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I2J OUR REGION
Shannon Casas | Editor in Chief
770-718-3417 | news@gainesvilletimes.com
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
From our teachers to our leaders
10 Hall County educators graduating from Growing Administrator Leader program this year
BY JOSHUA SILAVENT
jsilavent@gainesvilletimes.com
Hall County Schools continues
to work to develop leaders, with
10 educators graduating its Grow
ing Administrator Leader program
this year.
The program is designed to bring
educators an immersive experi
ence that educates and trains
internal personnel for positions of
leadership within their schools and
districtwide.
These educators mark the third
cohort, with 13 more lined up for
the next installation of the pro
gram, which carries a rigorous
application process.
About 70 educators have partici
pated in the program, thus far, with
41 percent now in formal leader
ship roles in elementary, middle
and high schools.
“I wasn’t sure about leadership
going in,” said Bryan Thomason,
a teacher at Johnson High. “I was
hesitant about leaving coaching
behind. This program confirmed
that it’s just changing from who
and what I’m coaching.”
For many of the graduates, the
camaraderie and collaboration
between mentors and peers was
most beneficial.
“I learned that it’s OK to ask
questions, and to make mistakes
and learn from them,” said Caitlin
Hansard, a teacher at C.W. Davis
Middle.
Kristi Underwood, a teacher at
Cherokee Bluff High, said the pro
gram opened her eyes to what’s
going on behind the scenes to
make a school run efficiently and
effectively.
“I didn’t realize how big the
world is outside my classroom,”
she added.
“I learned the importance of
growing others around you,” said
Josh Chapman, a teacher at East
Hall Middle. “Know that you can’t
do everything on your own. ”
And it’s that message that reso
nated with Superintendent Will
Schofield, who quoted the best
adage he’s heard about what lead
ership really means: “The ability
to influence others.”
“I’ve seen an awful lot of people
that call themselves leaders and
kick up a lot of dust and never go
anywhere,” Schofield added.
The graduates also include Jen
nifer Gibson of Chestatee High;
Shasta Gundlach of Mount Ver
non Exploratory; Amy Tyner of
North Hall Middle; April Bagwell
of C.W. Davis Middle; Kacie Land
ers of Myers Elementary; and
Allie Roberts of Chicopee Woods
Elementary.
The program mentors include
Stan Lewis, principal of Johnson
High; Tamara Etterling, principal
of North Hall Middle; and Jamey
Moore, principal of North Hall
High.
School officials have now
launched a “legacy series” of semi
nars for graduates of the program.
The system also offers a new
principal mentor program, which
has had 18 new principals in the
past three years receive mentoring
from 15 experienced principals; a
new assistant principal mentor
program, with 27 participants in
the past three years with 25 expe
rienced assistant principals as
mentors; and a Growing Teacher
Leader program to develop peer
coaches at the school level.
School officials said they plan to
implement additional continuing
education opportunities for lead-
ers-in-training, including intern
ships, an increase in the number
of workplace “shadowing” experi
ences, and a broader curriculum
across the different programs.
JOSHUA SILAVENT I The Times
Hall County Schools’ latest class of Growing Administrator Leader
program graduates and mentors is recognized Monday, Nov. 12, at a
Board of Education meeting in Gainesville. Back row, from left, are Bryan
Thomason, Johnson High; Jennifer Gibson, Chestatee High; Caitlin
Hansard, C.W. Davis Middle; Josh Chapman, East Hall Middle; and Stan
Lewis, principal of Johnson High. Bottom row, from left, are Jamey Moore,
principal of North Hall High; Amy Tyner, North Hall Middle; April Bagwell,
C.W. Davis Middle; Shasta Gundlach, Mount Vernon Exploratory; Allie
Roberts, Chicopee Woods Elementary; Kristi Underwood, Cherokee Bluff
High; and Tamara Etterling, principal of North Hall Middle. Not pictured is
graduate Kacie Landers, Myers Elementary.
SCOn ROGERS I The Times
U.S. Army veterans and brothers John, right, and Horace Smallwood look around Lakewood Baptist Church as they
stand for the song “The Army Goes Rolling Along” Monday, Nov. 12, during the annual Veterans Day program.
VETERANS
■ Continued from 1A
prisoners of war and those missing in
action.
Also, there was the tolling of 11 bells,
meant to signify the end of World War
I. Sunday, Nov. 11, was the 100th anni
versary of the end of World War I.
“As you’ve heard before, (it was
called) the war to end all wars, which
we know didn’t happen,” American
Legion past commander Ron Kellner
said.
“We continue to have our young
men and women in conflicts and wars
to protect the peace, tranquility and
safety not only of our people or coun
try, but other countries.”
Hall County Schools names
6 new Reach Scholars
Hall County Schools has named six Reach Scholars for the
high school graduating class of 2023.
Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen Georgia
Scholarship is a needs-based mentorship and college scholar
ship program.
This year’s Hall County recipients are Deiler Aquino-Gas-
par of North Hall Middle; Alondra Cordero Albarran of Cher
okee Bluff Middle; Dayami Martinez of North Hall Middle;
America Lucario of Chestatee Academy; Kassandra Martinez
of East Hall Middle; and Diego Gonzalez of East Hall Middle.
Students are selected for the program as they move from
middle to high school. They must maintain a 2.5 grade-point
average in core courses, have a clean discipline and strong
attendance record, and remain free of drugs and criminal
charges.
Mentors and academic coaches will support these students
through graduation with the aim they will attend college or
university.
Upon completion of high school, Reach graduates will be
awarded a $10,000 scholarship to a Georgia college or post
secondary institution of their choice. Students receive $2,500
per year for up to four years, and colleges and universities
can match those funds.
Reach has served 103 school systems across Georgia
and nearly 1,200 students, committing over $17 million in
scholarships.
Scheman, Millwood named principals
of Lula, South Hall schools
The Hall County Schools Board of Education approved
two new principals for Lula Elementary and South Hall
Middle schools at its meeting on Monday, Nov. 12.
Lynette Scheman will take over at Lula Elementary after
Principal Theresa London announced she would be leaving
the school district.
And Joey Millwood takes the reins at South Hall Middle
after Principal Paula Stubbs announced she would retire
effective Dec. 28.
Scheman began with Hall County Schools in 2001 teaching
at McEver Elementary. After that first year, she transferred
to Jones Elementary School as instructional coach. In 2004,
Scheman moved to her current school, Lanier Elemen
tary, to teach and then become an instructional extension
administrator.
Scheman moved to her current position as Lanier Ele
mentary assistant principal in 2013.
Millwood began his career in education in 1997 as a sci
ence and history teacher in South Hall.
During this period, he was named South Hall Middle
School Teacher of the Year. In 2000, he resigned from the
district to accept a position at Eagle Ranch in Chestnut
Mountain.
Millwood returned to Hall County Schools in 2005, accept
ing a position as instructional coach at South Hall Middle
School. He has served as assistant principal at the school
since 2007.
OAKWOOD
Woman says
she woke to find
man raping her
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com
A 23-year-old woman reported going to sleep in an Oak-
wood motel room and waking up to a man sexually assault
ing her, police said.
Oakwood Police said the woman was at
the Quality Inn on Mundy Mill Road Oct. 6
with other people “where they were each
consuming alcohol,” according to investi
gator Todd Templeton.
“The victim went to sleep and later
awoke to find the suspect having unwanted
sexual intercourse with her without her
consent,” Templeton wrote in an email.
“The victim immediately summoned the
police to the location but the suspect fled
as she did so.”
Following the report, police interviewed the people
involved and arrested Daniel Espinoza, 30.
Templeton said the woman and Espinoza met that day.
Espinoza was charged with rape and aggravated sodomy.
He was booked Saturday, Nov. 10, in to the Hall County Jail,
where he remains.
Magistrate Court officials were unclear if Espinoza has
an attorney.
Police: Teen fight
leads to assault
with hammers
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com
Police say two South Hall teens assaulted two other teens
with hammers in what an investigator
described as a “fight among teenagers.”
Christian Sanchez, 17, of Oakwood, and
Steven Lane, 19, of Flowery Branch, are
accused of entering a Flowery Branch
home Nov. 2 and assaulting the two teen
age victims, police said.
Neither of the victims were seri
ously injured, but both were treated and
released at Northeast Georgia Medical
Center in Braselton.
Police responded before 11 p.m. Nov. 2
to Fireside Lane in reference to an assault
in progress.
Investigator Robin Kemp said the vic
tims were previously acquainted with the
suspects. Kemp described it as a “fight
among teenagers,” though the investigator
did not elaborate further on motive.
Kemp said Sanchez and Lane were
identified as suspects and arrested on
Nov. 5.
Magistrate Court officials were unclear if either suspect
had retained an attorney.
Sanchez and Lane are charged with aggravated assault
and first-degree burglary. They were both booked Nov. 5 in
to the Hall County Jail, where they remain.
Compiled by reporter Joshua Silavent
Compiled by reporter Joshua Silavent
MURDER
■ Continued from 1A
were often robots or animals, were
always yelling, spoke only negative
statements, were not impacted by his
mood or the presence of other individ
uals, and would not go away no matter
what he did,” according to the court
order.
Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Matthew
Norman was the first to assess Low
ery in November 2017 and again in
January.
The doctor was “particularly con
cerned with Lowery’s ability to assist
his attorney and was troubled that he
continued to speak of getting out ‘in a
few months,”’ according to the order.
“On cross-examination (at the Oct.
10 hearing), Dr. Norman offered that
Lowery had received average grades
in school and had no clinical or anec
dotal history of psychosis,” according
to the order.
A second doctor opined at the hear
ing that she believed he exhibited
symptoms of a psychotic disorder.
Brickman met with Lowery roughly
15 times at the jail and testified having
“very little success at having a coher
ent conversation with him,” according
to the order.
The court ruled Lowery was capable
of understanding the charges against
him and assisting his counsel at trial.
Espinoza
w
Sanchez
Lane
GOVERNOR
■ Continued from 1A
extricate himself from the national
political environment that now
drives every election down to the
county level. You run for coroner,
you have to say whether you want
to ‘make America great again.’”
For his part, Kemp notes “a very
polarizing climate that we’ve been
in.” But he defends his pledge to
“put Georgians first” — a rhetori
cal cousin to Trump’s “America
First” — and he rejects any notion
that he could take office under
a cloud that would make his job
harder.
“It was a tough election,” Kemp
said two days after the vote. He
pointed to his time as a state sena
tor representing a swing district:
“I’m going to serve this whole state
and move forward with the plans
we have.”
Undeterred, Abrams’ campaign
filed a federal lawsuit Sunday ask
ing a judge to delay the vote certifi
cation until Wednesday and make
officials count certain absentee and
provisional ballots that would oth
erwise be rejected. The campaign
said thousands of ballots could be
affected.
Kemp spokesman Ryan
Mahoney said Monday the lawsuit
shows Abrams has “moved from
desperation to delusion.”
“Stacey Abrams lost,” he
said, “and her concession is long
overdue.”
Georgia Secretary of State Robyn
Crittenden, who was appointed
after Kemp resigned last week,
sent a bulletin to county election
officials Monday telling them to
count absentee ballots even if vot
ers have not included their year of
birth on the envelope as long as the
signature and other information is
sufficient to verify their identity.
Crittenden also noted in the bul
letin that the period for verifying
eligibility of provisional ballots
ended Friday required by Georgia
law. The Abrams campaign lawsuit
asks that a judge order that dead
line extended until Wednesday at
5 p.m.
Meanwhile, two Democratic sen
ators — Cory Booker of New Jersey
and Brian Schatz of Hawaii — sent
a letter asking the Justice Depart
ment for “a thorough investiga
tion into the potential voting rights
abuses that have been reported
before, during, and after the elec
tion” in Georgia.
Leading up to the election,
Abrams called Kemp “an architect
of suppression.” Kemp says he’s
faithfully enforced state and fed
eral elections laws, though that’s
not convinced some voters.
Nina Durham, a 50-year-old Pow
der Springs resident, joined a small
a group of protesters last week. She
said she didn’t have confidence
in the results. Asked whether she
could see Kemp as her governor,
Durham, who is African-American,
replied, “No. He hasn’t represented
me as secretary of state. ”