City school board approves teacher intern pact with Milligan College
Published 8:48 am Thursday, September 19, 2019
Star Photo/ Kevin Green The city school board, among other business, gave all ayes to the purchase of 100 new desktop computers for the school system.
Star Photo/ Kevin Green Pictured are West Side Elementary faculty and staff, who received recognition from the city school board for topping ten percent in the state in a several areas.
Elizabethton City School Board convened Tuesday with a light agenda that included approving an agreement with Milligan College for the placement of new teachers in city schools. The board recognized the achievements of K-5 grade teachers at West Side Elementary School. Also on the table was a measure for the purchase of 100 Dell computers and the creation of new teacher positions for students with special education needs.
The board vote regarding Milligan gives the go ahead between the college and city school’s “Initial Licensure Clinical Practice and Partnership Guidelines for the 2019-2020 School Year.” The guidelines allow positioning of interns and student teachers in schools that need them for the upcoming school year.
Board members then heard from West Side principal John Wright regarding the performance of teachers and educational assistants at the school.
“They are the ones that really make it happen. 2018-2019 was a great year for West Side…many things make West Side a great school, but the one that I rely on most are my faculty and staff,” Wright said. The principal then reported that the teachers for K-1 grades all scored fives on their portfolios.
Wright said that the performance scores for second grade instructors were above the state average. The scores reported for third grade teachers at the elementary school were within the top ten percent statewide as well, according to Wright.
In other matters, the school board green lighted the purchase of 100 Dell OptiPlex desktop computers. The overall cost for the computers is $52,871.
The board also sanctioned the creation of a K-5 CDC (Comprehensive Development Class) teacher position at Harold McCormick Elementary. School Director Corey Gardenhour said that the new class would serve the needs of students with emotional, behavioral, or cognitive concerns.
East Side Elementary will also be receiving a full-time teacher assistant for the 2019-2020 school year. The agenda says that the assistant will provide intervention services to at-risk students and will be funded by Title I funds that have been reserved for the school.
The school board will meet again October 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Mack Pierce boardroom located in the city school’s central office at 804 S. Watauga Ave.
