U.S. Secretary of Education Tours Coweta Central Education Center

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited Coweta County on Friday to tour the Central Educational Center (CEC) in Newnan, meeting with students, educators, business leaders, and elected officials to discuss workforce development and career-focused education.

McMahon said she was struck by how quickly the CEC responds to local workforce needs and how early students are exposed to career pathways.

“I’m most impressed with how quickly the response is to what is needed in the workforce and how deep the education environment is going down into the school, starting with eighth grade,” McMahon said during a press gaggle following the visit. “Some instances, they actually get a certificate before they do their diploma.”

The visit was arranged by U.S. Rep. Brian Jack, R-Ga., and included tours of multiple career and technical education labs, a classroom stop in the dental assisting program, and a roundtable discussion with state and local leaders.

A model built on local partnerships

The Central Educational Center is a partnership among the Coweta County School System, West Georgia Technical College, and the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce. The campus allows high school students to earn technical certifications, college credit, or both while completing their diplomas.

CEC CEO Mark Whitlock said the program was intentionally designed to connect education directly to workforce demand.

“This unique joint venture called Central Educational Center connects local business, the Coweta County School System, and West Georgia Tech for the purpose of helping young people get to higher skills by the time they graduate from high school,” Whitlock said during the roundtable.

Rep. Jack said the model grew out of a need identified by the community in the 1990s, when local leaders recognized that many graduates needed more advanced technical training to compete in a changing economy. According to Jack’s office, Georgia has since invested more than $200 million to replicate similar college and career academies across roughly 50 counties.

Inside the dental assisting classroom

During her tour, McMahon spent time in the dental assisting lab, where students train alongside adult learners through a dual enrollment model.

Kim Nolan, program chair for dental assisting at the Central Educational Center, explained that high school and postsecondary students learn side by side, with the same curriculum and expectations.

“We actually have dual enrollment and high school or traditional students in here at the same time,” Nolan said. “They learn the same curriculum, same time, same everything.”

Nolan said the program is one of the only certificates in Georgia authorized to offer an expanded duty credential, allowing graduates to perform additional procedures and earn higher wages. She also noted there are no additional fees for participating students.

Students in the program also volunteer after hours at an on-site clinic operated in partnership with the Good Samaritan Clinic.

“The students volunteer their time to come and help run that clinic,” Nolan said.

McMahon called the clinic model “an amazing” opportunity, noting that students gain hands-on experience while serving the community. Nolan added that many students are hired by dental offices before they even graduate.

“I actually have students that are already working in the dental office while in school,” she said.

Workforce development and graduation rates

During the roundtable discussion, business leaders, educators, and state officials emphasized the role programs like the CEC play in addressing labor shortages and keeping students engaged in school.

McMahon said data shows students in hands-on programs are more likely to stay in school and graduate.

“What statistics have shown already is that those students who are involved in hands-on programs stay in high school, and the graduation rates are much higher,” she said.

Coweta County Schools Superintendent Evan Horton said the district has shifted away from a one-size-fits-all approach to education.

“The change now has come to where we integrate career prep in pretty much everything we do,” Horton said.

A visit with broader implications

McMahon’s stop in Coweta County came as the Trump administration has said it intends to wind down the U.S. Department of Education and return most education authority to the states — a shift that could make McMahon the final person to serve as secretary if those plans are enacted by Congress.

McMahon said her nationwide tour of schools and programs is aimed at identifying best practices that states could use if federal oversight is reduced.

“There is no one-size-fits-all for education,” she said. “If children cannot read by the time they finish the third grade, they are not going to be successful.”

Looking ahead

Rep. Jack said he wanted McMahon to see firsthand how a locally driven education model can work.

“This is one of the greatest success stories in our district,” Jack said during the roundtable.

As McMahon continues her tour of schools across the country, local leaders said they hope the CEC’s approach can serve as an example — regardless of how education policy evolves at the federal level.