Southwest Georgia RESA

Staying informed. Staying ahead. 📚✨

We were excited to have Stacey Lutz join our Curriculum Directors Meeting for an overview of HB 1193 and what it means for Georgia educators and school systems.

Our curriculum leaders had the opportunity to dig into the legislation, ask questions, and consider the implications for teaching, learning, and district planning.💙

Today, Kawanna, our Technology Director, was honored to present Dr. Erica Marshall of Westover High School with a token of recognition for being the first educator in Southwest Georgia RESA to complete a Coursera certificate! 🎉 She was presented with an Amazon Gift Card and a Coursera tumbler! 😎

Dr. Marshall has shared:

“The activities were easy to follow, hands-on, and something I can actually use with my students. I loved how the course focused on helping kids think creatively with AI instead of just using it for quick answers. It also gave me new ideas for bringing more engagement and problem-solving into my classroom. I’m excited to apply what I learned!”

Through our partnership with the Georgia Department of Education and Coursera, Southwest Georgia RESA is proud to continue to offer free Coursera licenses to educators and staff across our region. Our goal is to help educators build knowledge, confidence, and practical skills they can bring directly into their classrooms.

Congratulations, Dr. Marshall! ✨💻

🍎Literacy Coaching in Action!

An impactful day of literacy collaboration at Live Oak Elementary School with literacy coach Ms. Wendy Miller-Grant, SWRESA literacy coach mentee Mrs. Tanishia Harris, and literacy coach Chelnor Griffin.

✨Last week, members of the RESA team had the privilege of providing professional learning for the Seminole County Board of Education.

📚 Tuesday: Carrie, Deidre, and Nikki facilitated literacy training.
🤖 Wednesday: Kawanna led a session focused on AI.
🌟 Thursday: Kevin wrapped up the week with professional learning on school climate.

Thank you to Seminole County for welcoming us and investing in your team. We appreciate the opportunity to learn, grow, and partner with you! 🎓✨

Today, our Board of Control gathered at Thomas County High School to kick off the new school year with collaboration, planning, and partnership. A special thank you to Dr. Lisa Williams Thomas County School System for welcoming the group and leading a tour of the beautiful new multi purpose facility. We also extend our sincere appreciation to SRJ for providing lunch for the meeting.

To our Board of Control members, thank you for your continued leadership, dedication, and hard work in serving your districts and communities. We wish each of our districts a successful and rewarding school year ahead!

On August 4, our Regional Literacy Coaches- Carrie Holland and Nikki Marsh Meredith delivered professional learning at Thomas County Middle School. Exploratory teachers engaged in practicing vocabulary routines to implement with their students. Thomas County School System

📚✨ Professional learning in action in Calhoun County School System!

Our team had a wonderful day collaborating with educators from Calhoun County.

Educators participated in training focused on Elevating Literacy Instruction using Benchmark Advance, guided by our Literacy Coach, Chelnor Griffin. They also strengthened their ELA planning through HMH resources and instructional frameworks, in collaboration with ELA Consultant Sue O'Rear. Additionally, they unlocked the potential of GaDOE Inspire and explored AI-powered opportunities in the Magic School Test Kitchen with our Tech Director, Kawanna Jones.

We are grateful for the chance to support educators. Thank you, Calhoun County, for a fantastic day of learning and collaboration!💙

Your SWRESA K-3 Literacy Coaches began their collective work within the new literacy coaching framework with other coaches across the state last week.

Throughout the week, the team engaged in meaningful collaboration to build a shared vision for literacy coaching, strengthen coaching practices, and establish systems that will support districts and schools as they implement HB 1193.

This work marks the beginning of a statewide network of literacy leaders committed to learning from one another, building collective efficacy, and ensuring every coach is equipped to support educators in providing high-quality literacy instruction. By investing in those who coach teachers and leaders, we are strengthening the capacity of schools across Georgia and advancing our shared goal of ensuring every child becomes a confident, proficient reader.

Together, we're building stronger coaches, stronger schools, and stronger readers! 🛠️📖

Seminole County Elementary School Instructional Coaches, Olivia and Kristi, presented at the 2026 Instructional Coach Conference in Jekyll Island.

They shared the Seminole County journey of using their data to make instructional and coaching decisions.

Fabulous Job, Seminole County!!
Seminole County Middle High School Tribal News

Last week, Rhonda Ayers with ABCs for Educators came to provide PL on Sound Walls and morphology. Let's READ, Georgia Coaches and Growing Readers Specialists, as well as, school-based literacy coaches and literacy leaders joined Rhonda for 2 days of digging deeper into the science behind Sound Walls. We were able to understand the vital role this tool plays in students learning to read and how we can support classroom teachers in the implementation of Sound Walls during their Literacy Blocks.