Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel And Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tullahoma schools honor students and support staff; district highlights Grow Your Own teacher pipeline and nurses program
Summary
The Tullahoma City Schools Board recognized student competition winners and named the first district Support Staff Member of the Year, while administrators briefed the board on the Grow Your Own teacher apprenticeship and an expanded Coordinated School Health program that places a nurse in every school.
The Tullahoma City Schools Board recognized student achievements and support staff across the district and heard updates on educator recruitment and school nursing at its recent meeting.
The board presented certificates to 22 Tullahoma High School students who qualified for the DECA State Career Development Conference and acknowledged top finishers invited to the DECA International Career Development Conference. Dr. Stevens said the DECA participants “focus on comprehensive business case study strategies, leadership training,” and singled out Nafalet(t) Shifera and Addie Colvin, who earned invitations to the international conference after placing in food marketing testing and entrepreneurship, respectively.
The board also celebrated Tullahoma High School’s SkillsUSA competitors. Dr. Stevens reported that the high school’s machine-shop students posted strong results at the state competition: “Luke Jett, Noah Zarraga, and Connor Keel teamed up in automated manufacturing technology and were named the state champions of that event,” and Sean Decorah placed first in a computerized numeric control event. The presentation named additional medalists and listed the students honored.
In a new district-wide recognition, school leaders announced the first-ever Tullahoma City Schools Support Staff Member of the Year. District and school administrators introduced honorees from multiple campuses and described their work in front offices, cafeterias, bookkeeping, and technology. Dr. Stevens and other speakers emphasized the award’s intent to highlight staff who support students and families behind the scenes. The board and the Telehome Educational Foundation for Excellence presented the district winner, Sandy Goodman of Bel Air Elementary, with a certificate and a monetary award.
Board members also heard an update on the Grow Your Own teacher apprenticeship. Deputy Director Dr. April Norris explained the program’s pathway: qualifying staff apply and are approved through the university and U.S. Department of Labor processes, work with selected teacher mentors, and progress through supervised practicum experiences while remaining employed as instructional assistants. The board heard that the district’s first Grow Your Own graduate, Laken (last name in personnel file), will take a third-grade position at East Lincoln Elementary after completing the program and required mentor evaluations.
Administrators described the Coordinated School Health program and the district’s recent move to place a school nurse in every building. Gina Bumbleo and school nurses Kristen Siss and Jenna Phillips described clinical work that now includes chronic-condition management (insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors), medication administration, field-trip medical planning, health screenings and follow-up, staff wellness initiatives, and classroom health education. The nurses reported that the district documented roughly 20,813 clinic visits across the year (an internal total reported to the board) and that having a nurse in every school improved continuity of care, allowed more proactive screening follow-up, and supported professional development and emergency preparedness.
Administrators acknowledged outside partners who support school health and enrichment, including donation programs and volunteer groups for screening events. The board was told that some services — dental sealants, vaccination clinics, and supplies for students in need — were delivered through partnerships with the Lions Club, local health department, Walgreens, and the Sportsmen and Businessmen’s Charitable Organization (SBCO). The SBCO’s representative presented a $3,500 educational enrichment grant earmarked for coordinated-school-health programming.
The meeting included the customary thanks from the board for a year of academic, athletic and arts activities, and several administrators and board members encouraged community support for summer programming and school partnerships.
The board did not take any policy action on these recognition or program updates during this portion of the meeting; the items were presented for recognition, information, and routine acknowledgement.
