Georgia Partnership's Field Notes

In episode 33 of  Field Notes ,⁠  Kathleen Da Silva ⁠ of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education sits down with Angie Battle of the  Georgia Council on Economic Education to discuss how they support the growth and development of economics teachers serving Georgia's public schools.

In episode 32 of  Field Notes ,⁠  Kathleen Da Silva ⁠ of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education sits down with Andrea Collins and Esther-Marie Lawrence of the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce  to discuss how they worked with the Georgia Partnership to launch a birth-to-workforce scan of Thomasville and Thomas County to increase economic development, decrease generational...

On the heels of episode 30, we're excited to feature our first  Field Notes  "After Show" with Kathleen Da Silva and Matt Smith of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. Tune in to hear Kathleen and Matt dig into   Issue #5, Career Pathways, in the  2024 Top Ten Issues to Watch  report  and explore how Albany Technical College and Phoebe Putney Health System are successfully aligning...

In episode 30 of  Field Notes ,  Kathleen Da Silva  of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education sits down with Lisa Stephens (Albany Technical College) and Dr. Tracy Suber (Phoebe Putney Health System) to discuss how their respective organizations have partnered to address the nursing shortage in southwest Georgia.

In episode 29 of  Field Notes , Kathleen Da Silva of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education sits down with women's health professional, Dr. Keisha Callins, MD, MPH to discuss her perspectives on the intersection of medicine and literacy in rural communities, her support of early literacy as a board member for the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy , and her...

In episode 28 of Field Notes , the Georgia Partnership officially says farewell to its inaugural host, Merrill Kemp-Wilcox and welcomes new host and recently-hired Rural Engagement Manager, Kathleen Da Silva. Appropriately, Merrill and Kathleen discuss Merrill's transition from Atlanta, Georgia to Tucson, Arizona; Kathleen's journey from Fulton County Schools to the Georgia Partnership; an...

In episode 27 of Field Notes, and part three of our "Kindergarten Readiness" series, Merrill Wilcox of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, catches up with Dr. Michelle Taylor, Superintendent of Calhoun City Schools, to discuss the district's efforts to kick off the "Jacket Journey" in their students' earliest years of learning.

In episode 26 of Field Notes, and part two of our "Kindergarten Readiness" series, Merrill Wilcox of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, chats with Kim Holland, Director of Early Learning and School Readiness for Gwinnett County Public Schools about their Building Babies' Brains program, which ensures local parents have the tools they need to help grow their child’s...

In episode 25 of Field Notes, and part one of our "Kindergarten Readiness" series, Merrill Wilcox of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, chats with Rachel Schory, Project Manager with the Heard County Community Partnership about their Baby Braves program. Launched in 2016, the program aims to increase access to books for children ages 0-3 and help parents support their c...

In episode 24 of Field Notes, Merrill Wilcox, Director of Outreach & Engagement at the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, chats with Melissa Dark, President and CEO of the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Chamber of Commerce about their Georgia FLEX initiative. Through a collaboration of the Fitzgerald High School College and Career Academy, Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Chamber of Commer...

In episode 23 of Field Notes, Merrill Wilcox, Director of Outreach & Engagement at the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, chats with with Dr. Kirk Nooks, president of Gordon State College, about the challenges he and his institution have encountered in their recovery from the impacts of COVID-19 and how they're preparing not only their students, but also the college for the futur...

In episode 22 of Field Notes, Merrill Wilcox, Director of Outreach & Engagement at the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, connects with Drs. Mary Elizabeth Davis (Superintendent of Henry County Schools), Michael Duncan (Superintendent of Pike County Schools), and Dr. Keith Simmons (Superintendent of Griffin-Spalding County Schools) to discuss the challenges they face leading thei...

In episode 21 of Field Notes, Merrill Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with Cindy Kicklighter and Tamika Boone of the Georgia Department of Early Care & Learning (DECAL) to discuss the Happy Helpings summer food service program. Funded by the USDA and administered by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, the program provides f...

In episode 20 of Field Notes , Merrill Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education catch up with Dr. Dana Rickman, President of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence, to discuss her first year as president of the Partnership, the challenge of navigating the organization through socially and politically divided times, and what's included in the 2022 edition of t...

In episode 19 of Field Notes, Merrill Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with Dr. Veronica Womack, Executive Director of Georgia College's Rural Studies Institute , to discuss the Institute's efforts to promote and support rural communities in the areas of Health, Education, Economic Opportunity and the Environment.

In episode 18 of Field Notes, Merrill Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with Paige Pushkin, Executive Director of the Georgia Foundation for Public Education (GFPE), to discuss the overwhelming educational needs in rural Georgia and how GFPE's Rural Education Fund is addressing those needs by "providing traditional public schools, charter schoo...

In installment three of the "Tackling the Teacher Pipeline" series of the Georgia Partnership's Field Notes, Merrill Kemp-Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with Dr. Karla Hull, Executive Director of VSU Sullivan Scholarship Program, and Paul Goodrich, Chair of the Ruby Sullivan Educational Scholars Program, to discuss how the they're honor...

In installment two of the "Tackling the Teacher Pipeline" series of the Georgia Partnership's Field Notes, Merrill Kemp-Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with Dr. Sharon Hixon, Dean of the School of Education at Dalton State College, to discuss how the school is addressing teacher recruitment and retention.

In installment one of the "Tackling the Teacher Pipeline" series of the Georgia Partnership's Field Notes, Merrill Kemp-Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with Dr. Cindi Chance, Executive Director of Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education , and Dr. CaDeisha Cooper, Assistant Superintendent of Candler County Schools, to discuss som...

In the final installment of the "Battling Through Budget Cuts" series of the Georgia Partnership's Field Notes, Merrill Kemp-Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with Dr. Vickie Reed , Superintendent of Brooks County Schools, to discuss the challenges her district is facing in light of a decrease in state education funding and an increase in the c...

In installment three of the "Battling Through Budget Cuts" series of the Georgia Partnership's Field Notes, Merrill Kemp-Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with Superintendent Barry Waller of Toombs County Schools to discuss how a double-digit state budget cut will exacerbate existing instructional challenges in the district caused by limited br...

In installment two of the "Battling Through Budget Cuts" series of the Georgia Partnership's Field Notes, Merrill Kemp-Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with Dr. Jay Brinson, Superintendent of Wayne County Schools, to discuss how he and his team are planning to weather the state budget cuts and subsequent reduction in school funding by prioriti...

In installment one of the "Battling Through Budget Cuts" series of the Georgia Partnership's Field Notes , Merrill Kemp-Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with Dr. Michele Taylor, Superintendent of Calhoun City Schools, to discuss how she is navigating her district through the dual challenges of looming budget cuts and the COVID-19 crisis. 

In part six of the "Voices from the Ground" series of the Georgia Partnership's Field Notes, Merrill Kemp-Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with Curtis Callaway, Director of Communications with Shaw Industries , to discuss how his team ramped up their efforts to communicate clearly, effectively, and frequently with everyone in the organization...

In part five of the "Voices from the Ground" series of the Georgia Partnership's Field Notes, Merrill Kemp-Wilcox and Robert Gaines of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education connect with June Merritt, Chairman of the Early County Board of Commissioners , to discuss how she and other county leaders are adapting to the COVID-19 crisis in ways that ensure county residents still have acce...