Georgia State Senator Billy Hickman and Tattnall County School Superintendent Dr. Kristen Waters gave an informative update to Glennville Rotarians at their August 19, 2026, meeting on the progress being made on literacy in Georgia, and specifically on an increase in reading proficiency in Tattnall County.
Hickman pointed out that North Tattnall Elementary School (NTES) led among the 40 schools in the 19-county RESA (Regional Education Services Agency) as the number one school in reading proficiency increase from beginning of school year 2025 to end of school year, and Waters added that South Tattnall Elementary School (STES) was number three of 40 schools. The Tattnall school system was rated No. 8 overall in achievement out of 19 counties.
She added that one of the challenges is the number of non-verbal students who come into the system, many times as a result of too much screen time on cell phones and other devices without interacting with parents and other adults in conversation, with a low vocabulary as a result.
Waters commented the good news is that those who are now fifth grade students in Tattnall, their reading proficiency is now at or above grade level. This shows that the emphasis on phonics and reading proficiency beginning in kindergarten and enhanced with a literacy coach in each elementary school are working to raise reading scores.
"By the third grade, students should be reading to learn instead of learning to read. We are seeing the positive results of this emphasis on literacy and phonics," said Waters.
In his comments, Senator Hickman reported that the General Assembly's emphasis has been focused on education, and he sees that as his niche, also, even though he is steeped in the financial world as a CPA (Certified Public Accountant).
He said he had become alarmed when he discovered that in 2019, 38 percent of the third graders in Georgia were not reading on grade level. A $100 million was placed in the budget this past year for literacy, and $70 million of that was to hire a literacy coach in every K-3 school, and this coach was required to be in a classroom 70 percent of that time. In 2019, before COVID, Georgia was 42nd in the nation in third grade reading scores.
Hickman reported that House Bill 1193 provides that every child before advancing into first grade must pass a proficiency test to move into first grade.
Also, a shortage of teachers is statewide, although Waters reported that Tattnall schools began the year with all positions filled by certified teachers except for two who were student teachers completing their requirements. Another plus for meeting this shortage is allowing retired teachers with 30 years experience to return to the classroom full time and draw their full retirement.
In December 2024, Hickman said 6230 certified teacher vacancies were reported in Georgia, followed by 5438 certified teacher vacancies in December 2025.
Waters reported salary was one contributing issue to the teacher shortage, since a certified teacher's beginning salary is $42,000, and it is $40,000 if not certified.
"Another issue is that there is a salary cap for teachers at 20 years," she said.
Hickman pointed out that Georgia did not have an optometry school, and the General Assembly has providing for that with $30 million placed in the budget, with an optometry school to be placed on the Georgia Southern campus.
He also commented on the Dublin, Georgia, city school system, in which Governor Kemp had just removed the board of education members for their failures in several areas, which included a $20 million deficit, failure in the conducting of audits for several years, and other financial related debacles.
He added that now cell phones are not allowed in elementary and middle grades, and this will be in force for high school grades in the 2027-2028 school year. The teachers are now seeing students interact with each other in conversation instead of being glued to their cell phones.
