Nearly all school system vacancies have been filled

With school bells set to ring in the 2016-2017 term later this month, Grady County School System officials are working to fill all vacancies in both the certified and non-certified staff.
“As of tonight, we will have hired 63 people, both teaching positions and non-certified staff, leaving us with four more teaching positions to fill,” Grady County School Superintendent Dr. Kermit Gilliard reported to the school board Tuesday night.
Board member Jeff Worsham asked for an update on the hiring of science teachers at Cairo High School.
According to the superintendent, an offer to a new science teacher was extended today and was accepted leaving only one additional vacancy on the faculty of science teachers at CHS.
Soccer coach and science instructor Robbie Peterson has requested to be released from his contract, but Gilliard has said he would not release him from the contract he signed earlier this year until a replacement has been hired.
The superintendent briefed the board on what he has done to try and accommodate Peterson’s request.
Working with Washington Middle School Principal Tilda Brimm, Dr. Gilliard said a member of her faculty is certified at the high school level in science and would be meeting with CHS Principal Chris Lokey today, Wed., July 13. Dr. Gilliard said that several teachers had expressed interest in positions at the middle school who were not certified to teach at the high school, so he said he was confident should the transfer take place Ms. Brimm could fill the vacancy on her staff.
According to Dr. Gilliard, coach Peterson’s concern was that if the board did not vote Tuesday night to release him from his contract he would not be eligible for a position he has been offered with the Colquitt County School System.
“I think it will all work out. I have spoken with the Colquitt County superintendent and he said we had until Monday to make a decision, which gives us time to work everything out,” Dr. Gilliard said.
“You’re doing a lot to help him and I appreciate it,” Worsham said.
“I appreciate Ms. Brimm working with us, as well,” the superintendent added.
Worsham said he hated to lose a “great soccer coach” who, he said, had built the winning program at CHS. Dr. Gilliard said he was sorry that Peterson was leaving, but he said, “coach Peterson had told me when I was at the high school (serving as interim principal) that last season would be his last year of coaching.”
The board voted unanimously (Board member Teresa Gee Harris was absent) to:
‰Approve the hiring of the following personnel: Jared Clark, ag teacher at Cairo High School; Nekita Bentley, special ed teacher; Katrina Snider, special ed teacher; Victor Martinez, NJROTC instructor; Karisma Brown, parapro at Northside Elementary School; Sherie Virgil, English teacher at CHS; Jacinta Roan, parapro at Northside; Maria Villagrana, Spanish teacher at CHS; Joseph Walden, bus diver; Wayne Ansley, bus driver; Donnie Johnson, bus driver; Ashly Mash, special ed parapro at CHS; Heidi Graziano, science teacher at Washington Middle School; Jonathan Ross, special ed teacher at Washington; Tracy Williams, nurse at CHS; Joshua Moore, music teacher at Northside; Erin Sumner, Pre-K-5 teacher at Southside Elementary School; Kimberly Council, middle grades math at Washington; Myrna Franquiz, Spanish teacher at CHS; Crystal McCorkle, Pre-K-5 teacher at Eastside Elementary School; Kristina Barber, inclusion/resource teacher at Northside; JoAnn Williams, special ed parapro at Southside; Regina Thompson, special ed teacher at CHS; Victoria Garland, special ed parapro; Megan Whitley, special ed parapro at Southside; and Vanessa Dawson, special ed teacher at CHS.
‰Accept the resignations of the following: Randy Griffin, NJROTC instructor at Cairo High School; Rachel Martin, special ed teacher; Virginia Williford, parapro at Southside Elementary School; Daryl Jones, social studies teacher at CHS; Janet Harrell, teacher at Eastside Elementary School; Bobbie Ann Jackson, custodian at Southside; Tracey Kelshaw, family and consumer science teacher at CHS; Tami Thompson, special ed teacher at Shiver Elementary School, and Shane Robinson, special ed teacher at CHS.
‰Approve the transfers of the following employees: Tammi Ausburn, math teacher from Washington Middle School to Whigham School; Ann Bone, food assistant at Cairo High School to Northside Elementary School; Whitney Brown, from special ed teacher at Cairo High School to family and consumer science teacher at Cairo High School; and Helen Sellers, food assistant at Southside Elementary School to food assistant at Cairo High School.
‰Approve the 2016-2017 school board lunch meetings at the various schools. The approved schedule includes: Sept. 12, 2016 – Eastside Elementary School; Oct. 10, 2016 – Northside Elementary School; Nov. 7, 2016 – Southside Elementary School; Dec. 12, 2016 – Cairo High School; Jan. 9, 2017 – Shiver Elementary School; Feb. 13, 2017 – Washington Middle School; March 14, 2017 – Whigham Elementary School; April 10, 2017 – Eastside Elementary School; and May 8, 2017 – Maintenance Shop. All meetings of the board are open to the public in accordance with state law.