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Published Friday, April 17, 2009 in Local

Photo by Brenda Pedraza-Vidamour

Kathy Cox reads a book to Erin Neil’s second-grade class during her visit to White Oak Elementary School Friday.

Cox gets another taste of Coweta classrooms

By Brenda Pedraza-Vidamour

The Newnan Times-Herald

Kathy Cox, state superintendent of schools, was standing in line at the post office in Peachtree City one Saturday alongside Diane Boehm and her children, feeling wistful about her own son, who'd left for college last fall.

"She had the cutest boys with her," Cox said.

The two women struck up a conversation, with Cox eventually learning that Boehm was a teacher. Boehm didn't immediately recognize Cox's face or name, and later shared that embarrassment with her colleagues at White Oak Elementary.

"She kept asking, 'Why do I know that name from somewhere?'" said Principal Becky Sanborn, laughing.

As a result of Boehm talking so enthusiastically about her third-grade students, Cox selected White Oak as the next school for her to visit as part of the superintendent's scheduled travels to schools across the state.

"These visits give me the opportunity to meet face to face with the people on the front lines of education in Georgia," said Cox. "I am always excited to get into schools and see the learning that is happening around the state."

Meanwhile, White Oak Elementary has unofficially crowned Boehm as its publicity chief, as part of its continuing ribbing of Boehm's faux pas.

"She's never going to live that down," Sanborn said.

Sanborn seated Boehm directly across from Cox at Friday's reception so she wouldn't have problems recognizing the head of Georgia's schools again. Cox, Boehm and other teachers enjoyed a barbecue lunch prepared by teachers and their spouses at the elementary school on Friday before Cox made her rounds to Boehm's classroom and others classes.

Cox said the teachers were interested in hearing about her experience on "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader," where Cox was the game show's first millionaire winner. They also had some discussions about standardized testing for fifth-graders and the history standards. Overall, Cox said the teachers weren't too concerned about how their students would perform on Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests next week.

"They're ready," Cox said.

While at White Oak, Cox was also treated to a "CRCT prep" rap song performed by second grade students in Sheila Moore's class. The children, some wearing sunglasses, mugged it up for their audience in an upbeat challenge to teachers to "go ahead and test me, 'cause I am ready," according to the chorus. "Go ahead and test me, 'cause I have studied. Go ahead and test me, 'cause I'm ready. Let me show you, show you, show you what I know."

The song offered study and test-taking tips such as eating a healthy breakfast and getting a good night's rest to prepare for the testing, which will be done all next week.

Moore said teachers had first performed the song for the students at one time, and then it was taught to her students earlier in the week for inclusion on White Oak's morning news program. It was an added treat for the children to be able to perform it again for the state superintendent and other visitors, including Rep. Billy Horne, R-Sharpsburg, school board member Graylin Ward, and other political and school administrative officials.

Cox later headed to Northgate High School to visit and teach a ninth-grade government class. Traveling to Georgia's schools and visiting with local educators is part of the state school superintendent's job description.

[Correction: In the article above, the principal and a teacher at White Oak Elementary School were identified incorrectly.

White Oak’s principal is Cheryl Sanborn. The second grade teacher mentioned in the article and caption is Erin Neal.

We regret these errors.]

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