June 22 – The Cullman City Board of Education approves a four-way transfer Thursday, June 13, despite objections from one of the reassigned teachers.
The series of reallocations includes
– Bradley Pounds: From Turning Point – the district’s community-based school program – to career-technical education teacher at Cullman High School.
— Branch Whitlock: From East Physical Education Teacher to Turning Point Teacher.
– Jonathan Hayes: physical education teacher at Cullman Middle School to physical education teacher at Eastern Elementary School.
– Jessica McBrayer: Cullman High School Career Technical Education Teacher to Physical Education Teacher Cullman High School.
When reached by telephone on Monday, June 16, Whitlock told The Times he had not been consulted about the transfer and objected to the decision on Monday before it was approved. Whitlock said that other than a brief stint as Fairview High School boys basketball coach, he has been in his current position for more than a decade and has led the East Elementary Archery Team to multiple state, national and world titles during his tenure.
“They pretty much pulled me away from the kids I’ve taught for the last 12 years,” Whitlock said.
Emails sent to the email addresses of McBrayer, Pounds and Hayes employees were not responded to at the time of writing.
Whitlock also questioned the validity of the transfer due to the fact that McBrayer is not currently certified as a physical education instructor.
“I just don’t see how it’s the right decision to put someone in a position without the proper qualifications,” Whitlock said.
McBrayer was hired as the district’s school-based suspension teacher in May 2023 to replace Hayes as the CHS varsity girls basketball coach in April 2023 after six seasons leading the Wallace State Lady Lions basketball team. The board approved her move to her current position as a CTE instructor the following month, on June 29.
McBrayer received an Emergency Teaching Certificate in business/marketing education from the Alabama State Department of Education on August 28, 2023, effective July 1, 2023, according to Cullman City Schools documents.
The ASDE allows anyone with at least a two-year degree to become certified to teach at the request of the local superintendent or principal if no certified teachers are available to fill an open position. These certifications are only issued in one field and are valid for a maximum of four years.
Schools across the state have used this alternative pathway more extensively in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency-certified teachers made up more than 7.5% of the state’s approximately 50,000 teachers during the 2022-2023 school year, according to ASDE data. That is an increase of 1.5% – equivalent to 600 teachers – compared to the previous year.
Locally, Cullman City Schools went from hiring three emergency certified teachers during the 2021-2022 school year to seven in 2022-2023.
While the three other teachers have obtained valid certifications from the state, Kallhoff said in an email response to The Times that McBrayer will obtain an interim work certificate for the 2024-2025 school year. Unlike her current certifications, the intermediate certificate creates a pathway to earn an advanced degree.
“This certification is intended for individuals who are unconditionally admitted to a state-approved master’s or education specialist-level teacher preparation program at an Alabama college or university. This path will lead to certification and an advanced degree. In Coach McBrayer’s case, they earn a master’s degree in Physical Education,” Kallhoff said.
The board also approved the following additional transfers:
— Donna Avery: Child Nutrition Program Manager at Cullman City Primary School to CNP Manager at East Elementary.
— Amy Emmert: CNP Manager at East Elementary to CNP Manager at Cullman City Primary School.
– Julie Murphree: CNP employee at Cullman City Primary School to CNP employee at Cullman Middle School.
— Dana Lindley: CNP employee at Cullman City Primary School to CNP employee at Cullman High School.
— Kim Zavadil: CNP employee at East Elementary to CNP employee at Cullman City Primary School.
– Mallory Armstrong: CNP employee at Cullman High School to CNP employee at Cullman City Primary School.
— Tonja Kay: CNO employee at Cullman Middle School to CNP float.
– Vickie Buckelew: CNP swimmer to CNP employee at East Elementary.
— Sonya Marinakis: Secretary/Bookkeeper at Cullman City Primary School to Secretary/Bookkeeper at Head Office.
— Katie Jackson: Secretary/accountant at the main office to secretary/accountant at Cullman City Primary school.
— Jenna Bates: Head Start Family Services Manager to Head Start PreK teacher.
– Hannah Giambrone: Preschool Special Education Teacher at Cullman City Primary School to Lead Start Teacher at Cullman City Primary School.
– Tyler Skinner: Music teacher at Cullman City Primary School to Assistant Principal at Cullman City Primary School.
– Carol Harbison: bus aide at West Elementary to bus driver at Cullman City Schools.
– Alice Lindsey: Special Education Instructional Assistant to Special Education Teacher at Cullman High School.
— Debbie Lowery: instructional assistant at Cullman Middle School to instructional assistant at Cullman City Primary School.
– Vickie Stewart: Special Education Instructional Assistant at Cullman Middle School to Special Education Instructional Assistant at Cullman City Primary School.
In other matters the board:
— A stipend has been approved for mentoring services for the following teachers: Marci Watts, Ashley Hulsey, Judy McBrayer, Theresea Bryant, April Jochum, Hannah Hunt, Leeanna Smith, Leslie Pouliot, Lindsay Harris, Regan Caldwell, Kim Dial, Danielle Taylor, Robyn Nance, Tracie McPhillips, Carin Rains, Caroline Lunsford, Jason Johnsey, David Benefield, Kenny Gleaton and Luke Hackbarth.
— Approved the job description for the Student Affairs Coordinator.
— Revision of the Code of Conduct 2024-2025.
– Approved for a CTE summer conference with Zachary Searels.
— Approved a visually impaired and speech language contract with Tammie Dunkling.
— Approved contract for SPED assistant with Carla Denning, Alisha Eaton, Hannah Giambrone and Katrina Godsey.
— Changed special education testing contract with Lori Andrews.
-A grant has been approved for a level planning meeting for Pattie Britton and Meaghan Britton.
— Approved for a one-year advanced TEAMS contract for the following teachers: Brett Hazelrigs, Lauren Shelton, Madison Crenshaw, Mary Pylant, Kelsey Williams, Aaron Avery, Zacharey Searels, Donna Brunetti, Tiffani Schwaiger and Claudia Graves.
– Approved for an advanced five-year TEAMS contract with Michael Crocker.
– Approved for the Cullman High School Football seniors to travel to Ducktown, Tennessee for a rafting trip July 26-27.
– Surplus of 34 Alabama: the history, geography, economics and civics of textbooks from an American state, 158 folding chairs and a John Deere LX277 from West Elementary.
– Excess forensic science, anatomy, and organic and biochemistry textbooks from Cullman High School.
– Approved the retirement of West Elementary School Secretary LaQuita Dixon.
Accepted the following resignations:
— SaraBeth Harbison: Longer Days Program Assistant at Cullman City Primary School.
— Natalie Smith: Longer Days Program Assistant at Cullman City Primary School.
— Shayley Vogelaar: Longer Days Program Assistant at Cullman City Primary School.
— Brandace Sims: Assistant Principal of Cullman City Primary School.
Approved for the conditional employment of the following:
– Kimberly McNutt: teacher at Cullman City Elementary School.
– Logan Smith: teacher at Cullman City Elementary School.
– Kyndall Ragland: teacher at Cullman City Elementary School.
– Baileigh Fite: teacher at Cullman City Elementary School.
– Shae Harrell: teacher at Cullman City Elementary School.
— Renata Puckett: roving special education teacher at Cullman Middle School.
– Melinda Morrow: teacher at East Elementary School.
– Hannah Shaddix: Itinerant Special Education Teacher at Cullman City Primary School.
— Mary Samplaski: Head Start teaching assistant at Cullman City Primary School.
— Rebecca Hall: Itinerant Speech Pathologist at Cullman City Schools.
– Molly Buttram: Speech Language Pathologist-Itinerant at Cullman City Schools.
