#GeorgiaSchools | AM 1180 Radio

April 29, 2026

Narcan Kits Being Distributed To Northwest Georgia Schools

Local News, Local News Items #BehavioralHealth, #DBHDD, #GeorgiaSchools, #Narcan, #northwestgeorgia, #OpioidCrisis, #OverdosePrevention, #PublicHealth, #SchoolSafety, #WesleysLaw, #wzqznews 0

Opioid overdose reversal kits are being distributed to 180 schools across Northwest Georgia.

The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities is partnering with Northwest Georgia RESA as part of a statewide effort to equip every public school in Georgia with Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.

A “Stuff the Box” event was held Tuesday, April 21, where local education, behavioral health, and public safety professionals helped assemble the kits for schools in the region. Several schools picked up their completed kits the same day.

State officials say the effort is funded through opioid settlement dollars and supports Wesley’s Law, which allows schools to obtain and administer opioid antagonists while providing legal protections for staff acting in good faith.

The statewide initiative has already reached more than 1,300 schools, with a goal of equipping 2,300 schools by the end of the school year.

April 20, 2026

by Jimmy Holbrook

Trion City Schools Hiring Literacy Coach to Strengthen Early Reading Success

Local News, Local News Items #chattoogacounty, #DyslexiaAwareness, #EducationNews, #GeorgiaSchools, #LiteracyCoach, #northwestgeorgia, #NowHiring, #ScienceOfReading, #StudentSuccess, #TeacherSupport, #TeachingJobs, #TrionCitySchools, #wzqznews 0

Trion City Schools is now accepting applications for a Literacy Coach position aimed at improving student reading outcomes and strengthening classroom instruction across the district. The role will focus heavily on supporting teachers and students through evidence-based practices grounded in the science of reading.

April 14, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

State Senator Highlights Major Literacy Investment Following 2026 Session

Local News, Local News Items #ChuckHufstetler, #EarlyLiteracy, #Education, #EducationFunding, #GeorgiaEconomy, #georgiapolitics, #GeorgiaSchools, #GeorgiaSenate, #K3Education, #LiteracyCoaches, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicEducation, #ReadingMatters, #RomeGA, #SchoolNews, #StudentSuccess, #WorkforceDevelopment, #wzqznews 0

As the Georgia General Assembly wrapped up its 2026 regular session last week, State Senator Chuck Hufstetler of Rome is pointing to early childhood literacy as one of the most important issues addressed by lawmakers.

April 7, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Kindergarten Registration Opens April 15 in Chattooga County

Local News, Local News Items #BackToSchool, #chattoogacounty, #ChattoogaSchools, #ClassOf2039, #EducationNews, #EnrollmentCenter, #GeorgiaSchools, #KindergartenRegistration, #LocalSchools, #northwestgeorgia, #Parents, #SchoolEnrollment, #StudentRegistration, #summervillega, #wzqznews 0

Chattooga County Schools will begin kindergarten registration for the upcoming 2026–2027 school year on April 15.

March 28, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Georgia Literacy Bill Becomes Key Battle In Final Days Of Legislative Session

Local News, Local News Items #BreakingNews, #EarlyEducation, #EducationNews, #GALegislature, #georgiapolitics, #GeorgiaSchools, #LiteracyBill, #LocalImpact, #northwestgeorgia, #PublicEducation, #ReadingCrisis, #SchoolFunding, #StateCapitol, #wzqznews 0

A major education bill aimed at improving reading skills across Georgia has become one of the biggest political fights at the State Capitol as lawmakers head into the final days of the legislative session.

March 26, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Georgia DOE Expands Career Pathway Options To Match High-Demand Jobs

Local News, Local News Items #CareerEducation, #CareerPathways, #CollegeAndCareerReady, #ConstructionForGeometry, #CTAE, #EducationUpdate, #FutureWorkforce, #GeorgiaDOE, #GeorgiaEducation, #GeorgiaSchools, #GeorgiaStudents, #HighDemandCareers, #PublicEducation, #StudentSuccess, #TopStateForTalent, #WorkforceDevelopment, #WorkforceReadiness, #wzqznews 0

The Georgia Department of Education is modernizing its Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) structure, reducing the number of career clusters from 17 to 14 to better align with today’s workforce needs.

State leaders say the updated framework keeps all 152 state-approved pathways in place while improving connections between high school coursework, college programs, and in-demand careers across Georgia.

Among the key changes is a stronger focus on high-demand industries to help build a more prepared workforce. The state is also introducing the “Construction for Geometry” option starting in the 2025–2026 school year, allowing students to earn math credit through the Carpentry Pathway.

Officials say the updates are part of Georgia’s “Top State for Talent” initiative, aimed at ensuring students graduate ready for enrollment, employment, enlistment, or entrepreneurship.

March 23, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Lumsden Highlights Education Investments in Proposed FY 2027 Budget

Local News, Local News Items #AfterSchoolPrograms, #chattoogacounty, #EarlyLearning, #EarlyLiteracy, #eddielumsden, #EducationFunding, #FY2027Budget, #GeorgiaBudget, #GeorgiaEarlyLiteracyAct, #GeorgiaEducation, #georgiahouse, #GeorgiaLegislature, #GeorgiaSchools, #HearingScreenings, #K3Reading, #LiteracyCoaches, #MentalHealthSupport, #northwestgeorgia, #PreK, #PublicEducation, #SchoolFunding, #SchoolNutrition, #SchoolSocialWorkers, #StudentSuccess, #SummerPrograms, #TransportationFunding, #VisionScreenings, #wzqznews 0

State Rep. Eddie Lumsden of Armuchee says education remains the largest area of state spending in the Georgia House’s proposed FY 2027 budget, with major investments focused on early literacy, student screenings, pre-K expansion, and additional support for economically disadvantaged students.

March 11, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Trion Elementary Seeking Paraprofessionals for 2026–2027 School Year

Local News, Local News Items #ChattoogaCountyGA, #EducationNews, #GeorgiaSchools, #LocalEducation, #northwestgeorgia, #NowHiring, #ParaprofessionalJobs, #SchoolJobs, #TeacherSupportStaff, #TrionCitySchools, #TrionElementarySchool, #trionga, #wzqznews 0

Trion Elementary School is seeking applicants to fill two paraprofessional positions for the 2026–2027 school year.

The positions are based at Trion Elementary School and involve assisting teachers and supporting elementary students in the classroom.

According to the posting, candidates must have at least a high school diploma or GED and meet one of the following qualifications:

Hold an associate’s degree or higher from a Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) accepted accredited institution with at least 60 semester hours of college coursework, or
Pass the GACE Paraprofessional Assessment.

Interested candidates are asked to submit an application and letter of interest to Beth Pelham at beth.pelham@trionschools.org.

March 3, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Trion City Schools Seeking Student Advocacy Specialist for 2026–2027 School Year

Local News, Local News Items #BehavioralHealth, #chattoogacounty, #CommunityResources, #EducationNews, #GeorgiaSchools, #MentalHealth, #northwestgeorgia, #NowHiring, #SchoolJobs, #studentsupport, #TrionCitySchools, #trionga, #wzqznews, #YouthServices 0

Trion City Schools Hiring Student Advocacy Specialist; Applications Due March 6

WZQZ News — Trion City Schools is now accepting applications for a Student Advocacy Specialist for the 2026–2027 school year.

The district says the job is part-time, with a maximum of 20 hours per week, and the person hired will focus on helping identify and support students who may be struggling with mental or behavioral health concerns.

March 3, 2026

by WZQZ NEWS

Georgia DOE Launches Reading Readiness Dashboard; 65% of Third Graders Reading on Grade Level

Local News, Local News Items #AcademicSuccess, #EarlyLiteracy, #EducationNews, #GeorgiaDepartmentOfEducation, #GeorgiaDOE, #GeorgiaEarlyLiteracyAct, #GeorgiaMilestones, #GeorgiaSchools, #LexileScores, #LiteracyMatters, #ParentResources, #ReadingReadiness, #SchoolData, #StateBoardOfEducation, #StudentAchievement, #ThirdGradeReading, #wzqznews 0

The Georgia Department of Education has unveiled a Reading Readiness Dashboard designed to give parents, educators, and community members clear access to statewide data on student literacy.

State officials say the online dashboard makes it easier to view students’ grade-level reading status across Georgia, broken down by grade level and subgroup.

The tool uses the Georgia Milestones assessment’s Grade-Level Reading Indicator, which assigns students a Lexile score based on their performance on reading questions in the English Language Arts assessment. The indicator is aligned with the State Literacy Metric adopted by the State Board of Education, as required by the Georgia Early Literacy Act.

Users can click the “by subgroup” tab to view statewide percentages of students reading at or above grade level, then filter by subgroup or adjust the grade level or course being viewed.

According to the dashboard, 65 percent of Georgia third-grade students are currently reading at or above grade level.

State education leaders say the goal is to ensure transparency and provide families and communities with accessible data to better understand reading readiness and support literacy efforts across Georgia schools.