Cullman High School Assistant Principal Aaron Sparks is recognized by Cullman City Schools Superintendent Susan Patterson during Monday's meeting for writing and obtaining grants for ADA and fire code compliance for the CHS main gymnasium restrooms and lobby.

Providing an education to students while meeting the state’s shifting goals can be a difficult task, but Cullman Middle School Principal Lane Hill has built a plan that should accomplish both.

As part of a series of presentations by each of the Cullman City School System’s principals, Hill spoke to the Cullman City School Board about the work that he and his school’s staff have done over the past year to make sure students are getting the best possible education.

He also Tuesday spoke about his school’s performance in the statewide school report card that was released by the Alabama State Department of Education in February. 

Cullman Middle School received a 93 in the report, joining only 10.6 percent of the state’s schools in earning an ‘A,’ and one of the highlights of the report card was the Academic Growth score, which is based on students who demonstrate improvement in reading and math from one year to the next.

Hill said CMS received a score of 100 in that area.

“That’s a good indication of the quality of teaching that’s going on in our school,” he said. “We are getting improvement out of our kids.”

Hill also spoke about the school’s curriculum and a new plan that has been formed to make sure CMS meets state requirements while providing a quality education.

The State of Alabama has jumped around with its requirements and expectations over the last few years, and the school has jumped around with them, he said. 

To make sure that Cullman Middle School meets any state requirements and ensure that the students are learning the things that they need to succeed, Hill said he has been working on a new instructional blueprint since last year.

“I want to change what we’re doing with our curriculum so that no matter where they jump to, we’re meeting it,” he said.

Hill said this year marked the first year of the plan’s implementation, and he has worked with teachers to get their input and is planning to get more parent input over the summer. 

The blueprint sets clear instructional goals that were gathered from the teachers and sets new instructional standards, he said.

The curriculum has an increased focus on higher-order thinking, and teachers are required to document the work that they have been doing to encourage that level of thinking in the classroom. 

When the teachers were asked to give their input on the instructional goals, none of them said that it would be important for students to be able to memorize and regurgitate information later in their lives,  Hill said. 

“We wanted to shift away from that and go towards higher order thinking,” he said.

The plan is still new, and refinement will likely be needed over the next couple years, but overall, the new instructional blueprint will allow Cullman Middle School to set a clear path of improvement for both students and teachers while still meeting the state’s requirements, Hill said. 

“Sometimes when you jump around, which we have done the past few years, you lose yourself, but then when you recreate yourself, hopefully you recreate a better version of yourself,” he said. “And that’s what we’re in the process of doing.”

In other business, the Board:

Approved the Feb. 20, 2018 minutes.

Approved the March 20, 2018 minutes.

Approved February 2018 payroll of $1,972,483.86, invoices paid of $1,174,429.39 and financial statements and bank reconciliations. 

Approved March 2018 payroll of $1,972,483.86 and invoices paid of $394,197.28.

Approved the following Head Start items:

Expenditures reports for February and March 2018.

Health/Nutrition/Disabilities/Enrollment Report for February and March 2018.

Head Start Trimester Comparison Outcomes Report 2017/2018.

Pre-K Trimester Comparison Outcomes Report 2017/2018.

CLASS Scores Winter 2018.

Organizational Chart – 2018/2019.

Gave permission to salvage two Phillips Magnavox TVs from East Elementary School.

Gave permission to salvage approximately 100 CMS ban uniforms that were purchased by band boosters in 2001.

Approved Head Start Policies and Procedures.

Gave permission to change March payroll date from March 31 to March 23.

Gave permission to recommend indemnification for Jerry bishop, and for him to remain the Certified Asbestos Inspector and Plan Writer for Cullman City Schools for the 2018-19 school year.

Gave permission to contract with Vertigo to provide special effects for Cullman High School Theatre (local school funds).

Gave permission for the CHS Soccer Booster Club to contract with Greg Brown for field maintenance in the amount of $3,000 (CHS Soccer Booster Club funds).

Gave permission for Cullman High School to conduct Summer School from June 4 to July 26.

Gave permission for the Junior Master Gardeners Program and North Alabama Agriplex Staff to use West Elementary School facilities to provide a two-week hands-on Garden Camp for students and parents on June 11-14 and June 18-21. Free breakfast and lunch will be provided by the CNP Summer Feeding Program. 

Gave permission for the Junior Master Gardeners Program and North Alabama Agriplex Staff to use East Elementary School facilities to provide a one-week hands-on Garden Camp for students and parents on June 25-28. Free breakfast and lunch will be provided by the CNP Summer Feeding Program.

Approved the 2018-19 Cullman City Head Start calendar.

Approved the 2018-19 Cullman City Head Start Pre-K calendar.

Approved the Occupancy Agreement between Cullman City Head Start and Cullman City Board of Education beginning Aug. 1, 2018 through July 31, 2019.

Approved the annual LEA Interagency Agreement between Cullman City Child Development Center (Cullman City Head Start) and Cullman City Board of Education.

Approved the 2018-19 Breakfast Lunch Agreement between Cullman City Primary School and Cullman City Head Start.

Approved a Community Partnership Agreement between Cullman City Head Start and Dr. Emily Che Flores to provide vision screening services. 

Gave permission to Head Start to contract with Dr. Rex Adams to provide dental services.

Gave permission for Head Start to contract with Tammy Cornelius, CRNP, to provide health examinations.

Gave permission for Head Start to contract with Dr. Samuel Oliver to provide dental services and dental screenings.

Gave permission for Head Start to contract with Urgent Care Center of Cullman to provide TB screenings. 

Gave permission to contract with Tera Cabri to provide early childhood education consultation services for Cullman City Head Start beginning Aug. 1, 2018 through July 31, 2019 (Head Start funds).

Gave permission to contract with Tera Cabri to work up to five days beginning June 1-30 to prepare Head Start for the 2018-19 school year (Head Start funds).

Gave permission to contract with Tera Cabri to help develop and update TITLE 1 plan, conduct kindergarten screenings and placement during the summer of 2018 (TITLE funds).

Gave permission to contract with Julie Murphree to provide custodial and maintenance duties at Cullman City Primary School during the summer of 2018 (CCPS and Head Start funds).

Gave permission to contract with Harrision Crumbley to provide maintenance and other various duties at CCPS during the summer of 2018 (local school funds).

Approved the four day summer work schedule beginning June 4 through July 27; Superintendent’s Office may vary to include Friday work as needed.

Approved the following personnel considerations:

– Retirement

Rebecca Smith, CNP Manager at Cullman High School, effective June 1.

– Resignations

Anna Catherine Parsons, second grade teacher at East Elementary, effective May 25.

Martha Bell, custodian at East Elementary, effective April 1.

Cindy Steele, custodian at Cullman High School, effective March 31.

– Termination of probationary classified employee:

Jessie Nash, CNP worker at Cullman High School, effective April 25.

– Leaves of Absence:

Rita Dean, second grade teacher at East Elementary School, requesting extended catastrophic leave for 10 weeks.

Erin Tidwell, social science teacher at Cullman High School, requesting Family and Medical Leave beginning Aug. 2 through Oct. 1.

Matthew Cory Myer, math teacher at Cullman High School, requesting FMLA beginning April 6 through May 25.

Kelly Hayes, second grade teacher at West Elementary, requesting catastrophic sick leave beginning April 2 through the remainder of the 2017-18 school year.

Sara Beth Norrell, first grade teacher at Cullman City Primary School, requesting FMLA beginning approximately May 17 through Sept. 28, followed by a leave of absence beginning Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.

Tonya Trammell, kindergarten teacher at Cullman City Primary School, requesting FMLA.

Sandi Allred, instructional assistant at Cullman City Primary School, requesting a leave of absence beginning March 21 through the remainder of the 2017-18 school year.

Holly Murphree, Pre-K special education aide, requesting .5 day on-the-job-injury leave for Feb. 7.

Brittney Calvert, Head Start teacher, requesting three days unpaid Study Leave to complete field experience for Athens State University.

Morgan Johnston, language arts teacher at Cullman High School, requesting one day unpaid leave on Feb. 16.

Heather Doyle, fifth grade teacher at West Elementary, requesting two days unpaid leave on March 16 and April 10.

– Transfer

Patrick Riley, transfer from CNP worker at Cullman Middle School to CNP worker at Cullman High School, effective April 1.

– Employments

Meaghan Britton, temporary second grade teacher at West Elementary School (to fill a leave of absence), beginning April 2 through May 25.

Erica Veal, temporary special education instructional assistant at CCPS (to fill a leave of absence), beginning April 2 through the remainder of the 2017-18 school year.

Phyllis Thompson, temporary math teacher at Cullman Middle School (to fill a leave of absence), approximately Aug. 7 through Sept. 28.

– Softball varsity assistant coach supplement for 2017-2018

Will Tidwell- 11 percent supplement.

– Volunteer coaches- no supplement

Jonathan Knappenberger, CHS soccer volunteer coach.

– Supplement- additional coaching staff

Tyler Pitzing, JV track and field assistant coach- 4 percent supplement.

The Cullman City School Board will hold a work session on May 1 from 8-10 a.m. in the Central Office Bearcat Room, and will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on May 15 at 5 p.m. in the Central Office Board Room with a work session beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Tyler Hanes can be reached at 256-734-2131 ext. 138.