The Role of the School Support Staff

Our video crew goes on the road to talk with Superintendent Kathy Cox about the role of the support staff in Georgia's schools. We then visit some of those professionals on the job.

• In the studio, Jane's guests are Gwinnett County's Don Moore, Assistant Director of Transportation and Chris Gegen, Technical Support Technician. They talk about how their work supports education by keeping our students safe on the road to school and on the information highway.
• Don Moore explains how school bus drivers are selected and trained, how technology is helping to equip buses, how special transportation needs are addressed and how bus routes are strategically located to avoid potential areas of child endangerment.
• Chris Gegen introduces the Internet's increasing role in the school system, its benefits and dangers, and current efforts underway to instill responsibility into students as they surf the Internet. Also mentioned is Gwinnett County's award winning video, A Day in the Life, relating to the difficulties in transitioning from elementary school to middle school.

More Good Examples

The Achieving Excellence video crew continues its field trip with a visit to LeighAnn Bagley, the school nurse at Black's Mill Elementary in Dawsonville. Jane discusses the role of a student's physical and emotional health in a conversation with studio guests from other school systems,

• The three guests with Jane on this segment are Connie Walker, Nutrition Coordinator in Fulton County, Jeannie Edwards, R.N. and State Director of the Georgia Association of School Nurses in Dawson County and Gail Smith, Educational Specialist/Counselor in Cobb County. The conversation centers on the current state of child wellness and the rise of chronic diseases and obesity.
• The role of the School Support Staff is to focus a coordinated effort to address the physical, emotional and nutritional needs of students. All the guests emphasize that how a child feels affects how that child learns, and that little learning can take place when that child is physically or emotionally distraught.