For the seventh consecutive time, the Georgia School Boards Association has recognized the Carrollton Board of Education as an Exemplary Board of Achievement. 

The recognition program is designed to showcase best practices in school governance and leadership. The recognition program is designed to showcase best practices in school governance and leadership, supporting the local community through the advancement of student learning and achievement. 

The board has been at the forefront of earning this prestigious designation since the GSBA began the process several years ago and was one of the first 36 school districts in the state to earn Exemplary status. This recognition program is a three-tier, three-year process and is considered GSBA’s highest honor. 

In 1998, the Georgia School Boards Association was one of the first school board associations in the nation to develop a program of standards for local boards of education. 

A board must complete nine requirements to be considered for the Exemplary Board designation. One of these includes earning continuing education credits via classes and training. Carrollton BOE members have exceeded this training requirement while achieving high marks in the other required areas.

For more information on the program, you may visit https://gsba.com/board-development/awards-recognition/ to view the criteria for all tiers of the program.

Carrollton City Schools interventionist Nancy Smith was chosen as a recipient of the Mentor Teacher Award for her work with the University of West Georgia. She is one of nine teachers from around the state who was recognized by the Georgia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education for their work in coaching future teachers. 

“I feel honored to be recognized for something I love to do,” said Smith. “I love to help young teachers, whether they are just about to enter the profession or are in their early years of teaching.”

In addition to fulfilling their prime obligations as an educator, each teacher selected for this honor has also served as a mentor to the upcoming generation of Georgia teachers. These mentor teachers model, instruct, encourage, and invest in the development of future teachers.

Karen Wild, director of school improvement at Carrollton City Schools, said Smith is more than deserving of this recognition.

“Nancy is an intelligent, caring, and hardworking professional who values supporting others,” said Wild. “Her expertise in instruction coupled with her exceptional people skills enable her to facilitate the development of educators in interacting with ideas and other people.”

The award is co-sponsored by the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL), and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE). 

Smith reflected on the early years of her teaching career.

“I had an incredible mentor during my first year of teaching,” she said. “I feel like it is part of my job as a seasoned teacher to pay it forward now. I hope I can help make those first few years of teaching a bit less overwhelming!”

Following an extensive application and interview process, 15 Carrollton High School students have been nominated to compete at the state level for Governor’s Honors, setting a record for the most students selected to compete in the next round. 

The Governor’s Honors Program, known as GHP, is a four-week residential summer program for gifted and talented rising high school juniors and seniors. Students who attend public, private, and home schools are eligible for nomination in one of 20 subject areas.

The nominees this year are Lydia Baldizon, Zooey Bush, Ben Cleek, Madelyn Cook, Gretchen Ellerbee, Conner Haley, Fabricio Hernandez, Joseph Ivey, Drew Johnson, Kieran Kelly, Kai Remshagen, Wright Roenigk, Sarah Scholl, Kameron Smith, and Laney Quinn. Lydia and Zooey will compete in Theatre, Fabricio in Visual Arts, Gretchen and Laney in Dance, Conner in Instrumental Music, Joseph and Kai in Computer Science, Kameron in Engineering, Wright and Ben in Social Studies, Sarah and Drew in Science, and Madelyn and Kieran in Communicative Arts.

These students will now prepare for state, which also includes an application and personal interview process. GHP finalists will be announced next spring and the program will be held June 18 through July 15 at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.

CHS has a strong legacy of producing competitive GHP candidates. Last year, nine of the 10 nominees cleared the next hurdle to be named semi-finalists. Of that cohort, six were named finalists and attended the program. Five current seniors achieved finalist status: Belle Esslinger, Isabel Keller, Serena McGuinn, Ella Barden and Mark Zimmer. Two now juniors, Tyler Ou and Edward Kenyon, also were selected. Each earned the opportunity in specific areas of study: Isabel, Communicative Arts; Tyler and Serena, Dance; Belle, Ella and Edward, Science; and Mark, World Languages, specifically Spanish.

CHS Principal Ian Lyle said he is proud of the students and grateful to CHS counselor Shae Holland for her hard work with the application process.

"I am proud of these students for being nominated to compete in the next round for Governor's Honors," he said. "I am also thankful for our counselor Ms. Shae Holland for her passion and hard work throughout the application process. She pours into these students to ensure they have every opportunity to succeed."