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The ADVANCE, November 1, 2023/Page 12A
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
EXEMPLARY GROWTH RATE - The Montgomery County Elementary School 4th Grade
Reading teaching team was recognized for their achievement of the Heart of Geor
gia RESA Highest Growth Rate for 4fh grade reading, L fo R: Assistant Superintendent
Beverly Faircloth, 4th Grade ELA teacher Jennifer Cardinal, Superintendent Stan Rentz,
4th Grade Gifted Teacher Amber Durrence, Board Chairman Henry Price, and Special
Education teacher Sherri Covington.
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
HIGHEST U.S. HISTORY PASS RATE - Montgomery County High School U.S. History teacher
Melissa Barrow was honored for having the highest passing rate for U.S. History in the
Heart of Georgia RESA district. Barrow's passing rate was also noted as one of the high
est in the state. L to R: Assistant Superintendent Beverly Faircloth, Superintendent Stan
Rentz, U.S. History Teacher Melissa Barrow, Board Chairman Henry Price.
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
HIGHEST 7TH GRADE MATH GROWTH RATE - Montgomery County Eagle Academy
Teacher Leslie Thomas was unable to join her fellow 7th grade math teaching team, as
they were recognized for their achievement of having the Heart of Georgia RESA High
est Growth Rate for 7th grade math. L to R: Assistant Superintendent Beverly Faircloth,
Superintendent Stan Rentz, Retired 7th Grade Math Teacher Beth Shannon, Special
Education Teacher Lindsey White, Board Chairman Henry Price.
MoCo
continued from page 1A
school system’s Assistant
Superintendent and Di
rector of Curriculum since
2021.
“The decision to re
tire was not made lightly”
Faircloth emphasized. “I
have thoroughly enjoyed
my time in Montgomery
County both as principal
of Montgomery County
Elementary and as Assis
tant Superintendent. Some
of the best leaders and
educators that I've had the
privilege of working with
over the past 31 years are
right here in Montgomery
County. As I told Dr. Rentz
and the members of the
Board of Education, the
past 5 years have truly been
the best of my career be
cause of the people of this
community and the sup
port offered by the leader
ship of this system, which
does not happen in every
school district.”
When asked why she
has chosen to retire at this
point in the school year,
Faircloth shared that she
has a new opportunity arise
to complete a career goal
that she has held for many
years. “I chose to retire at
this time to accept a posi
tion with Brewton-Parker
College as a full-time fac
ulty member and Division
Chair of Education and
Behavioral Sciences,” she
explained. “Although the
Christ-first philosophy has
always driven my actions
and reactions throughout
my public school career,
having the freedom to
share my faith openly and
have a more direct impact
on adult students was a
strong motivation for my
decision. As an alumna of
Brewton-Parker College,
I know first-hand how
valuable that can be in the
life of young adults. I will
certainly miss working
with the faculty, staff, and
leadership of Montgom
ery County. However, I
look forward to continuing
to be a part of this com
munity and to making an
impact by pouring into the
lives of future teachers.”
Milestone Recognitions
Assistant Superinten
dent Beverly Faircloth,
Board Chairman Henry
Price, and Superinten
dent Stan Rentz presented
several teachers with cer
tificates acknowledging
them for having the larg
est amount of growth and
highest passing rates in
their subjects on the an
nual Georgia Milestone
Assessments.
“Heart of Georgia
RESA is one of 10 RESAs
in the entire state. We have
10 counties in our RESA -
there’s Wilcox [County],
Pulaski [County], Bleck
ley [County], Laurens
[County], Dublin City
Schools, Treutlen [Coun
ty], Wheeler [County],
Telfair [County], Dodge
[County], and us,” Fair
cloth explained. “We were
giving certificates for
Georgia Milestone Assess
ment growth and highest
rates, so I want to recognize
those teachers.”
Fourth grade reading
teacher Jennifer Cardinal,
fourth Grade gifted teach
er Amber Durrence, and
special education teacher
Sherri Covington were
honored for their work in
helping students earn the
highest rate of growth in
fourth grade reading in the
RESA district, which Fair
cloth said is made up of 33
fourth grade teachers and
around 28 fourth grade
classrooms.
Seventh grade math
teacher Beth Shannon -
who retired at the end of
the 2022/2023 school
year - and her teaching
team, which includes Eagle
Academy math teacher
Leslie Thomas and special
education teacher Lindsey
White, were also honored
for having the highest sev
enth grade math growth
rate in the Heart of Georgia
RESA.
Both eighth grade
Georgia studies teacher
Lee Burkett and high
school U.S. history Tteach-
er Melissa Barrow were pre
sented with certificates for
having the highest passing
rates in the Heart of Geor
gia RESA for their subjects
on the Georgia Milestone
Assessment. Faircloth even
shared that Barrow’s pass
rate for the U.S. history
Milestone Assessment was
among the top pass rates in
the entire state.
Board Chairman Hen
ry Price commented on
the recognitions. “It really
shows where we’re at in the
school system when these
teachers take on these
awards and they’re top in
their areas - we have a lot to
be proud of,” he remarked.
“Teachers, I’m proud of
you. Without your success,
our students wouldn’t have
success - so, thank you for
all you do.”
Personnel
Recommendations
The Board voted to
officially hire Billy Good
win as the school’s new
Director of Technology.
Goodwin’s first official day
of employment will be
November 1, but he was at
the meeting to address the
Board about his hopes for
this new role.
“I just want to say
thank you for the opportu
nity,” he told the Board. “I
love IT -1 have been doing
IT for going on six years. It
was an honor to interview
and go through the pro
cess, and I hope to come
on board and be able to
take it and hit the ground
running to make it the best
as possible. I want to take it
from where it’s at and make
it better - to do everything
possible to help the stu
dents and staff of Mont
gomery County School
System. Again, thank you
for the opportunity.”
Board members also
voted to allow current
Montgomery County
Elementary School P.E.
teacher and Varsity Head
Baseball/Softball Coach
Chase Young to drive half
of a daily bus route in or
der to replace former bus
driver Buck Brazell, and to
hire Rachel Robinson and
Marvin Howard as substi
tute teachers, effective ret
roactively to September 11.
Public Participation
The Reverend Muriel
Bell spoke to the Board
about the importance of
incorporating education
about mental and social
health in the school’s cur
riculum.
Bell, who is both a
resident and business
man within Montgomery
County, said that he want
ed to share a few thoughts
and ideas for the Board to
think about regarding bet
tering the education for
students in the county.
“I am doing an assess
ment to measure students
on their social and emo
tional capacities to hope
fully help their mental
health and learning readi
ness,” he explained. “We
can do something a little
bit better to make sure stu
dents get that. I know there
is funding, but you always
have to have an answer to
the problem. The answer to
the problem is to have the
teachers have more train
ing. Funding is available in
the state - you just have to
put in for it and know how
to get it. This money will
better help our students in
Montgomery County to be
ready especially with their
social skills.”
He continued, “What
we have going on in the
state of Georgia today is
mental health issues. I see
it all the time, especially in
our students. Let’s look at
them as students and not
adults - let’s not expect the
outcomes of our students
to be as that of adults. You
have to think like a student
thinks.”
Bell said the key to
treating students as stu
dents and not as adults is
to listen to the students’
concerns more. “You say,
‘They should be able to
handle this.’ Maybe they
can’t. What some students
can handle, other students
cannot handle. So, let’s find
a way to help them in that
area.”
He also spoke on the
importance of informing
students about the dan
gers of gangs and helping
steer them away from that
lifestyle. “Throughout the
state of Georgia, you’ll find
that in every school, the
gang rate is going up,” Bell
told the Board.
According to Bell, the
Gang Resistance and Read
iness Program, with which
he is currently undergo
ing training at the Geor
gia Public Safety Training
Center, may be utilized to
educate students about
gangs and deter them from
that lifestyle.
“Bring it to the school
- let’s get these children
ready because it’s out
there,” he emphasized. “If
you actually do assess
ments - which I know be
cause I go to court a lot -
we have gangs everywhere.
A lot of our gang members
in our school system are
coming from alternative
school. What’s going on at
alternative school? A lot
of these children are go
ing to school, staying half a
day, and then, going home
to the streets - nobody’s
there. A lot of these schools
are doing that, and that’s
the way to get them.”
Bell shared that Eman
uel County recently began
a program to deal with
these issues and found
great success, and he would
be willing to help Mont
gomery County Schools
make the same changes.
Board Chairman Henry
Price thanked Bell for his
time and encouraged him
to meet with Superinten
dent Stan Rentz in the fu
ture to speak further about
the topic and potential cur
riculum.
“It takes a village to
raise a child - it really takes
everybody So, any help we
can get, we really appreci
ate it,” Price replied. “We
look forward to having that
discussion.”
Superintendent’s Report
Information on vari
ous aspects of the school
system were shared during
the Superintendent’s Re
port portion of the meet
ing.
Athletics
Varsity Football will
complete its season on
Friday, November 3, as
the team competes against
Emanuel County Institu
tion (ECI).
Cross Country Boys
and Girls teams won 3rd
place at the regional meet
held on Monday, October
24. They will compete at
the state competition on
Saturday, November 4.
The basketball gym
floors for the middle and
high school have been re
finished in preparation for
the upcoming season.
Little Eagle Learning
Center
A new play set was in
stalled at the daycare by
Director of Transportation
Reggie Ricks and his crew.
Ricks plans to secure
another new play set fea
turing three baby swings
for the daycare soon.
Three new bouncer
seats were purchased for
the daycare.
The Center has partici
pated in fire and lockdown
drills without issue.
Head Teacher Yesenia
Serrano has created a rotat
ing schedule to ensure the
daycare’s gates are locked
after drop off and pickup.
Routines and proce
dures are continuing to be
put in place to provide the
children a stable routine.
Daily slips are sent
home to parents detailing
each child’s day
Middle/High School
Report cards were sent
home on October 11, and
information for conferenc
es was shared as needed.
Conferences will be
held on October 26-27.
Beta Leadership mem
bers traveled to the Beta
Leadership Conference on
October 24-25.
Individual classroom
teacher curriculum meet
ings are being held each
week, as they rotate by
content. Teachers are shar
ing curriculum maps, syl
labi, unit assessments, and
enrichment options to best
serve the students.
Grade level sponsors
are continuing to monitor
attendance.
The RESA writing
contest will be held on
Thursday October 26.
The Future Farmers of
America (FFA) will travel
to Indianapolis for the Na
tional Convention on No
vember 1-4.
Sophomores will
complete their individual
graduation meetings with
Principal Scott Barrow on
Wednesday, November
1, to review grades, at
tendance, schedules, and
more. Juniors and seniors
have already completed
these meetings.
Curriculum
A 45-day plan review
for all schools has been
completed to assess the
evidence of the school im
provement plan.
Erin’s Law, age-ap
propriate instruction on
sexual abuse and assault
awareness/prevention,
has begun its first session
for many students. All stu
dents will have completed
the first of the two sessions
by Tuesday October 31.
Assistant Superinten
dent Beverly Faircloth and
other instructional coaches
attended the Georgia As
sociation of Curriculum
and Instructional Supervi
sors (GACIS) Fall Confer
ence in Athens where they
learned key practices for
English Language Arts.
High school and dis
trict administrators met
with COGNIA Represen
tative Terry Johnson to
complete the district in
troductory session, where
they discussed timelines
Please see MoCo page
13A