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May 29, 2022

The Chestertown Spy

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Education Ed Homepage Education Ed Portal Lead Education Ed Portal Lead

Former St. Michaels High School Grad to become New Talbot County Superintendent of Schools

May 19, 2022 by Spy Desk 1 Comment

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With a unanimous vote at the May 18, 2022 meeting, the Talbot County Board of Education  appointed Dr. Sharon Pepukayi as the new Talbot County Superintendent of Schools, effective July 1, 2022, pending finalization of the contract and approval of the Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Mohammed Choudhury.  

Dr. Sharon Pepukayi

“The Board was very pleased with the high quality of the 18 applicants for the position of Superintendent of Talbot County Public Schools,” said Susan Delean-Botkin, Board President. 

“Dr. Pepukayi stood out with her excellent credentials, outstanding leadership, stakeholder support and local knowledge.  The Board is very pleased to welcome Dr. Pepukayi to Talbot County Public Schools. 

Dr. Pepukayi is currently an assistant superintendent for the Appoquinimink School District. As an educator for 30 years, Dr. Pepukayi has served in numerous roles including student advisor, mentor, reading coach, teacher, assistant principal, and principal prior to moving to district administration. It is while spending time in classrooms, that she recognized the need to keep students at the forefront of her decision making. Her passion for students is undeniable and she loves to talk with them about their educational journeys. 

Dr. Pepukayi is a collaborator and believes in unleashing the talents of others. She has worked tirelessly to develop leaders and promote equity and diversity efforts in her district. In addition, she helped with the expansion efforts as the district enrollment increased to over 3,000 during her tenure. This included opening new educational facilities, expansion of preschool and bilingual programming, and promoting student excellence within the community. 

Being no stranger to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Dr. Pepukayi graduated from St. Michaels High School, then pursued her post-secondary education in North Carolina, Ohio, and Delaware. She credits her parents for instilling her love of teaching and learning. Her mother is a retired teacher, and her father is a retired waterman, businessman, and former school board member. Dr. Pepukayi earned her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Bennett College, Master of Arts in Early and Middle Childhood Education from Ohio State University, and a Doctor of Education in Innovation and Leadership from Wilmington University. She is a member of many educational organizations, and a charter member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She has also provided training and presented at several national conferences. 

In her free time, Dr. Pepukayi enjoys being around the water, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. She is the proud parent of two sons.

Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead, Ed Portal Lead

Chesapeake College Gets a Second Wind after the COVID years: A Chat with President Cliff Coppersmith

May 10, 2022 by Dave Wheelan Leave a Comment

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The last time the Spy had a check-in with Chesapeake College president Cliff Coppersmith in the spring of 2021, there were far too many unknowns for the CEO of one of the best community colleges in the state as he faced year two of the great COVID pandemic.

In almost every part of Cliff’s portfolio, there were more questions than answers about the college’s future as the school saw a dramatic decline in students, unprecedented budget challenges, confusion on how much state funding his institution was to receive, or whether or not Chesapeake could access COVID recovery funding from the federal government.

Like every other school in the country, COVID has created enough havoc for Chesapeake College’s students, faculty, and staff over the last two years that even its president couldn’t responsibility guess what its future held at the time.

Fast-forward to 2022, and Dr. Coppersmith has almost become a new man. Since our last conversation, the state has come through for its community colleges with an unprecedented 15.1% increase in operational support. And, yes, fed money for COVID recovery did arrive with the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), and just as importantly, the five counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot all agreed to a 3% increase in annual support.

Cliff also notes that during those uncertain months, his board of trustees and staff double-downed on private fundraising and government grant-seeking to create new revenue sources to help with the college’s bottom line with outstanding early results.

But the thing that puts a smile on President Coppersmith is that students are coming back to the classroom. In fact, the school should be able to report soon that enrollment will almost reach its pre-pandemic level.

Last week, the Spy sat down with Cliff Coppersmith at his office in Wye Mills to hear more.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length. For more information about Chesapeake College please go here.

Filed Under: Ed Portal Lead, Ed Portal Lead, Spy Top Story

Talbot Board of Education Announces Finalists for Superintendent of Schools

May 5, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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The Talbot County Board of Education has identified finalists for the Talbot County Superintendent of Schools.  The four finalists, in alphabetical order are:

James C. Bell, Jr., Ed.D., Director of Student Services and Secondary Leadership for the Seaford School District, Seaford, Delaware.  

Dr. Bell earned a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Mathematics from Southern University A & M,  and a Master of Education in School Leadership and a Doctor of Education in Innovation and Leadership from Wilmington University in Georgetown, Delaware.  He began his career as a mathematics teacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was recruited by Talbot County Public Schools to teach at Easton High School, where he was later promoted to Assistant Principal.  Dr. Bell has also served as Principal of Maces Lane Middle School and Supervisor of Student Services for Dorchester County Public Schools.  

Carol E. Flenard, Ed.D., Interim Superintendent, Spotsylvania County Public Schools, Virginia. 

Dr. Flenard earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Penn State University, and a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision and Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University.  She began her career as an elementary teacher, and has served as an assistant principal, principal, director of education, executive director of instruction, deputy superintendent-chief academic officer and interim superintendent.   

LeTrecia M. Gloster, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Schools, The School District of the City of York, Pennsylvania.   

Dr. Gloster earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education from Bowie State University, a Master of Science in Administration from Trinity University, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Bowie State University.  She taught secondary mathematics in Talbot and Prince George’s County, Maryland and Charlotte, North Carolina, before returning to Maryland and serving as a middle school principal in Caroline and Prince George’s counties. She has also been Executive Director of School Support and Improvement for Metro Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee, and Director of Learning for the District of Columbia Public Schools Leadership Development Division, Washington DC.  

Sharon Pepukayi, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of PreK-5 Schools, Appoquinimink School District, New Castle County, Delaware. 

Dr. Pepukayi earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, from Bennett College, a Master of Arts in Early and Middle Childhood Education from Ohio State University, and a Doctor of Education in Innovation and School Leadership from Wilmington University.  She previously served as Assistant Superintendent of PreK-12 Schools, principal, and assistant principal in the Appoquinimink School District.   She also taught in the Dublin School District and was a teacher and an administrator in the Red Clay Consolidated School District in Delaware.  

The four finalists will participate in interviews with the Talbot County Board of Education and with stakeholders to include members of the community, staff, students, and parents. 

The Board has been working with the Maryland Association of Boards of Education  (MABE) to conduct the superintendent search. 

Any questions regarding the search process should be directed to William Middleton, search consultant at MABE at 410-841-5414, or at wmiddleton@mabe.org.  

 

Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead, Ed Portal Lead

Kent County Public Schools Starts Mentoring Program for Black Boys

March 4, 2022 by Spy Desk 3 Comments

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A mentoring program launched in the fall at Kent County High School is already expanding to bring in more students and more community members who want make an impact on a child’s life.

The program was organized by Dr. Angela Holocker, coordinator of student services for Kent County Public Schools and interim principal at Kent County Middle School.

The mentoring program here is a pilot for the state as part of a targeted effort to improve the school experience and educational outcomes of Black boys in Maryland.

Expanding on previous studies and efforts, the Maryland State Board of Education formed the Task Force on Achieving Equity and Excellence for Black Boys in 2020. It issued a resource guide for educators, “Transforming the Culture of Maryland’s Schools for Black Boys,” last year.

Dr. Vermelle D. Greene, who spent her career as an educator in Prince George’s County Public Schools, chaired the task force.

“Our Black boys are intelligent and capable. Like all other children, they want to learn and be successful. Yet this will not happen if as a state education system we — either through ignorance or neglect — fail to educate them in ways that affirm their learning differences, attend to their social-emotional needs, appreciate their culture, set high expectations and respect them as unique individuals,” Greene wrote in the resource guide. 

Upon the task force’s report being issued, Dr. Holocker jumped at the opportunity to incorporate some of its recommendations into Kent County Public Schools. In doing so, the state provided the school system here with $76,000 to get started.

First came de-escalation training for teachers and staff.

In reviewing discipline figures, Dr. Holocker found that Kent County Public Schools did not follow the state and national trends showing Black boys being disproportionately suspended from schools. What the numbers here did show, though, was that Black boys were being sent to the principal or having parent conferences called at higher rates than other groups.

“We saw that teachers needed strategies,” Dr. Holocker said.

Those de-escalation training sessions were held last August.

In addition, Dr. Holocker got the greenlight to launch a mentoring program. Pairing Black men in the community with Black boys, the program aims to help students with their school work and their emotional growth and development.

It started at the high school and expanded to the middle school.

“We have mentors who are coming in the middle school and the high school, visiting the lunchroom, walking the halls and being a presence for our young men,” Dr. Holocker said.

The task force guide suggests partnering with existing mentoring programs, bringing those community leaders into the school system.

For Kent County, one of those programs is Rising Sons and one of those leaders is co-founder Harold Somerville. The father of two is a parole and probation officer and also a longtime youth sports coach.

Somerville and a team of mentors started coming into the high school several times a week in the fall to meet with students, talking to them, helping them with school work and maybe playing a game of basketball.

“We do a lot of one on one with them, mostly during lunch shifts.” Somerville said. “We come in and just sit with them and see how they’re doing, if they need help with anything.”

Antoine Reid Sr. has twin boys who are seniors at the high school, where he can often be found in the hallway talking to students as part of his mentoring visits.

Like Somerville, Reid also has a degree in criminal justice and has been active in the community and coached youth sports. 

Both men know the power positive influence can have on a child’s life. And they know that some of the children do not have a strong male role model to guide them.

“We try to fill that void,” Reid said.

Tyray Johnson is another mentor. He has four children, three who have graduated from Kent County Public Schools and one still in middle school. His oldest is the performer known as Yvng Swag.

It was Johnson’s experiences as a parent on the outside of the school system looking in that led him to retire young from an engineering career and sign up first as a substitute teacher and then as an instructional assistant at Kent County Middle School.

Johnson is passionate about being a mentor.

“It’s about being able to make a difference, to make an impact on someone’s life and to leave a legacy,” Johnson said. “Because at the end of the day, the kids are our future. They’re going to be the future leaders of this country.”

Monday mornings have become a special time for the mentoring program at the middle school. Nearly 30 students from all three grades get together for breakfast at the school.

“We’re calling them Mindful Mornings,” Dr. Holocker said. “The students are really enjoying it. It sets those boys in a frame of mind to start the day so they’re ready to go.”

Mentoring activities also extend well beyond the walls of the middle and high schools. 

In January, a group of mentors and students traveled to Wilmington, Del. to see Trojan basketball star Manny Camper play for the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA’s G League. Students got to meet Camper and take photos with him.

“That was fun,” Johnson said. “Seeing Manny come up from here and now he’s playing in the G League — it was awesome.”

Plans are in the works for a trip to the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

While the mentoring program is focused on providing support for Black boys, the mentors themselves are happy talking to any students who come up to them.

“We’re always here to help,” Somerville said. “We want any kid to feel welcome and invited when they see us.”

The program is looking for mentors.

“You’ve got to have a love for kids and a passion for kids. And you’ve got to have patience, because you’re dealing with individuals with different personalities and different backgrounds,” Johnson said. “But it’s so rewarding to be able to see the impact that you can make on a person in a positive light.”

Those interested in signing up should contact Dr. Holocker at aholocker@kent.k12.md.us.

 

Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead, Ed Portal Lead

The Magic of Books at Galena Elementary

February 28, 2022 by James Dissette Leave a Comment

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Last week at a special assembly, kids at Galena Elementary were treated to the magic of books and reading as magician Brian Curry showcased his favorite children’s books while performing magic tricks to engage the students.

The Book Club: The Magic Assembly was sponsored by Chestertown Rotary Club supporting Galena Elementary School One School One Book program, a national nonprofit whose mission is to “create a culture of literacy in every home.”

Curry, who travels from Florida to Vermont with his magic show promoting reading, says that each school engagement is unique and always satisfying. The contagious excitement in the room spoke for itself. Teachers and staff were not immune to being called to the stage to help perform some of Curry’s illusions, and there was a certain glee when physical education teacher Jillian Kinnamon got sprayed with silly string by one of the students.

Each of the four books covered during the Magic Assembly were donated to the school, along with copies of The Mouse and the Motorcycle for each student.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. For more information about the One School One Book Program, go here. 

Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead, Ed Portal Lead

Kent County Schools Walkabout Part 2: A Chat with Superintendent Karen Couch

February 21, 2022 by James Dissette Leave a Comment

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In Part 2 of the Spy’s interview with KCPS Superintendent Dr. Karen Couch and facilitator Gina Jachimowicz, director of teaching and learning, Gina Jachimowicz discusses the mission of the Learning Walks and how they were constructed.

“We’ve really been mindful of putting together a comprehensive strategic plan, and one of the things important to Dr. Couch was not just putting together a laundry list of activities but that we are very intentional in understanding what it is we want to achieve as a system and how we’re going to get there,” she says.

Jachimowicz says those goals focus on achievement, professional development of the KCPS workforce, including recruiting new teachers and retaining the teachers they have, and a focus on social and emotional wellness.

To better understand the learning environment at KCPS, the Learning Walks were implemented. The teams were comprised of content experts made up of instructional specialists from the district office as well as current teachers and administrative personnel. The teams visited each of the county schools to determine the efforts teachers were making to meet the instructional goals they have set for themselves.

After a day’s visit, the Learning Walks team and the teachers, staff, and principal from the observed classroom discussed the day’s teaching goals and additional ways to better achieve that goal. Jachimowicz uses a day at Garnet Elementary School and one teacher’s goal to overcome obstacles in math comprehension. Through these classroom experiences, the Learning Walks team and teachers can assess the day’s activity to determine additional pathways to success.

Here, Gina Jachimowicz discusses the structure and implementation of the Learning Walks along with Professional Development Day, how parents and other county residents can help, and how you might become a provisional teacher yourself if qualified through alternative licensing training. 

This video is approximately seven minutes in length.

 

Filed Under: Ed Portal Lead, Ed Portal Lead, News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

The Dorchester Race to Read: Jymil Thompson and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading

February 15, 2022 by Spy & WHCP Community Radio Leave a Comment

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The John & Janice Wyatt Foundation, the funder of Dorchester County’s Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, made an aspiring choice in hiring Jymil Thompson to lead this ambitious literary initiative for the next several years.

The product of Penn State, followed by two master’s degrees from Trinity and Howard Universities, Jymil found himself moving to Cambridge after a successful career as an assistant principal at Sierra High School in Colorado Springs, CO. This unique transition was due to his work with the former Mace’s Lane Middle School in Dorchester County Public Schools, located in Cambridge.

But this transition was more than a matter of changing mountain scenery to the vistas of the Chesapeake Bay. Jymil, clearly familiar with poverty and education challenges in poor communities, still found Cambridge shockingly different from previous experiences. As he notes in our Spy/WHCP interview, he came to realize there was a significant difference between urban and rural conditions for young people. And that related to access to learning programs.

While poor neighborhoods in America’s largest cities have unique challenges, what they share in common is the number of choices young students have in the form of after-school programming and learning opportunities. In a place like Cambridge, in contrast, he noticed how few options these kids have after their schools dismiss them every afternoon.

One of those gaps was programs devoted to improving the reading skills of those children.

The sobering fact is that without proficiency in reading by the end of third grade, a time when students shift from learning to read to reading to learn, those children fall behind. Those that fail to reach this critical milestone falter in the later grades and often drop out before earning a high school diploma.

The Grade-Level Reading initiative intends to attack this problem head-on. As Jymil outlines in our conversation, his job is to engage the community, remove barriers, expand opportunities, and assist parents in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities to help their children read.

This video is approximately 9 minutes in length. For more information about the Campaign for Grade Level Reading in Dorchester please go here. To find out more about the national effort please go here.

Filed Under: Eco Portal Lead, Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead, Ed Portal Lead

Talbot County Superintendent Kelly Griffith to Retire Next Year

November 18, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Talbot County Public Schools Superintendent Kelly L. Griffith, Ed.D. has announced that she will retire as of July 1, 2022 after 39 years as an educator.  

Dr. Griffith was appointed as the Interim Superintendent in 2013, and was officially appointed TCPS Superintendent in 2014 after a national search was conducted.  She holds a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Innovation from Wilmington University, and a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Salisbury University, where she also earned her undergraduate degree.  Dr. Griffith began her career as a teacher in Delaware in 1983, and joined the TCPS team in 1988. Her leadership positions included serving as an assistant principal and principal of Easton Middle School, principal of Easton and Chapel District Elementary Schools as well as Easton High School, Director of Student Programs and School Improvement, and Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services. 

“As I complete my ninth year and second contract serving in this capacity, I make this decision with mixed emotions,” Dr. Griffith said in a letter to the community.  “Simply stated, it is time for me to embark upon new opportunities in both my personal and professional life.”

Susan Delean-Botkin, Talbot County Board of Education President stated “Dr. Kelly Griffith was just awarded the Maryland Superintendent of the Year, and is now in contention for that same recognition nationally.  What a fitting way to conclude 39 years of professional teaching, child advocacy, administrative leadership, team building, foresight, and inclusivity. In those 39 years, starting as a middle school teacher, she gave so much to so many for so long that there are few in the Mid Shore area untouched by her passion for children, quality education, teacher and staff advocacy, diversity and equity.”  

“Dr. Griffith promoted Talbot County wherever she went and served on multiple community organizations in her efforts to build bridges between the school system and the whole community,” Ms. Delean-Botkin added.   “We wish her and her husband the very best in her retirement. And we salute her for giving Talbot County the wonderful gift of complete dedication for so many years.”

Dr. Griffith will remain actively involved in the community as an Easton Rotarian (currently President-Elect), a member of the Talbot Family Network, Talbot Mentors, Junior Achievement Board, the Local Emergency Preparedness Committee, and an Executive Board Member of the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce.  She also volunteers for the Waterfowl Festival, Meals on Wheels, and Junior Achievement.  

 “During the remaining months of my time as your Superintendent, I will continue to work with the Board to promote the best possible decisions on behalf of our children and staff,” Griffith added.  “I am also committed to making the smoothest possible transition for my successor’s administration.  I am truly grateful for my TCPS and community family.”

 

Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead

Mid-Shore Education: A Chat with Gunston School’s John Lewis

October 25, 2021 by Dave Wheelan 2 Comments

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It is instinctively hard for any thoughtful leader of an institution to use the word “thriving” to categorize the current state of their enterprise while the country recovers from an international health crisis.  Yet, that might be the only word applied to The Gunston School these days.

At a time when many other schools need to slowly work their way back from the devastation that COVID-19 brought to secondary education, Headmaster John Lewis reports in his latest Spy interview on the fact that the Centreville-based Gunston is firing on all cylinders.

Not only is the school hitting record enrollment numbers, with now more than 230 students attending the 9-12 grade school, but, with the exception of the first dark months of the pandemic, those young people have been in the physical classroom as well.

In fact, with this remarkable stability in place, Headmaster Lewis is not thinking of keeping the status quo. He and his board of trustees have now embarked on a new strategic vision intended to allow the school’s physical plant to catch up with the kind of school Gunston has grown into since becoming a co-ed high school in 1995. That includes plans for more STEM classroom space, a dedicated performing arts center, and the addition of an athletic center that matches Gunston’s ever-expanding sports teams and fitness requirements.

The Spy drove over to talk with John Lewis a few weeks ago to hear about this remarkable phase in Gunston’s 110-year history as he begins his twelve-year as its headmaster.

This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about The Gunston School please go here.

Filed Under: Ed Homepage, Ed Portal Lead, Spy Chats, Spy Top Story

Kent County High School Principal Resigns

October 15, 2021 by Spy Staff 3 Comments

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A letter from Kent County School Superintendent Karen Couch posted on the KCHS School Board website on October 14 announced the resignation of the resignation of KCHS Principal Joe Graf.

Rock Hall Elementary Principal Mrs. Kris Hemstetter has been reassigned to KCHA as principal. Mrs. Gillian Spero will be reassigned as principal of Rock Hall Elementary for the remainder of the school year.

This is a developing story.

Filed Under: Ed Portal Lead, Ed Portal Lead, News Homepage

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