Board Names New GSCS 2015-16 Administrations
At a called meeting on June 9, 2015, the Griffin-Spalding Board of Education appointed the Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services, Jackson Road Elementary Principal and Assistant Principal for A.Z. Kelsey for the 2015-16 school year. Dr. Kiawana Kennedy was named the Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services. Kennedy brings over 20 years of experience in Georgia public education to the Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS). Most recently she was employed by the City Schools of Decatur where she served as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for three years and the Chief Operating Officer for the last two. She began her career as a teacher in 1991, teaching fifth grade in Dekalb County and eighth grade in Atlanta. In 1996, Kennedy began her career in school administration. She served as a middle school assistant principal in Cobb County for four years, an elementary and alternative school principal in Coweta County for two years and an elementary principal in Fayette County for six years. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in education from West Georgia College, her Education Specialist from the State University of West Georgia and her Doctorate of Education from the University of Georgia.
Karen Oot was appointed the principal for Jackson Road Elementary. Oot joins GSCS from the Fayette County School System where she has been since 1999. During her 25 years in education she has served as an elementary teacher, K-5 behavior consultant and assistant principal. Karen received her Bachelor’s Degree in early childhood education from the University of South Carolina and her Master’s Degree in educational leadership from the University of West Georgia. The new assistant principal for A.Z. Kelsey Academy will be Gabriel Burnette. Burnette has 20 years of experience in the field of education and youth services. Since 2004 he has served as a middle and high school principal and assistant principal for the Newton County School System. He received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology, his Master of Arts in Teaching and his Education Specialist Degree in Administration and Leadership all from Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville. Burnette has also served in the United States Army and Army Reserves since 1994.
Earlier in the Board named Marty Shiver as the Spalding High Assistant Principa. He has been with the Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS) for over 25 years. He began his career teaching physical education at Jackson Road Elementary School. Shiver then spent over 20 years at Taylor Street Middle School and Rehoboth Road Middle School teaching health and physical fitness and explorations in technology. Shiver also served as a Response to Intervention (RTI) and Student Support Team (SST) coordinator, on the leadership committee and school council and as the head football coach. Since 2014, Shiver has been employed at Spalding High School as a credit recovery administrator, data and assessment specialist, athletic director, assistant baseball coach and leadership team member.
School Superintendent Jim Smith said, “Each one of these new administrators brings 20 or more years of experience in education to GSCS. Their exceptional leadership skills and dedication to academic achievement made them all outstanding choices. With their experience and commitment to succeed I am certain that these new administrators will complement GSCS’s mission and vision.”