Says board is unraveling to success gained
Edwards
"I see the resignation of our director of primary education (Nicole Spottswood), and that greatly concerns me," is how Escambia County (Ala.) Board of Education's member Mike Edwards described his reaction to the boards approval of recommended personnel changes at its special meeting last Friday. "What this says to me is that this board is dismantling the efforts to move forward with the programs we established in the last two to three years, which we've spent millions of federal and state dollars to get new programs to do that," said Edwards.
Edwards went on to say that when he was out campaigning for his seat, he was very disappointed in the number of teachers that he encountered in his own district who wanted to return to the policies of before and resented the staff coming around and being in the schools all the time. He emphasized that the grades went up as a result.
"This is a second sign to me that we are dismantling that," said Edwards. "The first sign was replacing our superintendent. Now we are replacing her staff, it appears. Mrs. Spottswood was a great employee, she did a great job, she's professional, she knows her job, and I assume she resigned after that......from what I hear out campaigning, this school district wants to go back to mediocracy. Too much work to do the programs we put in place and that took us up to grade level."
Edwards said he is interested to see the second and third grades' scores this last period compared to the improvements made, noting that he bet they are not as high, and referred to the board as making a 'mistake.' He said he hates to see Spottswood go, and feels she was an essential part of the effort to move forward.
"I'm telling the people of Escambia County we are settling for mediocracy and we are not moving forward in making this move," said Edwards.
Edwards officially made a request for the second and third grade grades to compare 2024 to 2023 and said, "I bet we are in decline."
He inquired about the position of director of primary education and Superintendent Michele Collier said the position has not been advertised. Edwards said he would like to know why Spotswood was no longer in that position and Collier told him she would be glad to discuss it in private.
The board approved the following action items at the meeting.
-Approved for W.S. Neal High School Cheerleading to attend cheer camp in Panama City, Florida on July 16, 2024, through July 19, 2024.
-Approved an amendment of the current salary schedule extending it from the effective date of July 1, 2024 through September 30, 2024, which simply gives the school board a vehicle by which to pay its employees, according to Superintendent Collier (because the current salary schedule expired June 30, 2024, Collier said)
-Approved an amendment of the 2024-2025 Code of Conduct
-Approved of a three year renewal of enVision math series for grades 6-8 from Savvas in the amount of $112,362.25, to be paid out of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) 3 funds
-Approved of a three year renewal of enVision math series for grades K-5 from Savvas in the amount of $154,462, to be paid out of ESSER 3 funds
-Approved to renew PowerSchool Performance Matters and Chalk license and subscription fees effective November 1, 2024, through October 31, 2025, in the amount of $59,593.36, to be paid out of ESSER 3 funds
-Approved of contract with Innovative Behavioral and Consulting Services for Behavior Analytic consultation services for the 2024-2025 school year, to be paid out of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds
-Approved of MasteryPrep Ready comprehensive support for ACT for Escambia County High School in the amount of $19,796.72, to be paid out of Title I funds
In other business, the board approved the following recommended personnel changes. The changes are as follows:
Resignation
Nicole Spottswood, elementary curriculum supervisor for Escambia County Board of Education, effective July 10, 2024; Mia Calle, TEAMS math teacher at Escambia County High School, effective July 1, 2024; Jennifer Blanton Lpn/special ed aide at Flomaton Elementary School, effective July 5, 2024; Brittney Van Winkle, band director at Flomaton High School. Effective July 11, 2024; Joy Daniels, ELA teacher at Flomaton High School, effective July 19, 2024; Cierra Strehl, custodian at Huxford Elementary School, effective July 11, 2024; Christin Brooks, elementary teacher at Rachel Patterson Elementary School, effective July 1, 2024
Employment
Jacquline Lee, teacher aide at A.C. Moore Primary School, effective Aug. 1,2024; Tabatha Grah, teacher aide at A.C. Moore Primary School, effective Aug. 1, 2024; Jennifer Cosentino, English/language arts teacher at Escambia County High School, effective Aug. 1, 2024 (replacing Linda West); Tyreic Martin, social studies teacher at Escambia County High School, effective Aug. 1, 2024 (replacing Roland Hall); LaShonda Marshall, intervention teacher at Escambia County High School, effective Aug. 1, 2024; Amber White, health science teacher at Escambia County High School, effective July 24, 2024 (replacing Melissa Askew); Lisa Hudson, secretary/bookkeeper at Escambia County High School, effective July 15, 2024 (replacing Vallerese Preyer); Grace Byrd, special education teacher at Escambia County Alternative School, effective Aug. 1, 2024 (replacing Patrice Fountain); Robert Rutledge, social studies teacher at Flomaton High School, effective Aug. 1, 2024 (replacing Andrea Chance); Amanda Tisdale, special education aide at Huxford Elementary School, effective Aug. 1, 2024; Kaley Mann, elementary teacher at Rachel Patterson Elementary School, effective Aug. 1, 2024 (replacing Ashley Johnson); Tyra Lacy, elementary teacher at Rachel Patterson Elementary School, effective Aug. 1, 2024 (replacing Kenyon Moody); Sheena Carach, elementary teacher at Rachel Patterson Elementary School, effective Aug.1, 2024 (replacing Mary Ann Figgers); Xavier Dortch, social studies teacher at W.S. Neal High School, effective Aug. 1, 2024 (replacing Jawara White); James Scruggs, bus driver at Atmore Bus Shop, effective Aug. 1, 2024 (replacing Nathan Grantham)
Employment Change
Tiffany Oliver, from English/language arts teacher at W.S. Neal High School to assistant principal at Escambia County Middle School, effective July 24, 2024 (replacing Karl Smith); Tracy McCurdy, from elementary teacher at W.S. Neal Elementary School to kindergarten teacher at A.C. Moore Primary School, effective Aug 1, 2024 (replacing Allison Mallet); Lisa Robbins, from 6-hour lunchroom worker at Escambia County High School to 7-hour lunchroom worker at A.C. Moore Primary School, effective Aug. 1, 2024
Transfer
Michelle Brantley, Registered Nurse from Escambia County Middle School to Flomaton Elementary School, effective July 31, 2024; Rachel Hadley, special education teacher, from Rachel Patterson Elementary School to A.C. Moore Primary School, effective Aug. 1 2024; Cynthia Young, lunchroom manager, from Escambia County High School to A.C. Moore Primary School, effective Aug. 1, 2024; Geneva Chavers, 6-hour lunchroom worker, from Escambia County High School to A.C. Moore Primary School, effective Aug.1, 2024; Ashley English, physical education teacher, from Escambia County High School to A.C. Moore Primary School, effective Aug. 1, 2024; Leah White, elementary teacher from Rachel Patterson Elementary School to W.S. Neal Elementary School, effective Aug. 1, 2024 (replacing McKenna Gleaton)
Summer Employment
Approval for CNP Managers to work one extra day on July 31, 2024 at the summer food service manager rate.
Rehire
Kenyon Moody, elementary teacher at Escambia County Alternative School K-5, effective Aug. 1, 2024; Joel Gonzalez, social studies teacher at Escambia County Middle School, effective Aug. 1, 2024; (replacing Joel Gonzalez); Judith Goolsby, OCS aide at Rachel Patterson Elementary School, effective Aug. 1, 2024
Leave of Absence
Mary Sheffield, 7-hour lunchroom worker at W.S. Neal Elementary School, effective March 1, 2024 through May 22, 2024; Rebecca Jones, 7-hour lunchroom worker at Rachel Patterson Elementary School, effective Feb. 27, 2024 through May 22, 2024
The board then went into Executive Session to discuss legal matters.
