Georgia State Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods
The Georgia House has passed HB 310, known as the Student Teacher Promotion Act, a measure designed to support future educators and strengthen Georgia’s teacher pipeline.
Shorter University welcomed middle school students from across Georgia as it hosted the Division B Regional competition for the 2025–2026 Georgia Science Olympiad.
Senator Bo Hatchett of Georgia’s District 50 says Senate Bill 148 is designed to help students become more well-rounded by exposing them to lessons they may not learn elsewhere, emphasizing the value of hands-on outdoor education. Supporters note that similar curriculum has been taught in Georgia schools for decades, and they say this bill reinforces the importance of outdoor learning while formalizing hunter education and outdoor classroom opportunities.
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Photo Credit: Education Week
Georgia lawmakers are considering extending a statewide ban on student personal devices to high schools, meaning today’s sophomores could face phone-free school days by their senior year. A ban covering kindergarten through middle school is already set to take effect next fall after passage last year, and the bill’s sponsor now wants to expand that policy to older students beginning in fall 2027.
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.
Chattooga County students will soon have expanded access to school-based mental health care thanks to a $430,000 investment from Atrium Health Floyd, funded by the Atrium Health Floyd-Polk Foundation. The initiative is aimed at strengthening timely, high-quality mental health services for students—addressing needs tied to anxiety, depression, stress, and overall well-being.
Teachers and students across Georgia are being encouraged to spotlight the state’s wildlife through creativity by entering the 36th annual Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest, open to grades K-5.
The Georgia Department of Education has released updated statewide lists of schools exiting federal identification—or making measurable progress toward exiting—along with the new 2024–25 Targeted Support & Improvement (TSI) list.
Families across Chattooga County, Northwest Georgia, and nearby Alabama communities are planning now as school systems across the region have set their Christmas break schedules for the 2025–2026 school year.
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.
