Kemp seeks $2,000 bonuses for teachers soon to speed raise

Brian Kemp wants teachers to get the remaining $2,000 of his proposed $5,000 raise as soon as possible, with plans to ask lawmakers to give teachers a one-time $2,000 bonus before the current budget year ends, according to information obtained by The Associated Press.

The information indicated Kemp would seek to make the increase a permanent part of their salary when the next budget year begins July 1.

“Students from all walks of life are confronted with mental health struggles, teachers are asked to do more and more every year, and the need for a world-class K-12 education to prepare our children for an ever-changing workforce has never been greater,” Kemp plans to say in his annual State of the State speech Thursday, according to draft remarks obtained by the AP.