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Administrative Recommendations Approved

Assistant Principal
E. Melvin Honeycutt Elementary      Heidi Hudson

Principals
Alderman Road Elementary             Tim Gardner
Ed V. Baldwin Elementary                Howard Higgins
Mary McArthur Elementary               Lisa Gillespie
Lake Rim Elementary                       Tanya Higgins
Mac Williams Middle                         Todd Yardis

Recognition of Ex-Officio Members
Student Government leaders Regan Kraft from Jack Britt High School and Alexander Willie from Cumberland International Early College High School served as the ex-officio members of the Cumberland County Board of Education. Ex-officio members are given the opportunity to make comments, ask questions, and give input on any topic brought before the Board.

Board Gives ‘Thumbs Up’ to Career Development Proclamation
Members of the Board voted to proclaim November 1 – 30, 2017, as Career Development Month and November 15, 2017, as Career & Technical Education Facilitator Day in the Cumberland County Schools (CCS). The proclamation is geared toward CTE Facilitators supporting “CTE programming that contributes to increased student attendance and achievement; improving graduation rates; producing college and career-ready citizens that contribute to the local economy and community vitality.”

Plan for Low-Performing Schools Gets Approval
The Board voted to accept the individual school plans for those identified as low-performing schools. Per G.S.115-C-105.39, the Board accepted the recommendation that the principals of the 13 low-performing schools be retained in their current position and a plan of remediation be developed.

Board Recognitions

Betty Musselwhite, the associate superintendent of School Support Services, introduced the following honorees to the Board to be recognized:

October’s 2017 Amazing Acts of Character Award Recipients – Student Honorees Bruce Griffin from Eastover-Central Elementary School, Jacob Mabe from Gray’s Creek Middle School, and Gabriel DeMasi from Massey Hill Classical High School were recognized for displaying ‘acts of good character’ above and beyond expected behavior. Members of the Board extended personal congratulations to each student.

North Carolina Career and Technical Education (CTE) Administrator of the Year – Chip Lucas, the executive director of CTE, was recently announced by the North Carolina Association for Career and Technical Education as the NC CTE Administrator of the Year. Lucas was chosen from six regional finalists for the honor.

Appointment to the Governor’s Commission on Access to Sound Basic Education – E.E. Smith High School Principal Melody Chalmers was recently appointed to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s Commission on Access to Sound Basic Education. The Commission will focus on the critical importance of North Carolina meeting its duties under the state constitution as underscored by the landmark rulings in Leandro versus North Carolina and Hoke County Board of Education versus North Carolina.

Employees Saving Lives – Since October, three CCS’ employees used the Heimlech maneuver to help save the lives of a student or co-worker who was in distress from choking on food. Lametris Bembry, a data manager at C. Wayne Collier Elementary School; Sheila Burke, a fourth-grade teacher at Margaret Willis Elementary School; and Gantice Bowden, a Pre-K teacher at New Century International Elementary School, were applauded by the Board for their acts of heroism.

Board Chair Greg West announced that members of the Cumberland County Board of Education were recognized at last week’s NCSBA Annual Conference in Greensboro for their accumulation of training hours. For participating in a minimum of 31 hours of training during the 2016-2017 academic year, Board member Porcha McMillan received a Certificate of Merit. Board member Judy Musgrave was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for a minimum of 101 hours of training, and Board member Carrie Sutton received an Award of Distinction for participating in a minimum of 401 hours of training. The Gold Bell Award, which was awarded to the nine-member Board, acknowledged that each Board member earned the required 12 hours of training between July 1 and June 30.

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