
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is now accepting applications for the 2026–2027 Georgia Pre-K Teachers of the Year program.

The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) is now accepting applications for the 2026–2027 Georgia Pre-K Teachers of the Year program.

Two educators from the Chattooga County School District are being recognized statewide for excellence in science instruction. Erin Smith of Leroy Massey Elementary and Melissa Rowe of Chattooga High School have been named Georgia Science Teachers Association (GSTA) Science Teachers of the Year, earning top honors at the elementary and high school levels.
District leaders say Smith and Rowe were selected for their dedication, instructional leadership, and passion for engaging students in meaningful science learning. Their recognition, the district says, reflects the high-quality science instruction delivered across Chattooga County classrooms each day.
The GSTA Teacher of the Year Award honors educators with a proven record of excellence and impact on student learning. Award recipients receive a $1,500 honorarium and complimentary registration to the GSTA Annual Conference. The district is encouraging the community to join in congratulating both teachers on the achievement.

A North Georgia Lottery player is celebrating a life-changing win after claiming a $3 million top prize from a Georgia Lottery scratch-off ticket, one of several major payouts announced across the state in a single week. The win was part of a broader surge in lottery prizes, with players statewide collecting tens of millions of dollars from scratch-off and draw games.

As the new year begins, the Georgia Department of Education is turning its attention to the 2026 General Assembly, releasing a new list of legislative priorities aimed at shaping education policy under the Gold Dome.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Office of Adult Education held its Fall 2025 Graduation Ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 18, honoring students who earned their High School Equivalency (HSE) diplomas.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College President Heidi Popham has been elected to serve on the board of trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the accrediting body for degree-granting higher education institutions across the southern states.

Troyanna “Troy” Foster, an Adult Basic Education (ABE) instructor with Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) Adult Education program, has been named GNTC’s Adult Education Teacher of the Year for 2026.

A new statewide initiative will soon place opioid overdose reversal kits in every Georgia public school, as state education and behavioral health leaders move to strengthen emergency preparedness amid the opioid crisis.

Youth LEAD Georgia™ has announced the graduation of its 2025 leadership cohort, celebrating 28 outstanding high school students from across the state—including Summerville’s own Adalyn Winder, who represented Chattooga County on the statewide stage.