CSRA RESA

Dr. Jeffery Heggs, a math teacher at Burke County High School and GATAPP graduate, was honored with the Milken Educator Award for 2025-26. This prestigious award, given to only 30 exceptional educators nationwide, recognizes educators who are innovators in the classroom and leaders beyond the classroom. Heggs' recognition as Georgia's only Milken Educator for this period is a testament to his exceptional teaching and commitment to student success. The award includes a $25,000 cash prize.

The Milken Educator Awards aim to spotlight and celebrate the top educators in the country, providing them with the resources and opportunities to further their education and impact on students.

Photo credit of "Milken Family Foundation"

Math Star Jeffery Heggs of Burke County Surprised With National $25,000 Milken Educator Award | Milken Educator Awards

Congratulations to Dr. Mychele Rhodes, Superintendent of McDuffie County Schools, named for second year in a row as a finalist for Georgia Superintendent of the Year.

Dr. Rhodes is one of four finalists that have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to the profession and their leadership in educational leadership.

The sole finalist for the 2026 Georgia Superintendent of the Year will be announced at the GSBA/GSSA Annual Conference in Atlanta on December 4, 2025. The state finalist will then compete for the 2026 National Superintendent of the Year at the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) conference in Nashville, Tennessee on February 12-14, 2026.

Dr. Rhodes is a valuable member of the CSRA RESA Board of Control serving as Past President and serves our region as a Superintendent Mentor for the Georgia School Superintendent’s Association.

Photo and information from McDuffie County School System website.

Jefferson County School District’s motto is “Where Inspiration, Innovation, Imagination, and Collaboration are the Expectation”, and two specialists from CSRA RESA have been actively engaged in supporting teachers and administrators in the elementary division to meet and exceed this expectation.

Dr. Shantell Crockett is serving as the Let’s Read, Georgia! Literacy Coaching Specialist for Louisville Academy and Wrens Elementary. She has been participating in data digs with coaches and administrators to gain insight into areas of instructional need. To support teachers, Shantell has been observing instruction during the literacy block and providing positive and reflective feedback during collaborative planning. She has also enjoyed presenting Read-Alouds to all the 1st Grade classrooms at her schools and attending Literacy Night at Louisville Academy.

In her role as a Growing Readers Coaching Specialist, Lisa Richardson is supporting teachers and coaches at Carver Elementary, Louisville Academy, and Wrens Elementary to implement Independent Reading practices in their classrooms. She has been helping teachers to create classroom environments that encourage students to independently practice the skills taught in large group instruction. Lisa has enjoyed modeling and observing reading conferences and is busy building classroom libraries with leveled books and thematic sets that coordinate with the curriculum. Children and teachers are excited about reading!

In addition, Shantell and Lisa are thrilled to be participants in Jefferson County’s Dyslexia Task Force. This collaborative effort, comprised of district and school administrators, academic coaches, School Climate coaches and CSRA RESA Coaching Specialists, meets monthly to observe, evaluate, and target intervention for all students.

Shantell and Lisa are so appreciative of the warm welcome they have received from Jefferson County. The administrators, coaches, and teachers are truly inspirational, innovative, imaginative, and collaborative!

With the launch of Georgia’s new ELA standards and assessments this year, it’s essential that every teacher understands what’s changing and how to support students effectively in the new ELA classroom. To support that work, we’ve created a 20-minute overview video that clearly explains the new assessments, instructional expectations, and the resources available to help schools implement the standards well.

We’re asking all districts to ensure that every teacher and leader responsible for ELA instruction watches this video. This shared foundation is critical as we work together to prepare students for success and elevate literacy outcomes across the state. Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to strong ELA and literacy outcomes for students!

Additional Information: ELA Assessment: Aligning for Impact Video

December

December 2: Classroom Culture

January

January 12: Spotlight on ELA GA Milestone Assessments

January 20: K-5 Regional ELA Session 3A Implementing New ELA Standards

January 22: 6-12 Regional ELA Session 3B Implementing New ELA Standards

January 27: Spotlight on ELA GA Milestone Assessments

January 28: CSRA RESA Coaching with a Purpose Workshop for Instructional Coaches

To register for any of these sessions: registration.csraresa.org/PL_Session_List_Public_View.asp

December

December 9: An Overview: High Leverage Practices

December 11: Designing Success: Unlocking the Power of Specially Designed Instruction

January

January 27: Developing a Well Written IEP

To register for any of these sessions - Log In (eastglrs.org)

Designed for educational leaders, this session provides an overview of the Georgia Numeracy Project, an intervention resource that supports the development of mathematical reasoning across K–12. Participants will explore the structure of the Early and Secondary Numeracy Projects, examine assessment and progress monitoring tools, and learn how to strategically use these components to support data-based decision-making and intensified instruction.

January 20, 2026, 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

February 24, 2026, 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Leveraging the Georgia Numeracy Project to Support Targeted Intervention - GaDOE Community

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