The Board Brief
February 2, 2021
This edition of The Board Brief is a summary of the information presented and actions taken at the Board of Education’s Called Meeting on February 2, 2021. The meeting took place via teleconference due to COVID-19.
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Actions
Board Requests Governor, GaDPH Reassign Teachers, Staff to 1A Vaccination Category
At a Called Board Meeting on February 2, the Bibb County Board of Education and the Bibb County School District requested that Gov. Brian Kemp and/or the Georgia Department of Public Health (GaDPH) reassign public school teachers and education staff into the 1A category for purposes of obtaining the COVID-19 vaccination. Moreover, the Board and the District requested the Governor and GaDPH allow teachers and education staff be eligible for vaccination immediately. To view the resolution, click here.
Board Approves Desk Shields Purchase
On Thursday, February 2, Board members authorized the purchase of desk shields as a tool to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in the classroom setting. In addition to decreasing classroom occupancy, tabletop desk shields will be installed as an extra layer of protection for students and staff. The estimated time of delivery for the desk shields is March 1, and they will be in schools by March 8. For more information, click here.
Personnel Item Approved
On Thursday, February 2, Board members approved the appointment of Dr. Tanzy Kilcrease as Chief of Staff. Dr. Kilcrease has served as Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for six years. Under her leadership as Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning her team has established expectations for curriculum, instruction, and assessment to provide consistency in practice across the district. She has developed professional learning on Formative Instructional Practices (FIP) and "Get Better Faster" that has been presented throughout the state of Georgia and at several national conferences. A District Literacy Leadership Team, which encompasses community members, has been established to monitor the District's Literacy Plan. She led the district to become one of the 38 recipients of the L4GA Grant affording the Westside zone with over $1.6 million dollars for improvement in literacy. The BSCD team received the College Board Linking Award for the concerted effort of providing Bibb County students with SAT preparation and SAT Day. The district's work with elementary schedules was also featured in the District Management Journal, a national magazine, in an article titled "Raising Achievement and Addressing Equity at Bibb County Schools". In March 2019, she presented on the District's Literacy Plan at the ASCD National Conference. Since 2015, the percentage of third grade students reading on or above grade level increased by 37.3 percentage points, and the percentage of 5th grade students reading on or above grade level increased 22.7 percentage points. She credits this achievement to the hard work of the BCSD Teaching and Learning Department, teachers, administrators, and the community partnerships that have been established under her tenure. To read more about Dr. Kilcrease, click here. To view personnel items, click here.
Information
Board Receives Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Process for Employees
On Tuesday, February 2, Board members received a presentation on the District’s response to COVID-19, including plans to partner with North Central Health District and Atrium Health Navicent to vaccinate employees when Phase 1B and vaccine availability occur. To view the presentation, click here.