The Columbia County Board of Education approved the adoption of new math textbooks at a cost of more than $5 million in its regular meeting Tuesday.
“We want our students to be able to experience instruction that provides them a strong, solid foundation that’s rigorous and really puts them at the top of their game in math,” said Leanne Gregg, director of Student Learning Pre K–5th Grade.
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Marlo Leatherwood, director of Middle School Programs, Director of High Schools Brian Campbell along with Gregg spoke to the board regarding the new material the district has selected for its math curricula. The directors addressed a wide variety of issues regarding the content of the material and its relationship to the district’s educational goals. Campbell mentioned that the district will stop teaching coordinate algebra, and begin teaching Algebra 1 in the coming fall. Campbell also said that at that time the district will implement Reveal Math, a high school level math program developed by McGraw-Hill.
Superintendent Steven Flynt noted to the board that the textbook adoption contract would be effective through 2028. The texts for elementary grade levels cost more than $2.9 million, the middle school levels more than $1.4 million and the high school levels more than $1.2 million, for a total of more than $5.7 million. The board voted unanimously to adopt the new texts.
In his superintendent report, Flynt discussed the district’s intent to further develop financial education in curriculum. He noted that while the Georgia Department of Education has added financial literacy education as a high school curriculum requirement, the Columbia County school district intends to expand financial literacy instruction in all grade levels, including elementary school.
“Economic understanding is a fundamental part of our social studies curriculum,” said Flynt. “A basic foundation of finance begins in kindergarten, and the knowledge and skills increase as the students progress through each level.”
Flynt referred to an event sponsored by the Georgia Council on Economic Education in which third-graders apply skills and economic concepts learned by creating a micro-economy in the classroom. He also mentioned the district is currently in talks to partner with the Junior Achievement, a non-profit organization specializing in educating young people in finances and entrepreneurship.
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Julie Miller, regional manager for Georgia Family Connection Partnership, addressed the board during the public participation portion of the meeting regarding teen mental health, citing the 2020 Georgia Student Health Survey by the state board of education. She noted that over 2,000 Columbia County students in grades 6-12 have considered harming themselves, and 1,700 considered suicide in the past year.
“These numbers to me are alarming and it’s a serious issue that some people will say is outside the purview of public education,” said Miller. “But I strongly disagree with that.”
Miller went on to refer to Resilient Teens, a program, created by a partnership between Family Connections and Augusta University medical students, to help young people develop coping skills.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering education in Columbia County and business-related topics for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
