The Georgia Association of Educators is a left-of-center teachers’ union representing educators throughout the state of Georgia. The union is the Georgia state affiliate of the National Education Association, the largest national teachers’ union in the United States.

The union does not conduct statewide collective bargaining activity but does lobby at the state level to support increased teacher pay, higher levels of school funding, and a variety of other left-of-center policies concerning education and social issues. The union has opposed a variety of policies proposed and enacted by Republican leadership in Georgia such as a “Parent’s Bill of Rights” regulating the teaching of both critical race theory and explicit content. The union often endorses Democratic candidates for office in Georgia and endorsed Stacy Abrams (D) in the 2022 gubernatorial election. ^{1 2}

Background and History

The Georgia Association of Educators was formed in its current structure in 1969 when the Georgia Education Association (GEA), the statewide association for white teachers, and the Georgia Teachers and Education Association (GTEA), the association for Black teachers, merged following a 1964 resolution from the National Education Association requiring the 11 remaining states with segregated teachers’ unions to form a single statewide NEA affiliate. ³

The union is governed by a representative assembly comprised of delegates from each of the organization’s 200 local affiliated unions. The group also has a board of directors comprised of 32 members including members from various affinity groups within the committee. The group claims its membership is in the “tens of thousands.” ⁴

Activities

The Georgia Education Association supports a variety of left-of-center policies around education and other topics. The group’s 2024 legislative agenda calls for a minimum teacher starting salary of $50,000 and annual salary increases as well as pay raises for teaching assistants. The group opposes legislation to allow any additional school personnel to be armed in schools other than police school resource officers and opposes parental involvement in school curriculums and states support for rules dictating that “instructional decisions about curriculum are made by certified educational professionals in order to facilitate an honest and empathetic education for all students in K-12.” ⁵

The union has also consistently opposed any legislation in Georgia to expand school-choice programs and charter schools. In 2023 it stated that such legislation would divert funds from poor schools whose students would use such programs. ⁶

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the union opposed the reopening of schools in the fall of 2020 with union president Lisa Morgan stating that “The level of community spread is so high in Georgia right now which indicates we should not be having large gatherings, and that is essentially what a school is.” The union also supported mask mandates in schools. ⁷

Political Activities

The Georgia Association of Educators often endorses Democratic candidates for office in Georgia, endorsing Stacy Abrams (D) in the 2022 Governor’s race. While the union applauded teacher pay raises enacted under Governor Brian Kemp (R), the group supported Abrams’ calls for significant increases in pay that Kemp called “runaway government spending.” ⁸

1. “2023-2024 Legislative Priorities.” Georgia Association of Educators. Accessed November 22, 2023. https://gae.org/sites/gae/files/2023-09/gae-2023-24-leg-priorites.pdf
2. Williams, Dave. “Georgia Association of Educators endorses Abrams; she is calling for higher teacher pay.” Walker County Messenger. June 14, 2022. Accessed November 22, 2023.  https://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/catoosa_walker_news/news/georgia-association-of-educators-endorses-abrams-she-is-calling-for-higher-teacher-pay/article_f781d6e0-ebe0-11ec-823b-efb1098ac359.html
3. “History.” Georgia Association of Educators. Accessed November 22, 2023. https://gae.org/about-gae/history-gae
4. “Our Focus.” Georgia Association of Educators. Accessed November 22, 2023. https://gae.org/about-gae/our-focus
5. “2023-2024 Legislative Priorities.” Georgia Association of Educators. Accessed November 22, 2023. https://gae.org/sites/gae/files/2023-09/gae-2023-24-leg-priorites.pdf
6. “2023 GAE Legislative Report.” Georgia Association of Educators. Accessed November 22, 2023. https://online.flippingbook.com/view/45727517/6/
7. Mayes, Aisha. “Georgia Educators Association speaks out on COVID and school reopening.” News Channel 9. August 6, 2020. Accessed November 22, 2023. https://newschannel9.com/news/coronavirus/georgia-educators-association-speaks-out-on-covid-and-school-reopening
8. Williams, Dave. “Georgia Association of Educators endorses Abrams; she is calling for higher teacher pay.” Walker County Messenger. June 14, 2022. Accessed November 22, 2023.  https://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/catoosa_walker_news/news/georgia-association-of-educators-endorses-abrams-she-is-calling-for-higher-teacher-pay/article_f781d6e0-ebe0-11ec-823b-efb1098ac359.html