612, § 12; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1546, § 5; Ga. L. 1995, p. 304, § 4; Ga. L. 1996, p. 821, § 2; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1453, § 1; Ga. L. 2010, p. 452, § 10/SB 84; Ga. L. 2013, p. 1061, § 18/HB 283; Ga. L. 2020, p. 62, § 1-11/SB 68.)    The 2020 amendment,  effective July 1, 2021, added subsections (c) and (d).   Editor's notes.   - See the Editor's note under this heading at the beginning of this part for information as to the redesignation of the former provisions of this Code section.   OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL   Editor's notes.   - In light of the similarity of the statutory provisions, decisions under former Ga. L. 1974, pp. 1045 and 1050, which were subsequently repealed but were succeeded by provisions in this Code section, are included in the annotations for this Code section.   State board may make grants to local systems to provide in-service teacher training.   - State Board of Education is fully authorized by law to make grants to local school systems for the purpose of enabling the local systems to provide in-service training for teachers in their employment. 1965-66 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 65-79 (decided under former law).   State board may contract with private colleges and universities for training.   - State Board of Education may contract with private colleges and universities to provide in-service training for teachers and other local school system personnel. 1977 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 77-46 (decided under Ga. L. 1974, pp. 1045 and 1050, as amended).