Leadership Shelby County learns about local education

As a member of the 2020 Leadership Shelby County class, I spent my second class day gaining a perspective of education in Shelby County and heard from students, teachers and visited two local colleges.

The day began at the Shelby County Services Building in Pelham, as our group was welcomed with remarks by Superintendents Dr. Wayne Vickers (Alabaster City Schools), Dr. Scott Coefield (Pelham City Schools) and Dr. Lewis Brooks (Shelby County Schools).

Brooks, a 2011 graduate of Leadership Shelby County, has been an educator for almost 30 years and is in his 10th month in his role. He said the school system has a tradition of excellence and is fortunate to have a good relationship with both Vickers and Coefield.

“Shelby County Schools have 21,000 students throughout the 31 schools and is the largest employer in Shelby County,” Brooks said. “We recently received an A on the state report card and that makes me most proud.”

Shelby County Schools Professional Development Supervisor Angela Walker led a presentation discussing SEAL (Social, Emotional and Academic learning) and how it is implemented in the school system. Lauren Butts, Chief Financial Officer of Alabaster City Schools spoke on school funding and how state and federal funds are used in the school system and that the schools rely heavily on Shelby County taxes for funding. Derrick Waddell, Chief Technology Officer for Pelham City Schools and Marla Thomas, Pelham City Schools Technology Integration Specialist spoke about technology integration and project-based learning.

Dorann Tanner, Student Services Coordinator for Alabaster City Schools, addressed the topic of attendance and how it is integral to success, along with an explanation of truancy and chronic absenteeism. Missing school has a negative impact on students, negatively impacts grades and reduces graduation rates.

Michelle Hall, Library Media Services Program Area Supervisor for Shelby County Schools, spoke on the topic of extracurricular involvement and social media.

Executive Director of Compact 2020 Clay Hammac explained how the program works to serve the community and help students who are at risk or already involved in substance abuse. They partner with schools to equip them with the keys to success.

A student panel, made up of six students that attend schools in Shelby County, Pelham, Alabaster and Montevallo, shared its insights on some of the powerful instructional practices taking place in their schools and tools and strategies their teachers use to keep them stay active and engaged. Technology, specifically the use of Google classroom, was a common theme across the board.

Following the students, a teacher panel comprised of six teachers talked about some of the ways they keep students engaged and the importance of relationships with their students and how that helps them succeed.

Our second stop of the day was Jefferson State Community College Valleydale campus, where we heard from Director of Community & Media Relations David Bobo and from a panel of five current and former students about why they chose community college, how it has helped them, and common misconceptions about attending a two-year school. Jeff State has grown to four campuses and had a 2018 enrollment of over 14,000 students.

We then traveled to the University of Montevallo, where we heard from the deans of several schools, along with university president Dr. John Stewart. Founded in 1896, the school currently has more than 35 degree programs, 21 Division II athletic teams and an enrollment of 2,700. A three-student panel shared their experience as students at the university, and the benefits of attending a smaller school.

We finished our day with a tour of the new Center for the Arts with Dr. Steven Peters, Dean of the College of Fine Arts. Currently under construction, the building is set to open in April 2020.

Our next Leadership Day will be Dec. 10 and focus on Economic Development.

- 280 Living editor Leah Ingram Eagle is a member of this year’s Leadership Shelby County class. This article is part of an ongoing series, documenting the group’s year.