Casey Cagle, Brandon Beach Visit Canton Elementary STEM Academy

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Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, accompanied by State Senator Brandon Beach, met with Cherokee County School District staff Thursday morning, and then toured several classrooms at Canton Elementary School STEM Academy.

Cagle and Beach met with four members of the district’s Educational Programs team, along with two high school counselors and a representative from the Finance Department, to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by Move On When Ready, which allows high school students to pursue multiple avenues to graduation and/or career readiness, including dual enrollment at a post-secondary institution.

Revisions to MOWR in legislation earlier this year merged multiple programs under one heading, and expanded the concept to other high school students, rather than just juniors and seniors.

The hour-long discussion provided policymakers with an inside look at how the initiative is being utilized in the Cherokee County School District and suggestions for how to improve the process for both students and schools, as well as some areas that need clarification.

Cagle then toured several classrooms at Canton Elementary, including stops in a STEM laboratory, aquaponics lab, Early Intervention Program/Title I class, English Learner classroom and a Pre-K classroom.

Principal Beth Long had the opportunity to explain some of the challenges faced by her school and community, which includes a significant number of households whose primary language is not English.

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Photo 1: Canton ES STEM Academy fourth-grader Reece Cochran shows Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Senator Brandon Beach how fish waste is utilized to grow plants in the hydroponics lab.
Photo 2: Canton ES STEM Academy Principal Beth Long, Sen. Brandon Beach and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle stop in Nicole Eichenberger (left) and Patricia Corneillie’s EIP classroom where “hard work is underway” with a clever construction theme.
Photo 3: Canton ES STEM Academy fourth-graders Alexis Reed (foreground) and Charity Austin show Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Senator Brandon Beach the fish that swim beneath the plant trays and explain their role in hydroponics.
Photo 4: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, center, and Senator Brandon Beach, far right, enter Canton ES STEM Academy where they are greeted by Assistant Principals Tammie Anderson and Valerie Lowery and Principal Beth Long.
Photo 5: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, left, listens to Canton ES STEM Academy ESOL teacher Susan La Serna (standing, right) introduce presentations on American history by her students.
Photo 6: Canton ES STEM Academy ESOL teacher Susan La Serna introduces the Lieutenant Governor to her class of students.
Photo 7: Canton ES STEM Academy fourth-graders Alexis Reed (foreground) and Charity Austin show Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Senator Brandon Beach the fish that swim beneath the plant trays and explain their role in hydroponics.
Photo 8: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle applauds a student’s presentation on President Abraham Lincoln in Susan La Serna’s ESOL class at Canton ES STEM Academy.
Photo 9: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle responds to the feedback from administrators.
Photo 10: Dr. Rouel Belleza, CCSD Administrator on Special Assignment for Virtual/Online Learning, speaks to the online and virtual instruction side of MOWR as Dr. Pat Kearns, CCSD Director of Curriculum and Academic Standards, listens.
Photo 11: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle describes the vision of the MOWR concept -- having every student ready for a career or college upon graduation from high school.
Photo 12: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, left, and Sen. Brandon Beach, right, listen to CCSD Education Programs staff relate some of the success and challenges of MOWR.
Photo 13: Susan McCarthy, center, CCSD Assistant Superintendent for Educational Programs, Student Support and Professional Development, describes how MOWR is utilized in CCSD schools.
Photo 14: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Senator Brandon Beach begin their visit with a discussion about Move On When Ready with CCSD lead counselors and Educational Programs staff. From left, Mike McGowan, CCSD Director of Strategic Planning and Intergovernmental Relations; Senator Brandon Beach; Dr. Pat Kearns, CCSD Director of Curriculum and Academic Standards; Dr. Paul Weir, CCSD Director of School Improvement and Professional Development; Mindy Woolsey, CCSD Accounting/Budget Supervisor; Lt. Governor Casey Cagle; Kristie Sikes, Lead Counselor at Creekview HS; Dr. Rouel Belleza, CCSD Administrator on Special Assignment for Virtual/Online Learning; Susan McCarthy, CCSD Assistant Superintendent for Educational Programs, Student Support and Professional Development; and Jeff Bennett, Lead Counselor at River Ridge HS.
Photo credit: Cherokee County School District