Vidalia BOE Names Assistant Superintendent
The Vidalia City Schools Board of Education officially approved the hiring of Lesa M. Brown as the district’s assistant superintendent during the Board’s regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 13.
Brown has over 28 years of experience in K-12 and technical education. Her most notable accomplishments throughout her career include 15 years during which she served as the principal of Metter Elementary School, which has been rec- continued from page
ognized as one of Georgia’s Title I Distinguished Schools. In addition to serving as principal, she has also worked as a college and career readiness instructor at Ogeechee Technical College, a certified facilitator with Teaching with Love and Logic, and a certified gifted endorsement instructor.
She is currently a school improvement specialist at the First District Regional Education Services Agency (RESA), where she has been responsible for coaching assistant principals, principals, and instructional coaches to implement best practices for student achievement. Previously, at that same organization, she served as the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GaTAPP) coordinator, during which she dedicated her time to fostering excellence in teacher preparation and development within the state of Georgia.
Throughout these experiences, Brown has gained a wealth of experience and knowledge for education, as her passion for cultivating effective teaching practices has inspired her to work closely with aspiring educators by facilitating collaboration between mentor teachers, educational institutions, and program participants to ensure a seamless transition into the teaching profession. She is committed to upholding the highest standards in teacher training, promoting innovation in pedagogy, and ultimately contributing to the growth and success of Georgia’s educational landscape.
Along with approving Brown as the new assistant superintendent, the Board agreed to hire Kim Garvin as the district’s new curriculum director.
Garvin earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education and Master’s Degree in Reading from Georgia Southern University in the 1990s, and later gained her Education Specialist Degree in Leadership from Cambridge College. During her 29-year career, Garvin taught in Jenkins and Columbia counties, before moving to Vidalia in 2007 and teaching at Sally D. Meadows Elementary School for 10 years. Most recently, Garvin has served the 17 districts of the First District RSEA as a school improvement specialist and math mentor.
She has rooted herself in the local community, as her husband of 31 years, Rodney Garvin, serves as the Vidalia High School head football coach. The couple has adult children, Lauren Ledbetter and Hayden Garvin, who were both athletes and honor graduates at Vidalia High School.
Other personnel decisions that were approved by the Board included the resignations of Family Engagement coordinator Brenda McLain, J.D. Dickerson Primary School teacher Amber Melton, J.R. Trippe Middle School chorus teacher (49%) Alton West, J.D. Dickerson Primary School bookkeeper Ashley Crump, J.D. Dickerson Primary School teacher Catherine Pace, Sally D. Meadows Elementary School Teacher Anna Sitzman, J.R. Trippe Middle School teacher Zachary Wilson, and Behavior Intervention specialist Ranecci Hampton.
Meanwhile, personnel hires included Sally D. Meadows Elementary School teacher Kasie Drummond, Sally D. Meadows Elementary School Special Education teacher Kayla Herring, J.D. Dickerson Primary School teacher Timothy Gardner, J.D. Dickerson Primary School teacher Melanie Gardner, J.D. Dickerson Primary School teacher Molly Dukes, J.D. Dickerson Primary School teacher McKenzie Ingle, J.D. Dickerson Primary School teacher Jessica Downie, and bus driver John Tyler Thompson.
Kim Garvin
