The Greene County Board of Education held its December 21, 2020 meeting virtually, due to the rise in COVID-19 positive cases in the county. In his report to the board, Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones stated that the rate of cases for Greene County was above 33%. He noted that the safe rate to consider returning to school facilities is 5%. “ With these statistics, there is no way we can move from the Phase I approach in our academic program,” he said.
According to Dr. Jones, 14 school employees have tested positive for the coronavirus since the opening of school with 37 having to be quarantined. “At this time we have 16 employees currently in quarantine,” he stated. Jones explained that, fortunately, teachers who were in quarantine were able to conduct their virtual classes from home without taking leave days. “We try our best to be compassionate during these difficult times,” he said. Superintendent Jones presented the system’s Curriculum Coordinator Consultant, Ms. Malysa Chandler, who gave an update of her role with the instructional staff. Ms Chandler noted that her work with the Greene County School System began last school year at Robert Brown Middle School, however, her work this year has extended across the system. According to Chandler, a major component of her role has been to assist in the development of a curriculum map and pacing guide for the system. She also assists teachers with lesson plans, suggesting various activities to enhance student engagement. “I actually observe the virtual classrooms of teachers, and Greene County has some awesome teachers,” she stated.Chandler reported that there are classes with excessive student failures and, working with school leaders, small recovery groups have been organized to assist those students. “The students who have participated in the recovery groups have shown significant improvement,” she stated.
According to Chandler, virtual team meetings will begin in January in an effort to link middle school and high school curriculum, including a designed component for the infusion of Black History across the curriculum.
Chandler noted that she is also prepared to assist teachers who have not satisfied the practice exams. “I would like to have input in the district’s Continuing Improvement Plan,” she said.
In other business, the board approved the following personnel items recommended by the superintendent.
Employment: Jamara Wright, School District Special Education Coordinator; LaTonya Taylor, Special Needs Teacher, Robert Brown Middle School; Jessica Lake, from CNP Department to full time custodian at Robert Brown Middle School, effective January 2021; Carl Oliver from Maintenance Aid/Custodian to Lead Maintenance; Sarah Wallace, Substitute History Teacher, Greene County High School.
Retirement: Samuel Newton, Janitor, Eutaw Primary School effective January 1, 2021; Alfonzo Noland, Maintenance Department, effective January 1, 2021.
FMLA Employee Leave: Tyler Mitchell, History Teacher, Greene County High School from October 12, 2020 – TBD, due to child’s daycare being closed during this time.
The board approved the following administrative items:
Drug Testing and Screening Agreement between Greene County Board and Safety-First Behavioral Health System, Inc.
HVAC Program Agreement between Greene County Board and Wallace State Community College.
Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll.
Following Attorney Hank Sanders report, the board approved a resolution which sets out the completion of the sale of the former Mt. Hebron Pre-School property to the non-profit organization, SCORE. Attorney Sanders also noted that the former Birdine School property, which is still under state ownership, is now in the process of being transferred to the Greene County School Board and will become available for the board to take further action. The Greene County Board of Education agreed to pay all full time active employees a one-time supplement of $500 each and all part-time employees a one-time supplement of $250 each in the pay period for December. These one-time supplements are for additional services provided during the 2020-2021 school year based on the COVID-19 Pandemic.