Shelby County Board of Education

This month, we celebrate the hard work and dedication of our principals, who lead with passion and purpose. Across Shelby County Schools, principals are at the heart of each school's success, guiding our students, teachers, and staff toward academic achievement and a positive learning environment. Our principals play a critical role in shaping the future of our students. They manage daily operations, support staff development, and create school cultures that promote excellence. They also work tirelessly to ensure each student has the tools and support they need to thrive. As we celebrate #PrincipalAppreciationMonth, we encourage students, parents, and community members to take a moment to express their gratitude for the leadership and impact these educators have on our schools. Thank you to all of our Shelby County principals for your dedication to empowering and inspiring our students! #EmpoweringandInspiringExcellence

Billy Holliday was sworn in today as the newest Shelby County Board of Education member after being appointed to serve the remainder of the late Brian Boatman’s term. Boatman took office for a six-year term in December of 2022. He died in early August after a courageous battle against ALS leaving four years remaining on his term in office. By law, the Board of Education can appoint someone to fill a vacancy for the remainder of an unexpired term. The position will go back up for election in 2028. Holliday is a native of Hueytown but now resides in Shelby, Alabama. He has been employed as the facilities and purchasing manager for American Metal Group in Sylacauga for the past seven years having also served in the same role with Vulcan Steel for 11 years. He was also the former operations manager for Controlled Maintenance Systems in Birmingham and is the former owner and operator of Home Plate Diner in Hueytown. “I think Billy is going to be a wonderful addition to the board,” said Dr. Lewis Brooks, superintendent of education. “He will bring a lot of experience from workforce development and understands the importance of parent and community partners. He is practical, trustworthy, and a proven leader. He understands the vast economic differences that exist throughout our county and the school district’s efforts to support every community so that our students can be successful.” Holliday and his wife, Leslie, were actively involved as volunteers when their children, Sarah and Adam, attended schools in the Chelsea school zone. Holliday specifically served as president of the Chelsea High School Athletic Booster Club for 10 years. During his tenure as booster club president, he led the efforts to build a visitor's football locker room and public restrooms on the Chelsea High School campus.

The Shelby Chamber of Commerce held its annual State of Our Schools Showcase luncheon today featuring all four school districts in the county. The new format of the meeting featured video highlights of each school district and three different panel discussions that showcased students and teachers. Shelby County Schools was represented by Blakelyn Burns, a fifth-grade student from Helena Intermediate, Aiden Poe, a senior at Vincent High, and Anna McEntire, a teacher at Calera High.

It's going to be a great year! Today Shelby County Schools brought the entire family together for IGNITE 2024, hosted at the University of Montevallo. We want to extend a great thanks to our keynote speaker, Damon West, and to all the student leaders involved in today's kickoff event. We are so excited for another academic year, and welcome the challenge and opportunity to empower and inspire our students daily! #DoGreatThings #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Today, Shelby County Schools welcomed the smiling faces of new support staff for New Employee Orientation. These individuals are vital to the success of our district. Welcome to the family, everyone! We hope you have a wonderful school year! #EmpoweringandInspiringExcellence +4

Welcome to our new teachers! 🎉 We're excited to kick off New Teacher Orientation for the upcoming school year. Your journey with Shelby County Schools begins today, and we can't wait to see the positive impact you'll have on our students' lives. Let's inspire and empower together! #WelcomeNewTeachers #EmpoweringandInspiringExcellence

Lisa Becton will serve as the new District Assistant Principal. She will be based at Montevallo High School for the upcoming school year. Mrs. Becton is a passionate educator with 22 years of experience in education as a teacher, Literacy Reading Specialist, and administrator.

Mr. Rashard Jemison will serve as the next assistant principal of Calera Middle School. Mr. Jemison is in his 12th year of education. He was the assistant principal at Sumter County School System for the last two years at Livingston Junior High School. Prior to that, Mr. Jemison was a Sumter County School System physical education teacher and middle school basketball and football coach. Mr. Jemison earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of West Alabama, as well as Instructional Leadership Certification from the University of West Alabama. He is currently enrolled in the education specialist program at the University of West Alabama.

Philip Cosper will serve as the next assistant principal of Chelsea High School. Mr. Cosper has been an educator and administrator for 19 years in the Talladega County Schools system. He began his career as a middle school science teacher at Childersburg Middle School from 2005-2013. He then served as assistant principal for B.B. Comer High School from 2013-2018, and was most recently the Transportation Supervisor from 2018 to present. He is a proud graduate of the University of Alabama, earning his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. He later earned his Administrative Certification with a Master's from Jacksonville State University. He is a National Board Certified Teacher in science, and is featured in the Alabama State Department of Education training videos.