West Jackson Elementary School's Dr. Stephanie Westhafer was appointed Tuesday to the Georgia Literacy Task Force by Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones.

Dr. Westhafer's no stranger to serving on statewide literacy councils. She was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp in 2023 to serve on the Georgia Council on Literacy. She will now serve on the Task Force that was established when Governor Kemp signed House Bill 1193 into law in May. HB1193 enacted a grant program to hire literacy coaches in all elementary schools throughout the state, and created the Literacy Task Force.

The Literacy Task Force will evaluate and recommend key components of Georgia's literacy reform under HB1193, which is commonly known as the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026. Among the evaluations and recommendations the Task Force will be responsible for is selecting materials, reviewing screeners, expanding curriculum and assessing programs.