ATLANTA (WJBF) - The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) is raising concerns over teacher waivers, arguing they allow local school districts to bypass state laws and create their own policies — a move they say harms both students and teachers.

GAE says the waivers impact key areas such as gifted programs, special education, English as a Second Language (ESOL) services, and classroom size limits.

Lisa Morgan, president of GAE, said every district in Georgia currently has a waiver on state class size requirements.

“Those class sizes were put into place because we know what best practices are. The more students in a class, the less time a teacher has with each individual student,” Morgan explained.

Educators also say large class sizes, reduced planning time, and fewer mental health res

See Full Page