Shelby County Schools

Shelby County Schools held the first session of its First-Year Teacher Academy on September 2. Veteran teachers, Lucy Hudson from Calera Intermediate and Grace Riddle from Oak Mountain Middle School, shared practical tips for a successful school year. 2025 First-Year Teachers of the Year, Lily Mathis from Oak Mountain Elementary and Allison Middendorf from Helena Middle School, held a Q&A session with this year's participants. Dr. Angela Walker led a session on trauma-informed classrooms, while Dale Alexander from Alexander & Company provided advice on making good financial decisions for long-term success.

September has officially been designated as School Attendance Awareness Month. Shelby County Schools has worked diligently to reduce chronic absenteeism within our schools, and while we have seen gains in the right direction, our journey continues towards excellence. Join Shelby County Schools to make every school day count. Your involvement matters, and your child's future is worth it 🌟

#DoGreatThings #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

New This Year: Visitor Check-In Made Simple & Secure!

Shelby County Schools will be rolling out Circool district-wide to check in all visitors,
manage event entry, and assist with emergency reunification — helping us protect
access to our schools while students are present.

1. Fast and secure check-in at the front desk
2. Easy QR code entry for school events
3. Safe, verified reunification during emergencies
4. Integrated with PowerSchool — make sure your email and phone number are up to date with your school!

We’re committed to making our schools welcoming and secure. Thank you for helping us keep our students safe!

For more information visit: https://www.shelbyed.k12.al.us/page/circool

Celebrating Excellence in Shelby County Schools! We are proud to announce that three of our high schools have been ranked among Alabama's Top 50 Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report!

🏅Oak Mountain High School - # 15
🏅Helena High School - # 36
🏅Chelsea High School - # 40

This achievement reflects the dedication of our students, teachers, staff, and families who work together every day to ensure success. Let's give a big congratulations to these schools for representing Shelby County with excellence! 👏

#DoGreatThings #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Eagles, Hornets, Huskies, Bulldogs, Wildcats, Jackets... no matter your team, we're cheering you on this fall! 🏟️📣 It's gametime! Who are YOU rooting for?

#DoGreatThings #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence #TeamShelby

Dawn Bone will serve as Career Technical Education (CTE) Supervisor. Bone has 28 years of experience in education, including 24 years with Shelby County Schools. She began her career teaching computer application classes at Midfield High School. She then taught CTE Business Education classes at Calera High for 15 years. She has spent the past nine years working as the district CTE Resource Teacher, where she played an active role in shaping CTE initiatives throughout the district.

Jasmine Burden will serve as Assistant Principal at Calera Intermediate School. Ms. Burden has seven years of experience as an educator. She served as a kindergarten teacher at Montevallo Elementary School and has spent the past six years as a 5th-grade ELA teacher at Calera Intermediate School. Most recently, Ms. Burden has been serving as the Administrative Assistant at Calera Intermediate.

Shelby County Community Education is ready to help your child unleash their creativity, explore new passions, and make new friends with our 2025-2026 Enrichment Courses. We have something for all ages, from PreK to high school, with a variety of engaging classes offered at various Shelby County schools.

Is your child ready to join the fun?
Register now and get the full list of classes offered at each site: www.ezcomed.com/scsenrich/customer

Day 1 ✅

It's more than just the start of a new year... it's the beginning of new friendships, big dreams, and endless possibilities. Here's to a school year full of growth, laughter, and learning together! #ShelbyFirstDay #DoGreatThings #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

The Shelby County Schools Credentialing Seal of Excellence recognizes CTE educators who demonstrate exceptional commitment to student achievement in industry-recognized certifications. This recognition honors teachers whose students achieve strong pass rates - reflecting high-quality instruction, meaningful preparation, and student readiness. Earning this seal signifies a teacher’s dedication to equipping students with the skills and credentials needed for success beyond high school.

At the annual CTE Back-to-School meeting, 30 teachers were recognized with the Credentialing Seal of Excellence banner. Each teacher received a small banner to hang outside of their classroom and a larger banner to proudly display inside, honoring their role in preparing students for high-skill, high-demand careers. Together, these teachers helped Shelby County students earn 1,357 industry-recognized credentials in the 2024-2025 school year compared to 707 the previous school year. Some credentials include Microsoft Office Specialist Associate, NCCER Core, Certified Patient Care Tech, Adobe Photoshop, iCar, ASE, MSSC, ServSafe Manager, and several Skills for Success credentials through a partnership with Jefferson State Community College.

Students who earn an approved industry-recognized credential receive a College & Career Readiness indicator, which meets the graduation requirement for College & Career Readiness.

Our Summits were a powerful reminder: when great educators come together, amazing things happen 💡

Today, teacher groups from every corner of our district gathered together for a time to collaborate, connect, and prepare for an incredible year ahead. Thanks to all those involved in bringing these events to life this year. Next up - the return of our students! We can't wait to see their faces! #DoGreatThings #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Sue Garrett, a retired Shelby County Schools teacher who now has over 1 million combined social media followers as Mama Sue's Southern Kitchen, was the guest speaker for Child Nutrition Program staff today. Mrs. Garrett shared her personal story while also encouraging the CNP staff about the very important role they play in students' lives each day.

We want to see your Back-to-School photos! Use the hashtag #ShelbyFirstDay to share (and see) photos of the first day of school on August 7th.

What a fantastic week of welcoming our newest team members into the Shelby County Schools family! It is so exciting to have these individuals bringing fresh energy, ideas, and heart to our schools. We can't wait to see the difference they'll make in the lives of our students! 🌟 #SCSDayOne #DoGreatThings #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Jane Smith will serve as Principal of Calera Intermediate School. Mrs. Smith has been with Shelby County Schools for over fourteen years, holding various roles that include fifth-grade teacher at Wilsonville Elementary School, Math Coach at Calera Intermediate School, Shelby County Schools Instructional Coach, and most recently, Assistant Principal at Elvin Hill Elementary School.

Brittany Brasher will serve as Assistant Principal of Elvin Hill Elementary School. She has 13 years of experience as an educator, serving first as a Special Education teacher. She has served for the past five years as a resource teacher and Assistant Principal at Calera Intermediate School.

Jan Hughey will serve as Assistant Principal at Oak Mountain Elementary School. A graduate of Shelby County Schools herself, Ms. Hughey brings 19 years of experience as a dedicated kindergarten teacher at Helena Elementary.

Candace Brown will serve as Assistant Principal at Helena Middle School. Mrs. Brown has taught science at several middle and high schools in the metro Birmingham area during her 17-year teaching career. She has taught Biology for the past six years at Hoover High School.

Today, leaders and school administrators of Shelby County Schools gathered together to kick off Back to School meetings! With a fresh energy and a shared vision, we are gearing up for another year of excellence, growth, and student success. Let's make 2025-2026 our best year yet! 🌟📚 #DoGreatThings #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence

Congratulations to Cindy Warner - our Public Relations and Community Education Supervisor - on being named the School Communicator of the Year by NSPRA at this year's NSPRA National Seminar in Washington, D.C. What an accomplishment! #DoGreatThings #EmpoweringAndInspiringExcellence