Cherokee School Board Fills 2 Central Office Vacancies

CANTON, GA — The Cherokee County School Board at its Feb. 15 meeting kicked off the district's annual leadership hiring process by filling two central office vacancies. Board members unanimously appointed Dr. Shannon Carroll as CCSD's new supervisor for instructional technology and Rocky Simpson as the new coordinator of maintenance.

Both appointees were part of Superintendent Dr. Brian Hightower's monthly recommendations for personnel actions taken by the board. With these approvals now in place, school board members can move forward with filling principal and assistant principal vacancies and other open leadership positions.

“Both of these appointments add more depth to our leadership strength,” Dr. Hightower said of Dr. Carroll and Simpson. “Shannon, in her current role as a curriculum coordinator, has been a critical resource for STEM instruction, and we know she will expertly guide our use of classroom technology. We’re so proud of Rocky, who’s a graduate of Cherokee High, for coming back to us after college to use his expertise to support our schools.”

Dr. Carroll came to Cherokee County in 1993 as a teacher and, after a classroom career that included twice earning her school’s Teacher of the Year title, moved into district leadership roles in curriculum and professional development. Simpson joined the district in 2002 after earning his degree from Kennesaw State University.

The school board also:

• Recognized Holly Springs Elementary School STEM Academy as a Microsoft Showcase School;
• Recognized CCSD as the recipient of the National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriotic Employer Award;
• Recognized Carmel Elementary School teacher Merry Willis and Holly Springs STEM Academy teacher Lisa Lougheed as Global Minecraft Mentors;
• Recognized Woodstock High School economics teacher Josh Sailers as the 2018 Georgia Economics Teacher of the Year;
• Recognized E.T. Booth Middle School as a Common Sense Certified School for Digital Citizenship;
• Recognized the Woodstock Elementary School FIRST Lego League (FLL) Robotics Team as first-place winners in Core Values for Team Work at the State finals and as Super Regionals champions;
• Recognized Sequoyah High School junior Hanna Palmer for being elected to the 2018-2019 Georgia DECA State Executive Officer Team;
• Recognized state and regional champions from the Etowah High School wrestling team;
• Approved a resolution recognizing March 1, 2018 as PTA Day in the Cherokee County School District;
• Adopted International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards for students and educators;
• Approved the renewal of partnership agreements with Aramark Management Services, Cherokee County Historical Society and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society;
• Approved monthly financial reports;
• Approved out-of-state and overnight student field trips and professional development;
• Approved special lease agreements; and,
• Met in executive session to discuss personnel, real estate and student disciplinary matters.

The next Cherokee County School Board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 15.

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