(a) All employees of the commission shall be subject to and covered by Article 1 of Chapter 20 of Title 45, but the position of executive director and such other employee positions as may be determined by the commission to be exempt from the classified service pursuant to that article shall be exempt unclassified positions, and the commission shall determine and fix the salary and other compensation and benefits to be paid or provided to the employees occupying those positions. All full-time employees of the commission shall be members of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, except for members of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia who, without any break in service, become full-time employees of the commission. Such employees shall continue as members of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia.

(b) Those positions and employees of the Department of Education which are assigned the sole responsibility for management, professional, and clerical services to nonpublic postsecondary schools and proprietary schools programs are transferred to the commission. All such employees transferred to the commission shall retain all existing rights under the state merit system, the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, and the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia.