Reps. Sandra Scott, Viola Davis and Kim Schofield Seek Public Review and Comment on Education and School Safety Legislative Proposals

ATLANTA - State Representatives Sandra Scott (D-Rex), Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain) and Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta) are inviting parents, teachers, school employees, students, education advocates and members of the public to review and provide feedback on three legislative proposals aimed at strengthening classroom safety, protecting teachers and school employees, improving foundational learning and protecting students' ability to learn in safe and orderly classrooms. Reps. Scott, Davis and Schofield share the three legislative proposals-LC 49 2894, LC 49 2895 and LC 49 2896-for public review and feedback before the 2027 legislative session.

"These proposals are about something very basic: teachers deserve to be safe while doing their jobs, and children deserve classrooms where they can learn," said Rep. Scott. "But we also want to hear from the people who live these issues every day. Before we move forward, I want teachers, parents, administrators, paraprofessionals, school bus drivers, counselors and our communities to examine these proposals and tell us what works, what needs improvement and what we may have overlooked. Good legislation should be strengthened by the voices of the people it will affect."

"Teachers are educators, not law enforcement officers, and they should not have to choose between their own safety and keeping a classroom under control," said Rep. Schofield. "At the same time, protecting educators and protecting children are not competing goals. We need policies that provide safety, appropriate intervention and support. I especially want to hear from educators and families about whether these proposals give schools the tools they need without creating unintended consequences for children who need additional behavioral, mental health or special education services."

"We cannot talk about a child's right to an education without also talking about the conditions in which that education takes place," said Rep. Davis. "A teacher cannot effectively teach when violence or chronic disruption repeatedly stops instruction, and the other children in that classroom should not continually lose valuable learning time. But accountability must be matched with resources. We must make certain that underserved and under-resourced schools are not handed another mandate without the counselors, behavioral specialists, mental health services, alternative education settings and funding necessary to implement it fairly. A child's zip code should not determine whether behavioral intervention means access to a specialist in one school system but simply removal or suspension in another. As we review these proposals, equity must be part of the discussion from the beginning."

Reps. Scott, Schofield and Davis note that LC 49 2894, the Georgia Teacher Protection and Safe Learning Environment Act, would establish protections for teachers and other school employees dealing with certain student conduct. They add that the proposed legislation would require schools to establish immediate administrative response procedures for classroom emergencies, generally requiring a response within five minutes when practicable. They highlight that the proposed legislation would also protect employees using certain methods of self-defense and establish procedures for student removal, incident documentation, employee support, annual safety training and statewide reporting. The representatives add that the proposed legislation would not require teachers to physically intervene in student fights unless necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury and would protect employees from adverse employment action for declining to intervene consistent with applicable policy and training.

Additionally, the representatives also share that LC 49 2895, the Georgia Early Literacy and Foundational Learning Protection Act, would focus on early childhood education and the role of digital devices in elementary classrooms. They add that the proposed legislation would prohibit individual digital device use during the instructional day for kindergarten and first grade students, with exceptions that would include uses required by an Individualized Education Program or Section 504 plan. Reps. Scott, Schofield and Davis also highlight that beginning in second grade, the proposed legislation would require independent device use be tied to demonstrated foundational skills, while device use in grades two through five would be limited to teacher-directed instructional purposes and a maximum duration established by the State Board of Education not exceeding 60 minutes per instructional day. The representatives also note that the proposed legislation would emphasize phonics-based reading instruction, handwriting, writing, number sense, addition and subtraction and other foundational concepts and would also require information for parents and public reporting on implementation and student literacy rates.

Lastly, Reps. Scott, Schofield and Davis note that LC 49 2896, the Teacher and Student Protection Act: Georgia's Students' Right to Learn Act, seeks to take a broader approach to classroom stability and would declare that students have a right to a safe and orderly learning environment, access to instructional time without interference and protection from disruption and certain violent or threatening behavior. They add that the proposed legislation would create Classroom Stability Review Teams for students experiencing repeated or escalating behavioral problems, and these teams would include administrators, teachers, counselors or other behavioral health personnel, special education representatives, when applicable, and the student's parent or guardian. The representatives further note that the proposed legislation would establish a Statewide Classroom Stability and Instructional Protection Office within the Georgia Department of Education to monitor classroom disruption and instructional loss, collect statewide data, develop best practices, provide technical assistance and recommend policy changes.

The legislators emphasize that the three proposals remain legislative drafts and that public participation is being sought to identify potential improvements, unintended consequences and implementation challenges.

"We are asking the public not simply to support or oppose these proposals, but to review them, question them, and help us improve them," concluded Rep. Scott. "The goal is not punishment. The goal is safer schools, stronger teachers, stronger foundational skills and classrooms where every child has a meaningful opportunity to learn."

Among the questions Reps. Scott, Davis and Schofield are asking the public to consider are whether the proposals protect teachers and students; whether behavioral and mental health resources are sufficient to support implementation; whether additional safeguards are needed for students with disabilities, English learners and students experiencing trauma; whether smaller, rural and under-resourced school systems could meet the requirements without additional state funding; and whether restrictions on technology balance foundational learning with digital literacy and accessibility.

Rep. Scott has provided the full text of each legislative proposal, which may be found here.

Feedback on the proposals may be sent to Reps. Scott, Davis and Schofield via email: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected].

*Editor's note: The representatives have provided a photo, which is included below.

Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes a portion of Clayton County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves on the Banks & Banking, Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Insurance and Reapportionment and Redistricting committees.

Representative Kim Schofield represents the citizens of District 63, which includes a portion of Fulton County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves as Secretary of the Urban Affairs Committee. She also serves on the Creative Arts & Entertainment, Health, Industry and Labor and Small Business Development committees.

Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Health, Insurance, Natural Resources & Environment and Urban Affairs committees.

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