The Georgia Department of Education is launching Georgia Writes, a new statewide professional learning initiative designed to strengthen writing instruction in classrooms across Georgia, through a partnership with Heggerty—a national leader in evidence-based instructional resources and professional learning.

This initiative builds on Georgia's ongoing investment in literacy by providing teachers and school leaders with research-based professional learning focused on high-quality writing instruction.

"Over the last several years, Georgia has made significant investments in strengthening literacy instruction because we know strong readers become stronger learners in every subject," State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. "Georgia Writes continues that work by deepening our focus on high-quality writing instruction. Reading and writing develop together, and when students are given meaningful opportunities to write, they become stronger communicators, thinkers, and readers. This initiative will provide educators with practical, research-based strategies they can use to help every student grow."

Because strong leadership is essential to sustained instructional improvement, the initiative begins with a professional learning series for school and district leaders before expanding to classroom-focused sessions for teachers. Topics include building a culture of writing; supporting effective instructional practices; coaching teachers; using student work and data to guide improvement; delivering systematic, explicit lessons; and integrating writing as a core component of literacy instruction across all content areas.

"Every child deserves the opportunity to become a confident, capable reader and writer," Heggerty CEO Kai-leé Berke said. "We commend the state of Georgia for its commitment to providing professional learning opportunities for every educator in the state, which ultimately strengthens literacy instruction and ensures that every child has access to high-quality learning opportunities. We are honored to be part of the Georgia Writes initiative and look forward to continued partnership in service of our mutual goal of improving literacy outcomes for children across the state.

Research has consistently shown that effective writing instruction not only helps students become better writers but also strengthens reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and overall literacy achievement. Georgia Writes helps educators translate that research into classroom practice.

In addition to recorded learning sessions, participants will have access to facilitator guides and supporting materials that districts can use to redeliver training locally and sustain professional learning over time.

The Georgia Writes professional learning series launched in June and will continue through March 2027. Schools and districts will continue to be notified directly about opportunities to participate in the series.