Georgia Senate says state needs more computer science in schools

The Georgia Senate approved legislation that injects computer science courses into public education starting in middle school.

Senate Bill 108 by Sen. P.K. Martin, R-Lawrenceville, says 0.5 percent of high school graduates take a computer science course and there are thousands of unfilled computer science jobs in Georgia. It requires that school districts offer computer science at at least one of their high schools by the fall of 2022 and that all middle schools offer "exploratory" computer science courses. The mandate grows to all high schools by 2024.

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan backs the legislation, saying he wants Georgia to be the “technology capital of the entire East Coast.” His office said the bill allows “virtually proctored” courses that don’t require the hiring of additional teachers. The legislation allows provides for grants to train teachers.

SB 108 now heads to the Georgia House of Representatives.

About the Author

Ty Tagami

Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.

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