Decatur, Brookhaven Schools Awarded Computer Science Grants

DECATUR, GA — The Georgia Department of Education awarded a second round of grants to help districts across the state build teacher capacity around computer science education, according to a Dec. 21 press release from the education department — which included City Schools of Decatur and Brookhaven Innovation Academy.

The first round of grants — which amounted to $744,000 and did not include City Schools of Decatur or Brookhaven Innovation Academy— were announced in November 2019. This year, the 30 districts will receive various portions of $645,000. It is unclear how much money each district will receive.

Computer science has become a high-demand career across multiple industries and "includes skills all students need to learn," the release said. Thus far, the largest challenge for school districts in building this new discipline is building teaching capacity — there are 403 credentialed computer science teachers and 1,000 middle and high school teachers in Georgia, according to data from the release.

"These grants are another great step forward in ensuring Georgia becomes the Technology Capital of the East Coast," Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan said in the press release. "Just recently, the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, which is spearheading our effort to make Georgia the Tech Capital of the East Coast, designated STEM K-12 education as one of its top priorities for additional growth."

Funds were awarded through a competitive application process, with priority given to school systems serving highly impoverished and/or rural communities, according to the release.

"It's our job as educators to prepare students not for the world of today, but for the world of tomorrow," State Superintendent Richard Woods said in the release. "Children in public schools today need to be equipped to build successful lives in the future. Focusing on computer science as an essential K-12 discipline ensures students are prepared not just with technical skills but with experience in problem-solving and real-world thinking that will serve them well in any career they choose."

The grant is allocated to the department's Roadmap to Reimagining K-12 Education initiative, which calls for setting the expectation that every child, in every part of the state, has access to a well-rounded education— including computer science.

The other districts awarded grants include:

• Baconton Community Charter School
• Baldwin County Schools
• Brantley County Schools
• Buford City Schools
• Butts County Schools
• Cartersville City Schools
• Chattahoochee County Schools
• Cobb County Schools
• Coweta County Schools
• Crisp County Schools
• Dooly County Schools
• Early County Schools
• Gilmer County Schools
• Gordon County Schools
• Henry County Schools
• Jeff Davis County Schools
• Lumpkin County Schools
• Meriwether County Schools
• Pickens County Schools
• Pierce County Schools
• Rome City Schools
• Savannah-Chatham County Schools
• Seminole County Schools
• Stephens County Schools
• Talbot County Schools
• Terrell County Schools
• Turner County Schools
• Washington County Schools