Amid $200M Federal Education Cut, GA Federation of Teachers calls on Gov. to Convene Special Session

The Georgia Federation of Teachers (GFT) is urging Governor Brian Kemp and state legislative leaders to call a special session of the General Assembly to address a sudden and severe $200 million funding shortfall in public education following a decision by the Trump Administration to withhold federal dollars from the state. GFT is a group that represents teachers and school staff across Georgia. 

The announcement of the funding cut came at the start of the 2025–2026 fiscal year, after school districts across Georgia had already finalized their budgets. The Federation described the move as a “blindside” to educators and local governments, placing essential programs and staffing at risk.

In a letter from President Verdaillia Turner, sent to Governor Kemp, the Federation wrote:

“We are asking you and/or two-thirds of the Senate and House members to convene a special session… The President made his announcement at the beginning of the new fiscal year, after school districts and states had voted on their budgets… In essence, the state has been blindsided.”

The Federation emphasized that Georgia is in a strong financial position, noting the state’s $15 billion budget surplus, and called for immediate state action to plug the funding gap.

Beyond the financial ask, the group also issued a warning about how new funds should be spent.

“We caution Georgia again against appropriating millions of dollars for education solutions or ideas, as there is no sound evidence-based reason for doing so,” said Turner.

The organization’s stance is clear: public education must be protected, and only evidence-based strategies should be considered when allocating public funds.

The Georgia General Assembly has not yet responded to the request, and Governor Kemp’s office has not issued a statement regarding whether he will call a special session.

In the meantime, school systems across Georgia are grappling with uncertainty, as educators and administrators wait to see whether the state will step in to prevent further disruption to classrooms already strained by rising costs and workforce shortages.