Coffee County School Board approves new textbooks

At the Feb. 4 Coffee County School Board meeting the board approved the purchase of new math and career tech textbooks.

The textbooks were selected by the school system’s Textbook Committee from textbooks recommended by the state.

Board member Sherry Eddins questioned whether the textbooks would include “common core.”

“Will common core be in the new books?” Eddins asked. “Did Coffee County Schools continue with common core? It’s my understanding schools go the option (to use common core standards)?”

Coffee County Schools Superintendent Kevin Killingsworth said the books selected were approved by the state.

“We have to follow the state curriculum,” Kilingsworth said. “I don’t think the term ‘common core’ is even in the course of study as far as math goes. The textbook committee meets and looks at samples from the ones that come from the state to adopt.”

“Common Core” was a standards initiative for math and reading implemented throughout the United States in 2010, but in 2019 the state school board approved new math standards that Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey boasted had “eradicated any relevance to Common Core.”

Board member Galen McWaters had questions regarding new history textbooks, which are expected to be updated in the next three years.

“There is a lot of speculation about history books that I’ve been reading about,” McWaters said. “I think we need to pay extra close attention to what those history books are teaching.”

The board approved the extension through March of the Family First Act, which allows for teachers to have 10 days of paid leave for either having COVID-19 or being quarantined because of exposure to it. It was originally supposed to expire on Dec. 31, 2020 but the U.S. Congress extended it through March. This doesn’t give teachers that have used their 10 days more days, it only allows for those teachers that haven’t used all of their days to do so through March.

Killingsworth recognized the board members with certificates of appreciation in honor of School Board Appreciation Month, which was in January.

Killingsworth said that the roof and storm windows have been installed on the construction of the 12 classroom additions at New Brockton Elementary School, and the slab has been laid for the new gym at Zion Chapel High School.

Killingsworth said that bidding for construction of the six new classrooms at New Brockton High School will begin this week.

The board also approved a number of personnel actions listed below. The next school board meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on March 4 at the Coffee County Board of Education in Elba.

Leave:

Anna Stanley, teacher at New Brockton Elementary School;

Kevin Hancock, teacher at Kinston School;

Marie Farris, lunchroom worker at New Brockton Elementary School;

Employment:

Layne Weaver, elementary teacher at Kinston School;

Harley Sasser, CNP worker at Zion Chapel School;

Resignation:

Katherine Kennedy, CNP worker at Zion Chapel School.