By SHERRY DIGMON
News Publisher
The Escambia County Board of Education met in special session Friday morning, July 12. The meeting was routine other than one personnel item.
Board member Mike Edwards said the resignation of Elementary Curriculum Supervisor Nicole Spottswood concerned him.
“This board is dismantling the effort to move forward,” Edwards said, referring to the “two to three past years.”
“Teachers don’t want to return to policies as before,” he said. “From what I heard when I was campaigning, this district wants to go back to mediocrity.”
Edwards said he hated that Spottswood was being demoted.
“She was offered the assistant principal job at Escambia County Middle School,” he said. “She should have been offered the principal’s job.”
Board member Cindy Jackson asked Edwards how he knew Spottswood was being moved to the assistant principal’s position.
Edwards said he heard that and now he was telling the board.
“Then you know more than the rest of the board knows,” Jackson said.
Board President Loumeek White said, “We need to support our superintendent [Personnel recommendations are made by the superintendent].
White told Edwards he could have called Superintendent Dr. Michele Collier about his concerns, that he had ample time to make the call after he received his agenda.
Board member Coleman Wallace entered the conversation, and White told him the action was on the agenda. Wallace admitted he had not looked at the agenda prior to the meeting.
“I resent you telling me what to look at as a board member,” Wallace told White.
In his closing remarks, Edwards said, “We’re beginning to dismantle the system to go forward … over last seven months, had already begun to decline.”
Edwards was referring to Michele McClung’s tenure as superintendent which ended in December.
Dr. Collier told Edwards, “We have not changed any programs.”
In other business, the board
* Approved W.S. Neal High School Cheerleading to attend cheer camp in Panama City, Florida on July 16, 2024, through July 19, 2024.
* Approved amendment of the current salary schedule as follows: Effective date: July 1, 2024, through September 30, 2024
* Approved amendment of 2024-2025 Code of Conduct
* Approved 3-year renewal of enVision math series for grades 6-8 from Savvas in the amount of $112,362.25 (paid out of ESSER 3)
* Approved 3-year renewal of enVision math series for grades K-5 from Savvas in the amount of $154,462.00 (paid out of ESSER 3)
* Renewed PowerSchool Performance Matters and Chalk license and subscription fees effective November 1, 2024, through October 31, 2025, in the amount of $59,593.36 (paid out of ESSER 3)
* Approved contract with Innovative Behavioral & Consulting Services for Behavior Analytic consultation services for the 2024-2025 school year (paid out of IDEA funds)
* Approved MasteryPrep Ready comprehensive support for ACT for Escambia County High School in the amount of $19,796.72 (paid out of Title I)
* Met in executive session to discuss pending litigation.
Personnel
The following personnel recommendations by Superintendent Dr. Collier were approved by the Board.
The following abbreviations are used:
Escambia County Board of Education – ECBOE
A.C. Moore Primary School – ACMPS
K-5 Alternative School – K-5AS
Huxford Elementary School – HES
Rachel Patterson Elementary School – RPES
Escambia County Middle School – ECMS
Escambia County High School – ECHS
Flomaton Elementary School – FES
Flomaton High School – FHS
Pollard McCall Junior High School – PMJHS
W.S. Neal Elementary School – WSNES
W.S. Neal Middle School – WSNMS
W.S. Neal High School – WSNHS
Escambia County Alternative School – ECAS
Atmore Bus Shop – ABS
Resignation
1. Nicole Spottswood, elementary curriculum supervisor, ECBOE, effective July 10, 2024
2. Mia Calle, TEAMS math teacher, ECHS, effective July 1, 2024
3. Jennifer Blanton, LPN / special ed aide, FES, effective July 5, 2024
4. Brittney Van Winkle, band director, FHS, effective July 11, 2024
5 Joy Daniels, ELA teacher, FHS, effective July 19, 2024
6. Cierra Strehl, custodian, HES, effective July 11, 2024
7. Christin Brooks, elementary teacher, RPES, effective July 1, 2024
Employment
1. Jacquline Lee, teacher aide, ACMPS, effective August 1, 2024
2. Tabatha Grah, teacher aide, ACMPS, effective August 1, 2024
3. Jennifer Cosentino, English / language arts teacher, ECHS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Linda West
4. Tyreic Martin, social studies teacher, ECHS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Roland Hall
5. LaShonda Marshall, intervention teacher, ECHS, effective August 1, 2024
6. Amber White, health science teacher, ECHS, effective July 24, 2024, replacing Melissa Askew
7. Lisa Hudson, secretary / bookkeeper, ECHS, effective July 15, 2024, replacing Vallerese Preyer
8. Grace Byrd, special education teacher, ECAS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Patrice Fountain
9. Robert Rutledge, social studies teacher, FHS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Andrea Chance
10. Amanda Tisdale, special education aide, HES, effective August 1, 2024
11. Kaley Mann, elementary teacher, RPES, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Ashley Johnson
12. Tyra Lacy, elementary teacher, RPES, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Kenyon Moody
13. Sheena Carach, elementary teacher, RPES, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Mary Ann Figgers
14. Xavier Dortch, social studies teacher, WSNHS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Jawara White
15. James Scruggs, bus driver, ABS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Nathan Grantham
Employment change
1. Tiffany Oliver, from English / language arts teacher, WSNHS, to assistant principal, ECMS, effective July 24, 2024, replacing Karl Smith
2. Tracy McCurdy, from elementary teacher, WSNES, to kindergarten teacher, ACMPS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Allison Mallet
3. Lisa Robbins, from 6-hour lunchroom worker, ECHS, to 7-hour lunchroom worker, ACMPS, effective August 1, 2024
Transfer
1. Michelle Brantley, registered nurse, from ECMS to FES, effective July 31, 2024
2. Rachel Hadley, special education teacher, from RPES to ACMPS, effective August 1, 2024
3. Cynthia Young, lunchroom manager, from ECHS to ACMPS, effective August 1, 2024
4. Geneva Chavers, 6-hour lunchroom worker, from ECHS to ACMPS, effective August 1, 2024
5. Ashley English, physical education teacher, from ECHS to ACMPS, effective August 1, 2024
6. Leah White, elementary teacher, from RPES to WSNES, effective August 1, 2024, replacing McKenna Gleaton
Summer employment
1. Approval for CNP managers to work one extra day on July 31, 2024 at the summer food service manager rate.
Rehire
1. Kenyon Moody, elementary teacher, K-5AS, effective August 1, 2024
2. Joel Gonzalez, social studies teacher, ECMS, effective August 1, 2024, replacing Joel Gonzalez
3. Judith Goolsby, OCS aide, RPES, effective August 1, 2024
Leave of Absence (FMLA)
1. Mary Sheffield 7-hour lunchroom worker, WSNES, March 1, 2024 through May 22, 2024
2. Rebecca Jones 7-hour lunchroom worker, RPES, February 27, 2024 through May 22, 2024
This article is written in my capacity as Atmore News publisher, not as a BOE member, and I am not speaking for the board. SD