Stephens County BOE Hires New Director of Teacher Development

The Stephens County School System hires a new Director of Teaching and Learning.

Tuesday, the Board of Education approved the hire of Dr. Phyllis Carson to that position.

Stephens County School Superintendent Sherrie Whiten said that Dr. Carson’s position includes many different responsibilities.

“Dr. Carson will be working with our teachers,” said Whiten. “She will be working on professional development. Next year, we are going to be working on our charter system application, which revolves all around the curriculum and what we want to do for our students differently. She is going to be working on all of those. We just implemented new standards so we are going to continue to work on that and how we can support our teachers with the new evaluation system that is coming online this next year. She has a really important job and we are just thrilled to have her with us.”

Whiten said that Carson’s position covers many of the responsibilities that formerly fell to former Assistant Superintendent Sandy Steele, who took over this week as principal at Stephens County High School.

According to Whiten, some of Steele’s other former responsibilities have been transferred to other positions in the School System Administrative Office.

Carson has already started in her new position.

She has taught in Stephens County for more than 30 years, most recently at Toccoa Elementary School.

According to information provided by the school system, Carson held National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification from 2002 through 2012, has participated in many professional development activities, and has been involved with many committees during her tenure in Stephens County Schools.

She has also served as National Geography Bee Co-Coordinator and Young Georgia Authors writing competition Co-Coordinator in Stephens County.

Dr. Carson earned her Education Doctorate in Teaching and Learning from Piedmont College. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and Education Specialist in Curriculum and Learning from Piedmont, along with her Master in Education in Early Childhood Education from North Georgia College.