What’s at Stake in Georgia Classrooms

Teachers on Empty

Teachers are the backbone of Georgia’s communities. But right now, morale is at rock bottom. After years of underfunding, political interference, and relentless pressure, more and more educators are leaving the classroom. Those who stay are stretched to the breaking point.

The numbers tell the story: Georgia has one of the highest teacher turnover rates in the country. More than 40% of new teachers leave within five years. Many cite low pay, crushing workloads, and a lack of respect. But talk to teachers themselves, and one word comes up again and again: burnout.

It isn’t just about long hours and heavy caseloads. Teachers are being told what they can and can’t say about race, history, and even their own students’ identities. Some are being investigated over social media posts. Others have been pulled from classrooms in the middle of the year. That constant surveillance and second-guessing takes its toll.

And when teachers feel demoralized, students suffer too. Larger class sizes, fewer experienced educators, and a revolving door of substitutes all add up. Families notice it. Kids notice it. Communities notice it.

This crisis didn’t happen overnight. For more than two decades, Republicans in the State House have underfunded public schools, tied teachers’ hands, and treated classrooms like political battlefields. The result is exactly what we see now: a profession that feels less like a calling and more like a target.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Georgia Democrats believe that teachers deserve respect, fair pay, and freedom to teach the truth. We know that strong schools require investing in educators — not driving them out.

This year and next, the fight for Georgia’s classrooms will be decided at the ballot box. If we want teachers who feel supported instead of silenced, if we want kids learning from experienced educators instead of burned-out newcomers, we need new leadership in the State House.

Because at the end of the day, the future of Georgia runs straight through our classrooms. And our teachers can’t carry it alone. As you can see below they already have so much on their plate.

Classrooms as Political Footballs

On September 10th, while holding a rally for his organization Turning Point, political influencer Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Orem, Utah. His death was gruesome, tragic, and should never have happened. But what came after revealed just how politicized our classrooms have become.

Kirk built his career attacking DEI, denying the existence of trans people, and spreading harmful stereotypes about marginalized groups. After his death, many of his followers doubled down — portraying him as a martyr while threatening institutions like HBCUs, even though the shooter was white.

The chilling part: teachers and students who criticized Kirk were punished harshly. Two Texas students were expelled after the Governor himself called them out. Professors in Iowa, Mississippi, and New Jersey lost their jobs. Here in Georgia, Cobb County teachers were placed on leave for social media posts.

This sends the message that freedom of speech only applies if you agree with those in power. What are students supposed to think when schools say they value civic engagement but punish dissent? It’s not just hypocrisy — it’s indoctrination.

Worse, some leaders are using this moment to push Turning Point chapters into every high school. Imagine what that means: partisan organizing baked into education, while teachers walk on eggshells about what they can say.

The 2030 Project rejects political violence of any kind. But we also reject classrooms becoming political football fields. When teachers are silenced, when kids are told only one narrative is acceptable, democracy itself is weakened.

History Under Attack

On September 17, the U.S. Department of Education launched the America 250 Civics Education Coalition, partnering with the America First Policy Institute, Turning Point USA, and other far-right organizations. They claim the coalition will “renew patriotism” and “strengthen civic knowledge.”

But in its flashy hype video, the coalition dismissed the last 60–70 years of U.S. education as “false revisionism” and “hatred for America.” Think about that timeline: 1955 to 1965 marks the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, the Voting Rights Act, and landmark protections for Black, brown, and Indigenous communities. Calling that “false history” is nothing less than an attempt to erase the progress that made America more democratic.

This is not just abstract rhetoric. These groups — the same ones aligned with the Trump/Musk administration — want Georgia classrooms to replace honest history with a sanitized, exclusionary narrative. It’s an ode to a version of America that only recognized and represented one group of people.

The 2030 Project rejects this. We believe Georgia classrooms should reflect the diversity of our state and the full, complicated truth of our past. To resist this campaign of censorship, we can:

1. Read and share honest history: Black AF History (Michael Harriot), The 1619 Project (Nikole Hannah-Jones), The Rediscovery of America (Ned Blackhawk).

2. Have conversations across differences: Hearing other people’s stories makes us stronger and allows us to build bridges across cultures.

3. Volunteer in education spaces: Georgia Tutoring Association, AmeriCorps, or your local district.

At the end of the day, who controls the classroom controls the future. And Georgia kids deserve a future grounded in truth, not propaganda.

Closing Note

Education is where Georgia’s future is being written — and right now, Republicans are writing a script of underfunded schools, demoralized teachers, censored classrooms, and partisan indoctrination.

Democrats can flip the script. By winning more seats in the Georgia State House and winning statewide elections, we can invest in teachers, protect truth in classrooms, and ensure every child learns in an environment that prepares them for the future.

This is the fight of the next year. And it’s one we can’t afford to lose.