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Cullman City Schools

Character / Citizenship / Scholarship

January Superintendent Newsletter

Posted Date: 01/29/26 (05:00 PM)
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A stylized bearcat head with open mouth and sharp teeth, inside a gold 'C'.

CCS System Update

January 2026

Newsletter Podcast

2026-2027 Cullman City School System Teacher(s) of the Year

The Cullman City School System recently named their 2026-2027 Elementary and Secondary Teacher(s) of the Year. Congratulations ladies and thank you for representing your schools, our school system and the Cullman community so well.
Elementary - Lacy Cameron (East Elementary)
Secondary - Michelle Greenlee (Cullman High)
Our two teachers of the year will now submit their applications to the ALSDE by the end of this month and hopefully be selected as one of the 16 finalists for the 26-27 Alabama Teacher of the Year.
Cullman City Schools honors its Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year, Lacy Cameron and Michelle Greenlee.
Thank you to Burke's Florist for providing the beautiful bouquets for our Teachers of the Year.
 
Group of educators holding certificates, with "NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED" banner above.

NBCT


  • Nicole Heptinstall - East Elementary School - Certification in Literacy: Reading-Language Arts-Early and Middle Childhood
  • Loren Heatherly - East Elementary School - Certification in Literacy: Reading-Language Arts-Early and Middle Childhood
  • Hannah Hunt- East Elementary School - Certification in Literacy: Reading-Language Arts-Early and Middle Childhood
  • Tayler Davis - West Elementary School - Certification in Literacy: Reading-Language Arts-Early and Middle Childhood
  • Tasha Meyer - Cullman Middle School -Certification in Library Media Specialist: Early Childhood through Young Adulthood (not in the photo)

Included in this picture is Lindsay Brannon, Director of Academic Affairs, who is a NBCT and Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff, who completed the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program in February of 2024.

In addition to a $5,000.00 annual supplement from the Alabama State Department, the Cullman City Board of Education offers an additional $5,000.00 for NBCTs.

Alabama ranks 7th in the nation for percentage of National Board Certified Teachers (just under 4,000 total teachers).

Cullman City is one of four school systems in Alabama to reach the 20% threshold of NBCTs, which is shared with less than 50 school systems nationwide.
 
Graphic announcing January as School Board Member Recognition Month with the hashtag #SchoolBoardMVPs.
A group of educators and staff stand together in front of a Cullman City Schools banner.

Board Appreciation Month

In the January meeting of the Board, we celebrated School Board Appreciation month. Each school (principal) presented a token of appreciation to our school board members.

The definition of an effective school board is one that functions in a governance role, collaborating with their respective superintendent to craft a vision and goals to guide the superintendent and his/her staff in the effective education of all the system’s students.

The Code of Alabama defines a school board as a “legally constituted body” that governs a local school system, promotes student learning, and prepares students to be college and career ready.

In the Cullman City School System, we are blessed to have an effective school board, one in which its members function as ⅕ of a whole, and establishes a vision and strategic map to guide the work of the school system employees.

Thank you Cullman City School Board for setting the vision, providing the road map and allowing us to do the work to position our school system as one of the top performing systems in Alabama.
 
Logo for the Alabama Attorney General's Safe Schools Initiative, featuring a torch and an apple.

Attorney General’s 2025 Safe School Award

For the second consecutive year, Cullman City Primary is the recipient of the Alabama Attorney General’s Safe Schools Award. CCPS will join a handful of other schools as recipients of this prestigious honor. In early March, Attorney General Steve Marshall and his team will visit Cullman City Primary to present this award to Dr. Shaddix.
 

$50,000.00 Grant for Summer Learning (STEM Camp)

We were recently notified that we are recipients of a $50,000.00 summer learning grant. These funds will be used to host a summer STEM camp in partnership with the Cullman Parks and Recreation team. A big thank you to Lindsay Brannon, Director of Academic Affairs, for leading grant writing efforts and securing these funds. Back in 2022 we set a vision for STEM Education in the Cullman City Schools System.

Vision: Produce graduates prepared for STEM related occupations and/or post-secondary programs of study that will positively contribute to area industry needs.

Mission: To immerse students in collaboration, problem solving, reasoning, and higher order thinking skills through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities.

Construction Updates

Cullman Middle School

A diverse group of people, including children and an elder in a wheelchair, participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
A huge thank you to our Board and many guests who joined us on January 11th to cut the ribbon on Phase II of CMS. 

There are a few punch list items that are ongoing and some fencing being installed that was outside of the original scope of work.

In the near future, we will present a plan to the Board of Education on addressing the original CMS gym, built in 1936, and the wings to the original building which were recently vacated by the 7th grade teachers as we prepare to move over 6th grade programs to CMS.

CCS Commitments

With the recent passing of the CHOOSE Act, it is important to remember why the Cullman City School System remains the best choice for the best education! Here are five quick reminders…
Cullman City School District document outlining commitments to students and staff.

Literacy Act

In May of 2019, the Alabama Literacy Act was enacted. The Alabama Literacy Act was established to improve the reading proficiency of public school kindergarten through 3rd grade students and ensure that those students are able to read at or above grade level by the end of the 3rd grade. One requirement is for 3rd grade students who are not reading at grade-level, as indicated on the ACAP, to be retained in third grade.
Throughout the school year, teachers will provide parents feedback on how their children are progressing in reading using benchmark tools like DIBELS and iReady. Third grade students who do not meet the score on ACAP will be required to attend a mandatory summer reading camp in June. At the conclusion of the reading camp the identified students will have one more opportunity to take the ACAP and show that they are reading at a third grade level or above.
The third grade teachers at both East and West are very strong and receive tremendous support, however it is going to take a team (teacher, parent and student) to reach the 100% threshold.
Pathway to Promotion

Strategic Commitments

Below are some of the highlights from the six broad areas of the Cullman City Board of Education's Strategic Plan and Strategic Commitments. The entire plan is located on the school system website (https://www.cullmancats.net).

1.Student Support and Safety
  1. Safe learning environments
  2. Access to related services
  3. Increase modes of communication
2.Technology
  1. Enhancing devices and connectivity
  2. Safe and secure networks
  3. Professional development and support
3.Curriculum and Assessment
  1. Rigor, critical thinking, and creativity
  2. Alignment of assessments intended outcomes
  3. More academic and extracurricular opportunities
4.Employees
  1. Consistent expectations from campus to campus
  2. Continuous training on 21st century transferable skills
  3. Seek the best educators
5.Finance and Resources
  1. Financial transparency
  2. Increase community and industry partnerships
  3. Budget for the Board’s vision
6.Facilities
  1. Clean learning environments on all campuses
  2. Plan for comprehensive Cullman Intermediate School (3-5)
  3. Expand preschool programs

Tech Check

Bearcat in C with Technology Department underneath,
Innovation and learning in the classroom begins with the empowerment of our educators. During our January Professional Development day, the Technology Integration team had the privilege of leading several high-impact sessions designed to transform teaching and learning across the district. Teachers learned to use the online training tools for ACTP to ensure students are strategically prepared for upcoming state assessments. They also explored how MagicSchool Student Rooms can provide real-time writing feedback to build confidence in our youngest learners. The team rounded out the day by maximizing the potential of iPad integration, a session that saw immediate results as teachers began implementing these new strategies in their lessons the very next day.
A teacher presents to students in a classroom with laptops and a large screen displaying 'Google's Gemini'.
CCPS learned how to use Gemini as a teacher.
Students and a teacher are gathered around tables in a classroom, engaged in learning activities.
Teachers at West implemented the new tech strategies the next day.

The Bottom Line

News from the CFO

Full financial statements can be found on the Cullman City Schools website by clicking here.
A financial report titled 'General Fund Analysis' displays reserve summaries and budget vs. actual figures.
The month of November is 1) 16.67% into the fiscal year. Revenues were at 2) 15.6% while
expenditures were at 3) 18%. Our total net operations were 4) -$1.1 M. Total assets were 5) $10.7 M. We ended the month with a fund balance of 6) $10.7 M which brings us to 7) 3.06 months of reserves.

Next Update: February 2026

Superintendent wearing black suit with gold tie
Kyle Kallhoff, Superintendent
Phone: (256)734-2233
Twitter: @kkallhoff