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The Jenkins County Times
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THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES
issue 44 January 2024 is published weekly by on
Wednesday for $24.95 per year by THE JENKINS COUNTY
TIMES, 125 N. Main • Sylvania, Ga. 30467.
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L A flJ L XTfY I 1 L 1 C John Paul Hearn, Superintendant
-I—/xVVJ J—/ J__/ I i W A J—/ kJ Jenkins County School System
I have discussed over the past few months that we in Jenkins County have put a renewed
focus on early literacy. It is a needed focus not just in Jenkins County but nationwide.
We have made some decisions that have put us “in the front of the line” in the state of
Georgia when it comes to literacy initiatives. We have two literacy coaches who focus
on effective literacy instmction with our teachers as well as promoting literacy in the
home. Also, our JCES reading teachers have embarked on a two-year professional learning
process to leam the brain science behind how a child leams to read. Our teachers have
embraced that professional learning. It is pretty in-depth, and they spend a lot of time
outside the classroom working on assignments. It's really along the lines of a college class.
I am thankful that our teachers have embraced this learning so that we in Jenkins County
can be great.
This week I am including information from an email that was sent to me from the Georgia
Department of Education. It discusses where literacy instruction is headed in Georgia and
why. It also shows that we in Jenkins County are at the forefront of literacy instruction.
Ten years ago, Mississippi was ranked second-lowest in the nation for fourth grade
reading and today, the state’s fourth graders rank 21 st in the nation for reading achievement
- beating the national average. We believe Georgia can follow a similar path to significant
literacy gains - but it’s essential that this work includes a tiered and targeted statewide
coaching model.
Mississippi invested in quality professional development to ensure effective reading
instruction and began screening every K-3 student on one of six approved screeners for
reading difficulties in the early grades.
Georgia has made significant strides toward improving early literacy. House Bill 538 -
the Early Literacy Act - ensures instructional materials, professional learning, and teacher
preparation programs will be aligned to the science of reading. The Georgia Literacy
Academy, launched this fall by the Georgia Department of Education and the Rollins Center,
will provide virtual literacy professional learning for K-5 teachers and leaders statewide.
The next step - the support network needed to ensure this work is implemented with
fidelity in all comers of the state - is coaching. A statewide coaching model - with buy-in
from local districts and schools and a common, proven framework - is key to the continued
success of Georgia’s early literacy initiatives.
A strong role for the state’s Department of Education, training grounded in the science of
reading, and a tiered coaching approach that aligns supports at the state, regional, district,
and school levels were key components that made up the secret sauce in Mississippi’s
recipe for reading gains.
Georgia’s tiered coaching model - which would ultimately deploy regional literacy
coaches throughout the state- should be designed to build the capacity of teachers and
leaders to teach reading using the proven methods of structured literacy and the science
of reading. These coaches would have targeted training to ensure they are knowledgeable
and continue to grow professionally. It should ensure the delivery of proven, nationally-
recognized science of reading training - training like LETRS or the AIM Institute.
This work will not be easy or simple, but it will be world-changing for the children who
call Georgia home, now and in the future.
I say all that to say this. We in Jenkins County have put improving literacy at the top of
our priorities. We have two successful veteran reading teachers as coaches in our school
system. Our JCES teachers who teach reading are in the middle of the two-year LETRS
training. We made the commitment to do this because we know it is what’s best for students.
It is not easy work, but it is good work. Please continue to support and encourage our
teachers as they meet the needs of our students in Jenkins County.
A WORD FROM
Senator Jon Ossoff
Senator Jon Ossoff pushes Customs
&Border Protection to Boost
Demand for Georgia Farmers
Ossoff’s bill to give military spouses more job flexibility during relocations signed into
law
U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff’s bipartisan bill to support military spouses’ careers is now law.
Earlier this year. Sens. Ossoff and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) introduced the bipartisan Military
Spouse Career Support Act of 2023 to support military spouses’ careers by expanding the
reimbursement of licensure and business costs to spouses of servicemembers who are
transferring to the reserve component.
Many military families incur high costs during frequent moves, including military
spouses who must reapply for business licenses, certifications, and more when moving to
a new assignment.
Currently, the Department of Defense (DoD) only offers reimbursements for military
spouses’ relicensing, recertification, and business costs when active-duty military families
relocate between assignments; not when families relocate between active and reserve
assignments.
“Military families make tremendous sacrifices in defense of our nation,” Sen. Ossoff
said. “I brought Republicans and Democrats together to pass this bill into law and help
military spouses have more job flexibility.”
According to the DoD nearly 39% of military spouses require a professional license for
their jobs and can face unemployment each time they move.
Last year. Sen. Ossoff worked across the aisle to pass the bipartisan Military Spouse
Licensing Relief Act into law to make job opportunities more flexible for military spouses by
requiring states to recognize the professional licenses of military spouses from other states
when their family’s station changes.
A word from Congressman Rick Allen
By Joe Brady, Editor
for
The Times
This letter was originally published in the Georgia Recorder
Dear Georgians,
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson led a delegation of House
Republicans on a Wednesday trip to the U.S.-Mexico border
to demand hardline immigration proposals in exchange for
passage of President Joe Biden’s emergency global security
supplemental request.
“If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused
on national security, it better begin by defending America’s
national security,” Johnson, of Louisiana, said. “It begins right
here on our Southern border.”
The press conference in Eagle Pass, Texas, came as the
Senate is trying to strike a bipartisan deal on immigration policy
that has been tied to passage of the supplemental package. The White House in 2023 sent
Congress an emergency supplemental request of roughly $ 106 billion for global security for
Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and U.S. border security.
Separately, quickly approaching funding deadlines of Jan 19 and Feb. 2 could throw
Congress into a partial government shutdown, in two stages.
Johnson said that negotiations for government funding are ongoing and that two top
priorities for House Republicans are border security and to “reduce nondefense discretionary
spending.”
There is still no agreement on a total spending level for the current fiscal year, known as
the topline. Increase in migrants
The number of migrants coming to the U.S. border to claim asylum has continued to rise,
with the most recent data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection recording more than
483,000 encounters in total for fiscal year 2024 that began on Oct. 1.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates criticized Johnson and the Republicans for
visiting the border, instead of passing the Biden administration’s emergency supplemental
request that included about $14 billion for U.S. border security, before leaving for a three-
week recess in December.
“Speaker Johnson is continuing to block President Biden’s proposed funding to hire
thousands of new Border Patrol agents, hire more asylum officers and immigration judges,
provide local communities hosting migrants additional grant funding, and invest in cutting
edge technology that is critical to stopping deadly fentanyl from entering our country,”
Bates said.
In the House, Republicans are insisting on immigration policies from legislation passed
in that chamber, H.R. 2. Biden has promised to veto it.
See ALLEN page 10
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l JENKINS
3 COUNTY
^ SCHOOL SYSTEM
Ok, sometimes church ain’t all solemn worship and ritual. Last Sunday, you could count
the people on two hands by the way, as our visiting priest was standing in the aisle, starting
his sermon, there seemed to be a problem with the microphone.
Loudly, we could hear what on first accounts, sounded like static coming through the
speakers. Father Willoughby made a joke about his microphone cutting out. Then, y’all, I
can’t make this up, we heard heavy breathing. At first I doubted it, then the breathing became
heavier. Our visiting priest took off his microphone, still thinking he was the problem, and
apologized for the technical difficulties. Obviously he wasn’t hearing what we were.
“I just can’t do it.” He announces, as he stands there, hands clasped, head bowed, like
he’s in prayer. It was then we heard audible grunts and groans! The truly embarrassing part
was the fact that one glance at the altar, revealed just who it was in the restroom! What do
you do when things like that come through the loud speaker? I wanted to roll on the floor
laughing. The poor priest looked like he was about to cry. I waffled between wanting to
bust a gut laughing and going up to hug this poor man. Here he is, standing at the front of
the church dressed in his white and gold robes, wondering why his microphone was making
these sounds. Or did he think the sound system was so sensitive that it was picking up his
rumbling stomach?
The organist gets up and heads to the back of the church. We all knew what he was going
to do and actually expected to hear, “girl, your microphone is one!” We didn’t hear that but
we did lapse into silence. Then crickets began chirping. By this point. Father Willoughby
had started back at the beginning. The older lady in front me grabs her cell phone, don’t you
hate when that happens? She begins punching buttons, but not the right button, unable to
figure it out, she shoves the phone deep in her purse.
As the priest begins to pray, we heard from the purse, “Charlotte, Charlotte, you there?
Hello?” Then the phone begins chirping again, her ringtone I might add. The priest says,
“Technology, is something wondrous to behold!” I guess he was relieved the microphone
had finally silenced.
Now, I have been embarrassed, from toilet paper stuck to my shoe, to my underwear, crotch
up, wrapped around my ankle in Kmart. I’ll tell y’all that story sometime! But had it been
me with an open mic in the bathroom, I would have run from that church like it was on fire,
you hear me? That’s all for now, take care!
Letters to the editor of The Jenkins County Times are welcomed
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ers. The Jenkins County Times reserves the right to edit any and
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should be limited to 400 words and should be typewritten and
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