Governor Brian P. Kemp has issued a proclamation declaring September as Literacy Month in Georgia to underscore the importance of statewide campaigns to increase literacy rates.

“Literacy is paramount to learning and is one of the most pressing issues facing our students today—especially with pandemic learning-loss,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “During Literacy Month, I urge all Georgians to consider getting involved in community programs and organizations to assist children in need of developing literacy skills. I’m thankful to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement for their work to improve our literacy rate and ensure brighter futures for Georgia’s schoolchildren.”

“As a mother of three daughters, I want every child to have the opportunity to live up to their full potential,” said First Lady Marty Kemp. “Improving Georgia’s literacy rate is a top priority for the Kemp Family, so during Literacy Month, we are proud to be laser-focused on highlighting this initiative.”

Although most schools across the state have returned to in-person learning for this school year, Georgia is still trying to close student learning gaps caused by the global pandemic. One of the biggest steps to closing learning gaps is improving literacy skills. In order to address this, the Governor’s Office, many Georgia state agencies, and philanthropic organizations have supported initiatives to improve the literacy rate.

In October 2019, Governor Brian Kemp announced Georgia was awarded the federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant which allocates nearly $180 million to support literacy efforts in the state’s K-12 public schools. This grant continues the Literacy for Learning, Living, and Leading in Georgia (L4GA) initiative. Introduced by State School Superintendent Richard Woods in 2016, L4GA is a unique approach to improving literacy that pairs community-driven action with research-proven instruction.

Since the beginning of the Kemp administration, Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp have continued the work of the Georgia Children’s Cabinet to support a sustainable and comprehensive system of education and care to best serve the children and families in each region of the state. The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, in collaboration with the Georgia Children’s Cabinet, maintains this list of literacy resources for students and their families.

In May 2021, Governor Kemp expanded his efforts to support literacy by signing SB 88, or the Teacher Pipeline Bill, into law. One of the many initiatives within the bill is improving reading instruction for future teachers. Future teachers must learn the skills and strategies needed to be able to teach the fundamental skills of reading. This includes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and any other essential instruction and curriculum concepts deemed necessary for reading instruction in the classroom.

Governor Kemp has also charged the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) with developing a Language and Literacy Endorsement to sit beside Quality Rated that would target early language and literacy practices in Georgia’s childcare programs.

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About the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement

The vision of the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) is that all Georgia students have access to an educational path that ensures the academic and technical skills necessary to successfully enter the workforce. While GOSA's direct affiliation remains with the Governor's Office, it also works closely with all of Georgia's education agencies, including the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), the University System of Georgia (USG), the Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC), and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC).      

 

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