Gov. Deal names CHS graduate to ed advisory panel
Echols County School Superintendent Tim Ragan
Ragan is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ragan of Cairo, and he is a 1979 graduate of Cairo High School.
“With the members of my Education Advisory Board now in place, I look forward to meeting with them on a quarterly basis to discuss how we can continue to improve educational outcomes for Georgia students,” said Deal. “The Georgians on these panels are leaders in their fields, and they are giving of their time and talents to help our state strive for educational excellence.”
Deal first announced the creation of the Education Advisory Board during his “Eggs and Issues” speech last month: “The minds of our children are our greatest resource,” said Deal, “I am hopeful that by partnering with those on the frontlines, we can make better policy decisions for our educators and students.”
Ragan has been in education for over 26 years. Prior to becoming superintendent, he served as the principal in Echols County for eight years. Before joining the Echols County school system, he worked in Lanier County schools for 18 years as agriculture teacher, FFA advisor, later moving into administrative roles as vocational director and assistant principal.
Ragan is a 1984 graduate of The University of Georgia where he received his bachelor of science in agriculture majoring in agricultural education. In 2001, he earned his master’s degree in educational leadership at Valdosta State University and he went on to earn his specialist in 2002 from Nova Southeastern University. He completed the Superintendent Professional Development Program in August 2005.
Along with his professional accomplishments, Ragan is also active in the community. He was a member of the Leadership Georgia Class of 2004.
He served as a Lanier County commissioner from 1997 through 2004, while also a member of the Industrial Authority and the Parks and Recreation Authority Board. He is currently president of the Echols County Lions Club and a member of Unity United Methodist Church in Lakeland.
Ragan’s wife, Sylvia, is also an educator. She is employed by Lanier County High School as the Work-Based Learning Coordinator and Graphic Communications instructor.
Their son, James, is a sophomore at South Georgia College, and their daughter, Callie, is a junior at Echols County High.
The Governor’s Education Advisory Board is comprised of four different groups including school superintendents, principals, teachers and school board members from across the state. One of each of these groups was selected from each Congressional District.
