School counselors are a vital member of the educational team at every school in the Madison City Schools system.Their core focus in working with students is on academic achievement, career, and social/emotional development.With the proper counseling approach and the ability by students to apply the guidance that is given, students can experience:* Enhanced academic performance.* Better social relationships.* Improved decision-making and problem-solving skills.* A broader understanding of careers...

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Madison City Schools Board members are front and center of all things Madison City Schools. You see them at board meetings, school plays and band performances. They are at the football stadium and in bleachers at swim and dive competitions. You might catch one reading to a class, speaking to a PTA meeting or advocating for schools at a City Council meeting.Madison City Board of Education with Superintendent Parker  They attend graduations, school carnivals, EL summer classes and greenpower...

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Leah McRae, Madison City Schools Secondary Teacher of the Year for 2018, reflects on her career and what it takes to teach students and prepare them for life and their careers.She is one of hundreds of MCS teachers devoted to educating our kids for promising futures.The District Blog this year has been featuring a different aspect of Madison City Schools each week in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the school district. Archived posts are at the bottom of this feature.   “Hope...

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Pamela Weaver, Madison City Schools Elementary Teacher of the Year for 2018, offers a glimpse into her daily life as a schoolteacher at Horizon Elementary. She is one of hundreds of MCS teachers devoted to educating our kids to be model workers and citizens. Next week will feature a column by the MCS Secondary Teacher Of The Year.............................. I wake up at 4:15 each morning. Usually I am wide-awake and getting the day started with a shower. After dressing, I've got about 30 minutes...

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(Dec. 21, 2018) A School Resource Officer holds a job with many roles but with the ultimate responsibility of protecting students. The various roles may encompass teaching a class about drugs, directing hall or parking lot traffic, helping quarreling students work through their dispute, building a rapport with students, and always keeping an eye out for threats. For thousands of students across Madison City Schools, the first adult they may see each day at school is not a principal or a teacher....

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Madison City Schools Operations is a multi-faceted department responsible for day-to-day operations. Through careful planning, coordination and control of resources, the department strives to keep systems running efficiently and buildings & grounds in good physical health.Maintenance: MCS Maintenance is responsible for maintaining approximately 1.6 million square feet of building space. HVAC systems must remain tuned up and running. Plumbling and electrical functions need attention. Buildings...

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School health services is much more than just taking care of boo boos and stomach aches. The school nurse’s tasks each day are as varied as the children and families they serve. Yes, the clinic nurses see students daily for bumps and bruises, stomach aches, headaches, lice checks and the general “I don’t feel good” complaints. But they do so much more. Columbia Elem nurse Laura Dickinson checking temperatureEach year brings an increase of students with serious and sometimes...

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(11/19/18) Did you know that more than 70 languages are spoken in the homes of Madison City students? Or that one in five MCS students live at or below the poverty line?How about this? Students from military-connected families comprise nearly 25 percent of the school district's total enrollment.And this: The District is increasingly pushing to expand high-quality education to pre-schoolers, growing PreK as fast as space will allow.  Diversity in Madison City Schools comes in many...

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(11/05/19) Employees are the most valuable asset of almost every operation.That makes the role of the Personnel Department a very important one for Madison City Schools.One of its major responsibilities is in the recruitment of job applicants. Personnel employees visit and partner with many local colleges and universities in search of top teacher candidates.Colleges include Alabama A&M University, Alabama State, Athens State, Auburn University, Birmingham...

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(10-22-2018) Ken Clark brakes his school bus to a halt by the cluster of young schoolchildren at a neighborhood bus stop. A parent tips her mug hello while patting her child toward the open door. "That warm coffee is appreciated on cool mornings," he responds.Clark greets each child by name as they pivot past him down the aisle of seats."Good morning Briana.""What's up, Caleb?""Where's my smile, Janell?""James! Glad you're back with us today, buddy." Ken Clark's view as he approaches...

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(Oct. 8, 2018) If there was ever a stealth operation of Madison City Schools, Technology Infrastructure would be it.Like an iceberg, most of what they do is never seen by the public. The primary goal of the Technology Infrastructure Department is to make the latest 21st-century tools available to every student within the Madison City School System.While the students’ instruction and experience is the primary focus, the department supports the function of every other department within...

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(Oct. 1, 2018) All things money go on in the business office of Madison City Schools. As fiscal manager over one of the largest employers in the City of Madison, the Finance Department is busy every month processing payroll for the 1,145 employees in the school system, as well as processing numerous invoices. Both of those processes alone involve an average of $8 million per month. Keeping the entire budget in balance is a massive task. There are lots of moving parts and enormous pressure...

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(Sept. 24, 2018) The Special Education Department at Madison City Schools provides services for more than 1,250 students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Students as young as 2- 1/2 may be referred to determine need. These special education services can be implemented by age 3 and students with IEPs may attend school until age 21, or when a regular education diploma is earned. SPED Director Dr. Maria Kilgore is responsible for keeping students in appropriate programs, offering...

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(9/18/2018)  These days it is hard to separate technology from instruction. In any given school and grade level in Madison City Schools, you’ll see technology being integrated seamlessly throughout the learning activities. An organization as large as ours requires a Technology Department robust enough to support that high-level technology integration in all our classes. Technology and Instruction are two separate entities, but they must work very closely to achieve one unifying...

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(9/10/2018) Someone once said, “Who dares to teach must never cease to learn."That is a guiding principle of the Madison City Schools Instruction Department in setting the framework and support for academic programs for all students grades Pre-K through 12. Educators must continuously embrace new learning concepts themselves to prepare students for this ever-changing global environment.Instruction encompasses academic programs, curriculum development, professional learning...

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(Sept. 3, 2018) Perhaps no other part of Madison City Schools is as misunderstood as ACCESS. ACCESS stands for Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide.As its name implies, it is a virtual learning service offering online class options for students in grades 7-12.Judy Bollinger is Coordinator of the North Alabama ACCESS Support Center housed in the Madison City Schools Central Office. She and her team serve 45 school systems across 22 counties in North Alabama. ACCESS...

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  (Aug. 27, 2018)  Auxiliary Services is a textbook example of a school department no one thinks about.The department is over textbooks, testing, accountability, teacher resource support, and Section 504 placement and monitoring.As Coordinator Bob Lipinski puts it, it is a compilation of functions that no one knows where else to put them. Bob Lipinski sorts and attaches bar codes to a new shipment of books.Textbook management in itself is a huge task in a system with more than...

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(Aug. 20, 2018) Each day even before many students awake, school cafeteria employees are at work preparing meals for them.Madison City Schools is the largest food service in town. MCS Cafeteria workers serve approximately 6,000 lunches and 1,000 breakfasts daily. That’s over 1million meals annually across 11 schools and the Pre-K Center.That’s a lot of bellies getting filled and minds being nourished.As Coordinator of the Child Nutrition Program, Marty Tatara has a plateful of...

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(AUG. 13, 2018) Long before students enter the door of a Madison City school, chances are, Dorinda White has had dealings with them. Probably not directly, but in ensuring that each is a resident of Madison or Triana and assigned to the correct school zone. Mrs. White oversees Student Services. Her official position is Coordinator of Strategic Initiatives, Attendance and Community Relations. That catch-all title includes registration/re-enrollment, student attendance, school calendar development,...

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Mill Creek ElemMill Creek ElemHorizon ElemDiscovery MiddleBob Jones HSHorizon ElementaryColumbia Elementary facultyWest Madison ElemWest Madison ElemDiscovery Middle open houseHeritage ElementaryJames Clemens HSLiberty MiddleLiberty MiddleRainbow ElemMadison ElemMadison ElementaryPreK Classroom

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