Education Briefs — June 20, 2017

Albany State University’s Hill named policy analyst for NCTE

ALBANY — James Hill, chair of the Albany State University Department of English, Modern Languages and Mass Communication, will serve a two-year term as a Policy Analyst for the National Council of Teachers of English. The Policy Analysis Initiative has one representative from each state to support the interests of English college and university faculty in that state

The purpose of the initiative is to inform National Council of Teachers of English, Conference on College Composition and Communication, and Two-Year College English Association members about state-level policy.

In his role as a higher education policy analyst, Hill will analyze policy developments in the state that impact English language arts, literacy education, and the humanities in colleges and universities.

There is also a representative to support preschool through high school.

As a policy analyst, Hill will also educate his fellow members and highlight critical issues in the state.

Dollar General awards grant to Albany Technical College

ALBANY — The Albany Tech Foundation was recently awarded a grant by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation in the amount of $14,640 to support adult literacy. The local grant award is part of more than $7.5 million in grants awarded to nearly 900 schools, nonprofits and organizations across the 44 states that Dollar General serves.

“On behalf of the faculty, staff and students of the Adult Education program at Albany Technical College, we are grateful and proud to be a recipient of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grant for FY2018,” said Linda Coston, vice president for adult education at Albany Technical College.

Many of the students enrolled in the GED program at Albany Tech are unable to afford the cost of the GED test, which ultimately prevents them from completion. The grant will help these students to realize their goal of achieving a high school equivalency diploma and help them to possibly move on at Albany Tech to enroll in and earn a diploma, degree or certification in an academic program.

“Dollar General is excited to provide these organizations with funding to support literacy and education throughout the 44 states we serve,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. “Providing these grants and supporting these communities we call home reflects our mission of serving others, and it’s rewarding to see the impact these funds have.”

John Brooks earns masters, pursuing Ph.D. at Columbia

ALBANY — John Whitlock Brooks, son of Woodrow Whitlock Brooks and Leigh Wetherbee Brooks, has received a master’s of science (online) degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Washington. He is currently in his third year at Columbia University, working toward a Ph.D. in plasma/fusion physics. Brooks will be on loan to Princeton University fall semester.

Jessica Rehberg earns marketing degree from UGA

ALBANY — Charles and Wanda Rehberg have announced that their daughter, Jessica Nell Rehberg, received her bachelor’s of business administration degree in marketing from the University of Georgia during the college’s May 2017 commencement exercises. Jessica Rehberg was a 2014 honor graduate of Westover Comprehensive High School and attended the 2013 Georgia Governor’s Honors program.

Mitchell to pursue post-doctoral work at medical center

ALBANY — Deerfield-Windsor School graduate Stephanie Mitchell has obtained her Ph.D. at Tufts University and will perform her post doctoral work at the Pennsylvania and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

She is the daughter of Karon and Mark Mitchell of Albany.

GaDOE releases draft of Every Student Succeeds Act

ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Education has released a draft of its state plan responsive to the Every Student Succeeds Act, the replacement for the federal law commonly known as No Child Left Behind.

The draft is being posted publicly to give all interested stakeholders time to review the plan and provide feedback. The public-comment period will run for 30 days, closing on July 14.

“I deeply appreciate the involvement of many of Georgia’s teachers, parents, school and district representatives, and community members in the ESSA public feedback process,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “I want to ask and encourage everyone who has already been involved to stay engaged with us as this work continues. For anyone who has not yet been involved, I would ask you to be a part of the public review process moving forward. We can’t create a plan that serves students well unless we’re all working together.”

The draft may be seen at www.gadoe.org.