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Principals report academic programs, SEL and attendance initiatives at Burke County schools
Summary
Principals from SGA Elementary, Primary School and Blakeney Elementary presented updates on literacy and math initiatives, new curriculum adoption and social-emotional learning; board members thanked staff and asked questions about training and supports.
Three school principals presented Jan. 21 progress reports on academics, student supports and family engagement at Burke County schools.
What they reported: Joshua Grant, principal of SGA Elementary, outlined the school’s balanced scorecard and said the school implemented a new 95% core curriculum and updated MTSS processes to support students who are struggling. He described work on fluency interventions for third through fifth grades, staff coaching, and efforts to increase family and staff supports through counseling and partnerships.
Primary School Principal Anthony Charles (first name given in the transcript as Anthony Charles) described goals to boost literacy five percentage points, the deployment of structured literacy and 95% interventions, peer observations for teachers, and MTSS supports. He cited challenges with students who missed early childhood supports (including speech and motor delays) and said the school is forging earlier partnerships with Head Start and Early Head Start to improve readiness.
Blakeney Elementary Principal (name not specified in the transcript) reported gains on state assessments and said 21 staff members are enrolled in LETRS reading training, six staff in dyslexia training, and the school has an operational PBIS designation. She said the school’s student-growth percentiles beat the state average and highlighted family events such as “Muffins with Moms” (934 attendees) and planned “Grits with Grands.”
Questions and follow-up: Board members asked whether trainings are organized through central office; principals confirmed district-organized trainers and coaches. Several board members thanked staff for work on student programs and community engagement.
Why it matters: The presentations show district-wide emphasis on structured literacy, MTSS interventions and social-emotional learning as strategies to raise proficiency and reduce discipline incidents. Principals reported both data (proficiency percentages, growth percentiles) and operational changes (new coaches, MTSS, staff training) as evidence of progress.
Next steps: Principals will continue implementing LETRS and 95% curricula, expand family engagement activities and monitor MTSS outcomes; the board will receive updates in future meetings.
