The Georgia Department of Education hosted its first-ever Teach in the Peach Statewide Educator Signing Day yesterday at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, presented by the College Football Playoff Foundation and the Atlanta Host Committee.

Modeled after athletic signing days, the event honored high school seniors – along with college students and adults changing careers – who are committed to pursue careers in the teaching profession. More than 300 future educators from 48 Georgia school districts attended the event.

The Atlanta signing day was bolstered by satellite events throughout the state, where another 1,500 students from 68 school districts signified their commitment to pursue careers in education.

The future educators were joined by State School Superintendent Richard Woods, College Football Playoff Foundation Partnerships Manager Margaret Frank, 2024 Georgia Teacher of the Year and Teach in the Peach Lead Christy Todd, and others to celebrate their decision to step into the classroom. The 2025 and 2023 Georgia Teachers of the Year, Holly Witcher and Michael Kobito, emceed the event.

“I am incredibly proud of the nearly 2,000 future educators who have signaled their commitment to serve Georgia’s current and future students,” Superintendent Woods said. “The most important thing we can do to ensure an excellent education for every student is placing an outstanding teacher in every classroom. In Georgia – which, earlier this year, was named the top state in the nation for teacher morale – we are committed to supporting teachers and recruiting and retaining the best of the best to serve in our classrooms.”

Signing Day Bonus Scholarships and Classroom Grants Awarded

The College Football Playoff Foundation and the Atlanta Host Committee served as presenting sponsors for the statewide Signing Day. Additionally, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, the University of West Georgia, and the Georgia Early Childhood Education Foundation collectively funded thirty $500 Signing Day Bonus Scholarships for students attending the Atlanta and satellite events, and the Georgia Teachers Initiative – through the Georgia Foundation for Public Education – provided over $20,000 in classroom grants for new teachers.

“The College Football Playoff Foundation is happy to continue supporting aspiring teachers in Georgia and to further develop our Go Teach initiative by establishing this first-ever Educator Signing Day event,” said Britton Banowsky, the Foundation’s Executive Director. “Through recruitment programs like Teach in the Peach, we’re supporting pipelines of teachers who are already connected to their communities and can share their experiences with future students.”

Committing to the Calling to Teach: Voices of Future Educators

All students at the statewide Signing Day signed commitment certificates memorializing their dedication to careers in education.

One of those students, Bacon County High School senior Marianna Maite Carillo, hopes to become an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher. Throughout her own journey as a student, she often felt disconnected from her teachers and even considered dropping out – until her high-school ESOL teacher, Mrs. Kristin Straub, encouraged her to keep going. By her senior year, she was working with ESOL students at her local primary school through the Early Childhood Education Career Pathway.

“Now, I understand and appreciate why my teachers always pushed me,” Carillo said. “I want to instill motivation, support, and love in children, helping them realize their potential. Participating in Educator Signing Day is more than just a ceremonial event; it embodies a deeply emotional commitment to the noble calling of teaching. This moment represents the culmination of years of perseverance, countless late nights of study, and a profound passion for making a meaningful impact on the lives of others.”

Another student in attendance, Jay Lovett, is a graduate of Treutlen High School and a current senior at Kennesaw State University. He plans to enter the teaching profession after graduation.

“This day is a momentous occasion for all of us and an opportunity to celebrate the many opportunities I’ve been given, through my university, along with my future as an educator,” Lovett said. “There are a lot of students, especially in rural areas, who may not know the opportunities that are available to them. I want to be a voice for those students and advocate on their behalf.”