Shelby County Schools celebrated at showcase luncheon

Around 200 administrators, teachers and community shareholders gathered Thursday to recognize the achievements of Shelby County Schools in the last year.

At the third annual State of the System Showcase Luncheon on April 21, Superintendent Randy Fuller thanked everyone in the audience for the work they do with Shelby County Schools, whether they were a teacher, parent, student or civic leader.

“Y’all are the keys to the success of our schools,” Fuller said. “Collaboratively, we’re all working together to be prepared for our journey.”

The luncheon is a time for school systems to discuss their successes and improvements, as well as to recognize a few individuals. Prior to the luncheon, attendees gathered in the lobby of the Birmingham Marriott on U.S. 280 to talk with administrators and see the various awards system schools had won.

During his speech, Fuller noted that Shelby County is entering a period of dynamic growth, and the school system is preparing to ensure a growing population is supported through education.

“We are future ready. Shelby County Schools is future ready,” he said. “We prepare every day for the next step in life.”

Fuller then introduced Shelby County music teacher Haley Spates. Spates is a unique speaker, Fuller said, because she has seen Shelby County Schools from all sides — first as a student, then as a parent and now as a teacher.

Spates thanked her former teachers and administrators for their support throughout the years. They helped encourage her to follow her passions, such as singing, and prepared her for her future endeavors.

“I feel like Shelby County has my back,” she said. “They support me as a parent, as a teacher, as a person. I truly feel that way, and I look around and see so many familiar faces. And my children, as students of Shelby County Schools, they feel that way too.”

The crowd also heard from two students who utilized the resources of the Shelby County School system for two different paths. The first was Emma Smith, a senior who will graduate as a licensed cosmetologist from the Shelby County College and Career Center.

Smith grew up in Shelby County Schools and has attended the college and career center for three years. When she came to the CCC, she said she did not have a clear idea for her future.

“Academically, I was struggling at my home school, I didn’t have many friends and quite frankly I had a defeated motivation to succeed academically given personal circumstances, and I had the idea that that was just how high school was going to be for me,” Smith said. “I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

After entering the CCC, Smith said she felt nurtured in the center’s positive environment, and her teachers helped her thrive professionally and socially. That support motivated her to push through her remaining years of high school, she said.

“As I started the cosmetology program, I slowly but surely found an unexpected and undeniable passion,” she said. “The patience and hard work of my teachers, in culmination with my dedication, provided me with opportunities we had never seen before in our school.”

Smith plans to pursue her associate’s degree in general business at Jefferson State Community College.

The second student to speak was Oak Mountain High School senior Aleksandra Foksinska. Her family moved to Birmingham from Poland in 2001, and Fokinska said Shelby County Schools helped give her overcome the obstacles she faced, such as not speaking English.

“Even though I completely didn’t understand everything that was happening, I felt that someone was always there and they were looking out for me,” she said. “Looking back on my 13 years in Shelby County Schools, I strongly believe that my teachers, peers and community shaped me into the person I am today.”

Shelby County Schools provided her with several opportunities, from math team and Key Club to Advanced Placement classes, and she said those resources helped shape the student she has become.

“I came here as a frightened, little, shy girl who spoke no English, and I’m proud to say that I am leaving as valedictorian of Oak Mountain High School, and I’m on a presidential endowed merit scholarship to the University of Alabama in Birmingham,” she said.

Foksinska plans to study molecular biology at UAB and eventually go into medical research. The teachers are one of the largest resources in the Shelby County School System, Foksinska said. She thanked all of her teachers, including OMHS math teacher Amanda Bittinger.

Bittinger has taught at OMHS for 13 years, and she was named this year’s Shelby County High School Teacher of the Year. Bittinger addressed the crowd, thanking them for supporting the school system, and also noting the work that goes into preparing teachers and students.

She listed the resources available to students, including student-led conferences, peer book reviews, peer helpers, AP courses, ACT preparation and others. Without the resources provided to teachers, including county curriculum guides, common benchmarks and professional learning development, Bittinger said teachers would have a difficult time providing the level of education afforded to Shelby County students. She also said professional learning communities (PLCs) are an important asset to teachers and helps educators continue to improve.

“In Shelby County, you’re getting a great education no matter what school you’re going to,” she said.