The Bulloch County Board of Education held a work session on Thursday, January 25. The chairwoman, Elizabeth Williams, and the superintendent, Charles Wilson, were both in attendance. The focus of the session was a presentation by the faculty of Sallie Zetterower Elementary School (SZE) led by assistant principal, Farrah Reddick. Reddick discussed the success of school events that encourage parent involvement, such as family literacy night and Veterans Day breakfast, and revealed upcoming events like STEM day.

In addition, Anna Perkins, the reading and English Language Arts instruction coach, presented the school improvement plan focusing on students’ success with phonics and maths. The initiative features a phonics program, UFLI Foundation, being tested in kindergarten classrooms and an instructional tool called review preview used for recapping challenging content. Fact fluency is another tactic implemented in the schools to boost quick recall of basic facts. The schools have also increased their focus on teaching social and emotional learning.

The faculty praise was noted for Cardinals Fly High, a program that rewards good behavior, and the expanded participation criteria for school’s Cardinal News Network, which previously was only available for 5th graders. Lastly, the faculty discussed the influx of new teachers in the school. New teachers, Jorjanne Drury, Linzie LaFavor, and Lauren McCorkle, acknowledged their gratification at the receptive energy and support they received from the school.

The board also addressed the Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) targeted towards students with disabilities at Langston Chapel Elementary School and Stilson Elementary School. The SDI program adapts instruction to suit the unique needs of students, ensuring their access to the general curriculum. The method is different from the traditional co-teaching methods and requires special educators to become experts in individual needs for students’ disability and characteristics.

The initiative is expected to face challenges, including the initial training of teachers, ongoing coaching, and progress monitoring. Despite the challenges, it is expected to be beneficial to those involved. After the presentations, the board moved into an executive session, adjourning the meeting at 8:30 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 8.