The Inside Scoop

Guest: Dr. Tiffany Barney

Dr. Tiffany Barney is currently the Director of the Cobb Innovation & Technology Academy. Prior to her appointment in Cobb County, she served as the CTAE Program Specialist for healthcare science, law and public safety, and cosmetology for the Georgia Department of Education. In addition, she has a host of experience working at various levels of public education. She has been a teacher, instructional coach, and an adjunct professor. Barney transitioned to education after a career in athletic training working with high school, collegiate, and professional athletes. In 2017, she earned a PhD from the University of Georgia.

Click on a timecode to jump to the topic:

• [00:40] Who is Dr. Barney?
• [01:39] What's in the CITA name?
• [02:29] Is CITA a MAGNET School?
• [03:12] Classrooms vs Labs
• [04:15] How did CITA work during the pandemic?
• [05:15] Still new, but already seeing successes!
• [06:01] Different from the old Vo-Tech classes
• [07:29] Finding your path in life
• [08:24] Potentially life-impacting program
• [09:16] Pathways available
• [10:06] Certifications can pay off!
• [11:47] How to learn more and apply
• [12:44] Final words of encouragement

Useful links from the podcast:

• Cobb Innovation & Technology Academy Application for 2023-2024
• COBB INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY
• mikeroweWORKS Foundation
• Cobb's Career, Technical, & Agricultural Education (CTAE)

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Podcast Home:

https://the-inside-scoop.captivate.fm/

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The Cobb County School District

Guest: Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rodney Fagan

Click on a timecode to jump to the topic:

• [02:04] Not just in high schools
• [03:00] Life skills development
• [03:43] Popularity of JROTC
• [04:43] ROTC is like a full ride scholarship to college!
• [05:54] It's an actual class
• [06:29] Award-winning program
• [08:37] Riflery & sabre teams
• [09:41] Character & self-discipline
• [11:33] Personal impact on students
• [14:34] The importance of self respect
• [15:16] How to get more info
• [16:40] JROTC typically leads to student success

Useful links from the podcast:

• Georgia Department of Education - Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC)
• Cobb's Career, Technical, & Agricultural Education (CTAE)
• High School CTAE Pathways

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https://the-inside-scoop.captivate.fm/

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The Cobb County School District

Guest: Nancy Gospodareck, Employment Recruitment Coordinator

Click on a timecode to jump to the topic:

• [00:45] Forbes shout out!
• [01:40] Two types of employees
• [02:13] Biggest areas of need
• [05:56] Synchronized work & school schedules
• [06:50] Why hesitate?
• [07:22] So many skills needed!
• [08:28] The Application process
• [10:53] Substitute teacher positions
• [14:45] Final advice
• [15:36] They don't want to leave

Useful links from the podcast:

• Become a Substitute Teacher in Cobb!
• Food & Nutrition Services Employment Opportunities
• Become a School Bus Driver!
• Job Openings
• Human Resources home page

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Podcast Home:

https://the-inside-scoop.captivate.fm/

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The Cobb County School District

Guest: Mr. David Chastain, Chairman of the Cobb County School Board

Click on a timecode to jump to a topic:

• [00:29] The Chairman's Background
• [04:01] Reflections on This Year
• [06:46] Moving Forward
• [08:17] The Purpose of the Board
• [10:45] A Passionate Community
• [13:55] Standout Issues
• [16:31] Additional Comments
• [17:03] What is Forbes' Recognition Due To?

Useful links from the podcast:

• Board Posts Map - This is a graphic showing what geographic areas each Board member represents.
• David Chastain
• Cobb County School Board

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The Cobb County School District

Guest: Darryl York, Director of Cobb's Policy & Planning Department

Click on a timecode to jump to a topic:

• [01:07] The impact of rules and policies
• [03:14] Policies are different from rules
• [05:37] School Board policies and rules
• [06:25] Best practices and guidelines
• [08:14] Robert's Rules of Order
• [09:56] Schools' flexibility
• [12:33] Consistency across the District
• [16:28] How rules and policies are made known

Useful links from the podcast:

• Family Info Guide
• Policies & Administrative Rules
• Policy and Planning

Podcast Home:

https://the-inside-scoop.captivate.fm/

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The Cobb County School District

Guest: Dr. Ashley Beasley, Director of Cobb's Elementary Virtual Program

Click on a timecode to jump to a topic:

• [01:08] Why "program" and not "school"?
• [02:11] Where are the staff members?
• [03:17] Actual classrooms on camera
• [04:07] COLA Lite?
• [04:41] Keeping little ones engaged
• [07:18] Teachers' training and professional development
• [09:22] Teaching teams collaborate
• [10:22] Why choose EVP?
• [12:03] Music, PE & Art classes
• [14:50] The greatest challenge
• [16:46] The mascot
• [17:58] For parents considering EVP

Helpful links relating to this subject:

Useful links from the podcast:

• Dr Ashley Beasley's Twitter Handle - @DrAshleyBeasley
• Cobb's Elementary Virtual Program

Podcast Home:

https://the-inside-scoop.captivate.fm/

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The Cobb County School District

Guest: Dr. Melisa Marsh, Supervisor of School Counseling, Advisement and Crisis Response

Click on a timecode to jump to a topic:

• [01:34] How big of an issue is suicide?
• [02:13] Could talking about it tempt someone to self harm?
• [03:26] The Common Thread
• [04:11] Difference of Perspectives
• [06:14] Coping Skills
• [08:01] Distinguishing Between Down Days and Despair
• [09:55] Cobb Teachers' Training
• [11:04] Parents' Response
• [12:48] The Emotional Toll of Isolation
• [15:46] If Things Don't Get Better
• [16:37] Resources for Help

Helpful links relating to this subject:

Useful links from the podcast:

• Cobb Shield
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• School Counseling - Suicide Prevention
• School Counseling
• Student Assistance Programs

Podcast Home:

https://the-inside-scoop.captivate.fm/

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The Cobb County School District

Guests:

• Don Baker, Athletics Director of Cobb Schools
• Eric Rauch, Editor of Cobb Sporting News

Click the timecode to jump to a chapter:

• [00:58] How broad is sports in Cobb Schools?
• [02:32] Up & coming sport... flag football!
• [03:51] Last year's teaming continuing to climb
• [05:37] Sports diversity
• [06:45] Who is the GHSA and what do they do?
• [09:02] Cobb's Athletic Director's own history
• [11:33] How big is football in Cobb?
• [13:20] Cobb's national presence
• [14:36] The impact of The Corky Kell Classic
• [18:07] Softball and other Fall sports
• [19:12] Literary? One Act Play? Competition!
• [20:28] Cobb Sporting News is a great resource!
• [21:32] Hangin' with the A.D. podcast

Useful links from the podcast:

• Cobb Sporting News - Your resource for sports news in Cobb Schools!
• Corky Kell Classic
• Hangin With The AD Podcast
• Athletics Department
• GoFan - The largest high school ticketing solution in the U.S.
• Georgia High School Association | GHSA.net

Written article:

https://www.cobbk12.org/_ci/p/72284

Here's the link to let us know what you'd like to hear:

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The Cobb County School District

Guest: Dave Church, Cobb Online Learning Academy Assistant Principal

Guest Bio:

Before joining COLA, Mr. Church served as an assistant principal at Allatoona and Wheeler High in Cobb. Prior to moving to Georgia, Mr. Church worked at a charter school in Chicago and has experience teaching at international schools in Thailand, Australia, and South Korea. "I am excited to be part of this innovative model to meet the needs of our students and our community and really looking forward to our second year!"

Click the timecode to jump to the chapter:

• [01:09] How COLA Started
• [01:44] Why Choose Online vs Brick-n-mortar?
• [03:35] Synchronous vs Asynchronous
• [05:32] What Does COLA Look Like?
• [07:16] Is Attendance a Challenge?
• [08:13] Reading the Room
• [09:58] How Many Students are in COLA?
• [10:12] Grade Levels Served
• [10:41] Social Engagement Opportunities
• [12:13] The Mascot
• [13:30] What About Band, Drama, Chorus, etc?
• [14:11] College Perspectives
• [15:20] Elementary Virtual Program and Grade Continuity
• [16:30] Online Teachers
• [17:40] Future Plans

Useful links from the podcast:

• Cobb Online Learning Academy at Cobb Horizon High School
• Learning Everywhere - This page summarizes the differences between the schools/programs for the different grade levels.
• CTLS Home

The written article: https://www.cobbk12.org/_ci/p/71644

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The Cobb County School District

Guest: Janell McClure, Director of Applied Learning and Design

Jump ahead by clicking on the timecode:

• 00:37 - How and why did CTLS come about?
• 04:22 - Building the system with users' input
• 05:54 - Teachers teaching better with less time
• 10:15 - Parents' and Students' benefits
• 14:14 - Data-proven student performance over other districts
• 15:52 - Simplifying a student's day
• 18:08 - New feature for parents!
• 20:22 - More enhancements to come!
• 21:52 - Requesting enhancements

Useful links from the podcast:

• New CTLS Features
• CTLS Parent
• CTLS Learn (for Students)
• CTLS Status Monitor
• CTLS Home

Here's the link to let us know what you'd like to hear: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VYTRCLG

The Cobb County School District