By Justin Schuver
Atmore Advance publisher

Escambia County Schools Superintendent John Knott was excited to tell school board members Thursday that all three high schools increased their graduation rates in the 2013-14 school year.
Knott told board members that the system’s goal was 78.34 percent, and last year’s system-wide graduation rate was 79 percent.
He also noted that each of the individual high schools had an increase in their graduation rates. ECHS increased its graduation rate by 1 percent, and W.S. Neal High School and Flomaton High School each increased by 3 percent.
“I would like to commend our high schools, our counselors and staff, and our attendance officers, that work hard to help us keep these students in school and engaged until they graduate,” Knott said. “I appreciate the job that they do.”
The board also approved the following personnel recommendations:
Resignations
• Jared Cooper, teacher, W.S. Neal Middle School, effective Feb. 2.
• Jessica Green, assistant softball coach and head volleyball coach, Flomaton High School, effective Jan. 6.
• Brett Amos, first grade teacher, Rachel Patterson Elementary School, effective Jan. 5.
• Andrea Graddy, teacher, RPES, effective Jan. 16.
• Heather Caraway, teacher, Flomaton Elementary School, effective Jan. 9.
Retirements
• Myles Yvonne Alford, school nurse, WSNMS, effective March 1.
• Katrinka Brown, teacher, A.C. Moore Elementary School, effective June 1.
• Carolyn Merchant, bus aide, Brewton bus shop, effective March 1.
Employments
• Charlene Wiggins, elementary teacher, RPES, effective Jan. 26 (replacing Andrea Graddy).
• Marci-Anna Sanders, elementary teacher, RPES, effective Jan. 26, 2015 (replacing Brett Amos).
• Amanda Strawbridge, substitute teacher, 21st Century Community Learning Center, ACMES, effective Dec. 18, 2014.
• Deloris Johnson, substitute community educator, 21st CCLC, ACMES, effective Dec. 18, 2014.
• Deloris Green, six-hour lunchroom worker, W.S. Neal High School, effective Feb. 2 (replacing Tashan Streety).
• Shaneise Ezell, substitute teacher, Title I After-School Tutoring Program, RPES, effective Jan. 23.
Employment changes
• JoLynn Godwin, teacher, RPES, to P.E. teacher, RPES, effective Jan. 23 (replacing Joanne Bonds).
• Brent Killam, sixth grade social studies teacher, WSNMS, to eighth grade social studies teacher, WSNMS, effective Feb. 1(replacing Jared Cooper).