#Education | AM 1180 Radio

September 25, 2026

Berry College Ranked No. 1 For Best Value And Undergraduate Teaching In South

Local News, Local News Items #berrycollege, #BestValue, #ChattoogaInfo, #CollegeNews, #CollegeRankings, #Education, #floydcountyga, #GeorgiaColleges, #highereducation, #LifeWorks, #northwestgeorgia, #RomeGA, #UndergraduateTeaching, #USNews, #USNewsRankings, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

Berry College has earned top honors in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, including two No. 1 rankings among regional universities in the South.

The Rome college was ranked No. 1 for Best Value and No. 1 for Best Undergraduate Teaching. Berry also placed second overall among regional universities in the South, a category covering institutions across 13 states and territories.

Berry says its Best Value ranking reflects affordability efforts along with its LifeWorks program, which guarantees students up to eight semesters of paid, hands-on professional development experience. The college reports awarding more than $60 million in financial aid, with all undergraduate students receiving some form of financial assistance.

Berry’s undergraduate teaching recognition comes as the college maintains a 12-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, which the school says allows for greater individual attention and mentoring.

Berry also received national recognition, ranking eighth in the country for service learning and remaining among the nation’s top 40 schools for first-year experience.

The rankings represent an improvement from previous years. In the 2024 U.S. News rankings, Berry was No. 2 for both Best Value and Undergraduate Teaching and fourth overall among regional universities in the South.

U.S. News says its rankings consider factors including graduation and retention rates, social mobility, graduate debt, earnings, faculty information and admissions data. Peer assessments from academics account for 20 percent of the methodology.

September 16, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Helps Develop National Education Playbook Focused On Better Student Outcomes

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #chattoogacountynews, #ChattoogaCountySchools, #ChattoogaInfo, #Education, #EducationPolicy, #EducationResearch, #EducationResources, #EvidenceBasedDecisionMaking, #EvidenceBasedEducation, #GaDOE, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfEducation, #GeorgiaEducation, #georgianews, #GeorgiaSchools, #InstituteOfEducationSciences, #LearningAgenda, #LearningAgendaPlaybook, #LocalNews, #LocalSchools, #NationalComprehensiveCenter, #NorthGeorgia, #northwestgeorgia, #northwestgeorgianews, #PublicEducation, #RichardWoods, #RuralEducation, #RuralGeorgia, #RuralSchools, #SpecialEducation, #SpecialEducationTeachers, #StudentOutcomes, #StudentSuccess, #summervillega, #TeacherRetention, #TeacherWorkforce, #TrionCitySchools, #trionga, #USDepartmentOfEducation, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Georgia is one of just eight states that helped develop and test a new national education framework designed to help states determine which programs are working and where education resources can have the greatest impact on students.

September 15, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Chattooga County Board Of Education Meeting Set For Thursday

Local News, Local News Items #BoardOfEducation, #ChattoogaBOE, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaCountyBoardOfEducation, #ChattoogaCountySchools, #chattoogahighschool, #ChattoogaInfo, #CommunityNews, #Education, #GeorgiaSchools, #LocalGovernment, #LocalSchools, #LyerlyElementarySchool, #lyerlyga, #MenloElementarySchool, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicEducation, #PublicSchools, #SchoolBoard, #SchoolBoardMeeting, #summervillega, #summervillemiddleschool, #trionga, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

The Chattooga County Board of Education will hold its regular September meeting later this week.

The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 17, from 6 until 8 PM at the Chattooga County Education Center, 206 Penn Street in Summerville.

Under the school system’s 2026-2027 meeting schedule, the Board of Education normally meets on the third Thursday of each month at 6 PM, with exceptions during October, February and April.

The September meeting comes as the school system moves further into the 2026-2027 academic year.

The school board is currently chaired by Lori Brady, with Tiffany Lawrence serving as vice-chair. Other members are Chad Dodd, Bonnie Fletcher and Derrick Eckroat. Dr. Michelle Helie serves as superintendent of Chattooga County Schools.

Thursday’s meeting is open to the public. The school system also provides a formal process for members of the public who wish to participate in board meetings.

The Chattooga County Board of Education September meeting begins at 6 PM Thursday at the Chattooga County Education Center on Penn Street in Summerville.

September 11, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

More Than 87,000 Books Going To Georgia Pre-K Students

Local News, Local News Items #BooksForKids, #BrightFromTheStart, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #ChildhoodLiteracy, #CoyBowles, #DECAL, #EarlyLearning, #EarlyLiteracy, #Education, #GeorgiaEducation, #GeorgiaPreK, #GeorgiaPreKWeek, #LocalNews, #lyerlyga, #MalcolmMitchell, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #Reading, #summervillega, #trionga, #UGA, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, #ZacBrownBand 0

More than 87,000 Georgia Pre-K students will soon receive a new book of their own as part of a statewide effort to promote early literacy and learning.

September 9, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Tillotson Menlo Charitable Foundation Accepting 2026 Grant Applications

Local News, Local News Items #501c3, #ArtsAndCulture, #CharitableFoundation, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaCountyGA, #ChattoogaInfo, #CommunityDevelopment, #CommunityEnhancement, #CommunityGrants, #CommunityInvestment, #CommunityNews, #CommunityOrganizations, #EconomicDevelopment, #Education, #EnvironmentalImprovement, #GrantApplications, #GrantFunding, #healthcare, #LocalNews, #LocalNonprofits, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #NonprofitGrants, #NonprofitOrganizations, #NorthGeorgia, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicAgencies, #SocialWelfare, #summervillega, #TillotsonFoundation, #TillotsonMenloCharitableFoundation, #trionga, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia, menlo 0

The Tillotson Menlo Charitable Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2026 grant cycle, continuing a program that has provided more than $8.4 million for projects benefiting Menlo, Chattooga County and surrounding areas over the past two decades.

September 3, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Northwestern Technical College Offering Free Three-Day GED Program

Community Calandar, Community Calendar, Local News, Local News Items #AdultEducation, #ChattoogaInfo, #DaltonGA, #Education, #FreeGED, #GED, #GEDProgram, #GeorgiaNorthwesternTechnicalCollege, #GNTC, #northwestgeorgia, #TechnicalCollege, #WhitfieldCountyGA, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Georgia Northwestern Technical College is offering an opportunity for adults to earn their GED in just three days at no cost through an accelerated program coming up in October.

The program will be held October 15-17 at GNTC’s Whitfield Murray Campus, located at 2310 Maddox Chapel Road in Dalton.

Participants who qualify will receive free GED instruction, free practice tests and free GED testing, along with free meals and snacks during the three-day program.

Pre-registration is required by September 16, and space is limited. Those registering must also attend an assessment session on either September 19 or September 24.

The program is available to adults 18 and older, and a government-issued ID is required. GNTC notes that not every applicant will qualify for the accelerated three-day program, but other learning options are available for those who do not.

Anyone interested in participating can contact GNTC Adult Education at 706-272-2909 or adulted@gntc.edu for additional information.

August 23, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Speak Life Special Needs Family Support Group Hosting IEP Discussion In Trion

Community Calandar, Community Calendar, Local News, Local News Items #504Plan, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #CollegeOptions, #CommunityEvents, #CommunitySupport, #Education, #FamilyResources, #FamilySupport, #Homeschool, #IEP, #IndividualizedEducationProgram, #lyerlyga, #MenloGA, #northwestgeorgia, #ParentSupport, #RespiteCare, #SpeakLife, #SpeakLifeChattoogaCounty, #SpecialEducation, #SpecialEducationResources, #SpecialNeeds, #SpecialNeedsFamilies, #SpecialNeedsSupport, #summervillega, #trionga, #trionrecreationdepartment, #WorkplaceAccommodations, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Speak Life, a special needs family support group serving Chattooga County, will hold its August gathering Saturday, August 29, at 11 AM at the Trion Recreation Department.

August 19, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Georgia Northwestern Technical College Hiring Financial Aid Technician

Local News, Local News Items #CareerOpportunity, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaInfo, #Education, #Employment, #financialaid, #FinancialAidTechnician, #GeorgiaJobs, #GeorgiaNorthwesternTechnicalCollege, #GNTC, #HigherEducationJobs, #Hiring, #JobOpening, #LocalJobs, #northwestgeorgia, #NorthwestGeorgiaJobs, #NowHiring, #summervillega, #TCSG, #TechnicalCollege, #TechnicalCollegeSystemOfGeorgia, #WZQZ, #wzqznews 0

Georgia Northwestern Technical College is currently accepting applications for a Financial Aid Technician.

GNTC announced the job opening this week and is directing interested applicants to the State of Georgia’s online careers website to apply.

The Financial Aid Technician position supports the college’s financial aid operations, which help students navigate the process of obtaining financial assistance for their education.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College serves students throughout northwest Georgia with campuses in Catoosa, Chattooga, Floyd, Gordon, Polk and Walker counties.

Those interested in the position can view the complete job description, qualifications and application information and submit an application online through the State of Georgia Careers website at careers.georgia.gov.

GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.

August 14, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Booth Museum Invites School Employees To Free ‘Mysteries At The Museum’ Educator Night

Community Calandar, Community Calendar, Local News, Local News Items #BartowCounty, #BoothMuseum, #BoothWesternArtMuseum, #CartersvilleGA, #ChattoogaInfo, #Education, #EducatorNight, #Educators, #FreeAdmission, #GeorgiaTeachers, #LocalEvents, #MuseumEvents, #MysteriesAtTheMuseum, #northwestgeorgia, #SchoolEmployees, #September10, #September102026, #TeacherAppreciation, #Teachers, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

School employees from across Northwest Georgia are invited to put their detective skills to the test during a special Educator Night — Mysteries at the Museum at the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville.

August 14, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Driver’s Education Course Coming To Chattooga County; Scholarships Available

Community Calandar, Community Calendar, Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaCountyGA, #ChattoogaInfo, #ClassDLicense, #DriverEducationScholarship, #DriverSafety, #DriversEd, #DriversEducation, #DriversLicense, #DriverTraining, #DrivingSchool, #Education, #GeorgiaDriverEducationGrant, #GeorgiaDrivers, #GeorgiaNorthwesternTechnicalCollege, #GNTC, #JoshuaLaw, #JoshuasLaw, #LocalEducation, #NewDrivers, #northwestgeorgia, #October2026, #Scholarships, #StudentDrivers, #summervillega, #TeenDrivers, #WZQZ, #wzqznews, georgia 0

Young drivers in Chattooga County will have an opportunity this fall to complete a driver’s education course that meets the requirements of Georgia’s Joshua’s Law.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College will offer Driver’s Education at the Chattooga County Educational Center October 6-9, 2026. Classes will meet Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The course provides the training required under Joshua’s Law, including 30 hours of classroom instruction and six hours of drive time with a certified instructor for students seeking a Class D driver’s license.

Students who successfully complete the course may also qualify for the Teen Driver’s Education insurance discount offered by many insurance companies.

The cost of the course is $400 per person, but families should know that scholarships are available through the Georgia Driver’s Education Grant Scholarship program. Those interested in financial assistance are encouraged to apply for a scholarship before enrolling.

GNTC is also offering Driver’s Education courses at several of its other Northwest Georgia locations. September classes are planned at the Catoosa County Campus, followed by the Chattooga County course in October. Additional classes are scheduled in Floyd, Catoosa, Whitfield-Murray and Walker counties through the spring of 2027.

For registration information, contact GNTC’s Office of Economic Development at 706-516-5442 or by email at DriversEd@gntc.edu.

The Chattooga County class is scheduled for October 6, 7, 8 and 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the Chattooga County Educational Center.