Chattooga BOE OKs Hiring List

By JIMMY ESPY
Staff Writer
The Chattooga County School emerged from a lengthy executive session on Thursday and unanimously approved, without comment, personnel recommendations which included the resignation of School Superintendent Jim Lenderman.
Lenderman, citing differences with the newly constituted school board, announced earlier this month his plan to retire at the end of April.
The personnel changes approved included transfers, retirements, hiring and rehiring.
Among those rehired were 14 part-time (less than 50 percent) teachers.
That group included Chattooga High School softball coach Jeff Bennett who saw most of his team show up to support him at the meeting. Several players spoke on his behalf, even after the board had voted to rehire all 14 people on the list.
The overall personnel list approved by the board included:

Certified Contract Renewals
(2019-2020)
John Allen, Jeremy Bowman, and Dereck Bullard.

Certified Resignations
Anna Nichols – Asst. principal, Leroy Massey Elementary; effective 5-31.
Jim Lenderman – Superintendent; effective 4-30.
Patti Oliver – Speech pathologist, Chattooga County Ed. Center; effective 5-31.

Certified Recommendations
(Beginning FY 2020)
* Victoria Garnto – Science teacher at Summerville Middle School; Replacing Jason Lee (transferring to different position within same location).
* Laura Mathis – Teacher at Leroy Massey Elementary School; Replacing Pattie Luther.
* Alisha Pledger – Teacher at Leroy Massey Elementary School; Replacing Sheila Cook.
* Autumn Guthrie – Special education teacher at Summerville Middle School; Replacing Jeremy Bandy.
* Victoria Bell – Middle grades social science teacher at Summerville Middle School; Replacing Byron Brasher.
* Jennifer Stephens – Family & Consumer Science teacher at Summerville Middle School; Replacing Serena Chastain (transferring to a different position within the same location).

Certified Transfers
(All of these transfers apply to FY 2020)
* Paula Buice – From county-wide academic coach/success team to principal at Menlo Elementary School; Replacing Mark Pickle.
* Derek Bullard – From teacher at Summerville Middle School to teacher at Menlo Elementary School; Replacing Susan Noel.
* Kristen Causey – From teacher at Summerville Middle School to teacher at Leroy Massey Elementary School; Replacing Sabrena Brasher.
* Leann Lowry – From academic coach at Leroy Massey Elementary School to assistant principal at Leroy Massey Elementary School; Replacing Anna Nichols.
* Jennifer Reese – From assistant principal at Leroy Massey Elementary School to county-wide academic coach/success team; Replacing Paula Buice.
* David Whitfield – From teacher at Summerville Middle School to teacher at Chattooga High School; Replacing Stephanie Ratliff (transferring to different position within same location).
* Lauren Jarrett – From Agriculture Teacher at Summerville Middle School to Young Farmer Teacher at Chattooga High School; Replacing Barry Bailey.

Certified Part-time Renewals
(All effective for FY 2020)
* Robert Jeffrey Bennett, Theresa Canada, Todd Dean, Carole Hosmer, Jeffrey Lynn Hunnicutt, Kathy Kerce, Teresa Koonce, Melissa Lanier, Lucille Lee,
Donna Martin, Melvin Mosley, Robert Robinson, Avis Snow and Cynthia Wilson.