If you or a student is in need of assistance, please feel free to contact  the Learning Supports Office.

334-874-1600

 

Cheryl Randolph, NBCT

Early and Social Emotional Learning Coordinator

My name  is Chery Randolph, and it is an honor to serve as the Early and Social Emotional Learning Coordinator. I am a product of Selma City Schools, and my tenure includes twenty-six years in this system. This includes working as a second grade teacher, fifth grade teacher, sixth grade teacher, tutor for various grades, school counselor, committee chair for various committees, and former principal of Byrrd First Class Early Learning Center. As the Selma City Schools Early and Social Emotional Learning Coordinator, I serve as the PreK Program Director for Selma City Schools Strong Start PreK, 504 System Coordinator,  Social Emotional Learning Coordinator, and several other capacities.  My undergraduate years were completed at  Alabama Agricutural and Mechancial University and proceeded to graduate studies at Alabama State University.  In 2012, I became a National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) with certification in Early Childhood to Young Adulthood School Counseling. My  motto is that “Teamwork Makes Dreams Work” through collaboration with teachers, parents, stakeholders, and the many members of the city of Selma. As an educator, I am committed to excellence and strives to  make a positive difference. Please contact my office at 419-7250 or [email protected] for questions or concerns.

Selma City Schools

Strong Start Pre-K Center Pre-Registration

 (Sophia P. Kingston Elementary School)

Who qualifies under Section 504?

Students of Selma City Schools between the ages of three and twenty-two years of age, who meet the following definition of disability:

• Has a physical or mental impairment, which 2) substantially limits the student in one or more major life activities, without consideration of the mitigating measure(s) which might be used to ameliorate the negative effects of the student's disability, and which substantially limits an activity that is central to regular life.
• Those who have a record of impairment (anti-discrimination prong, only); or
• Those who are regarded as having such an impairment (anti-discrimination prong, only)

 "Placement" of students in Section 504 (§504) usually refers to the regular education classroom with individually planned accommodations by the Campus §504 Committee.  §504 is not a statute of "reduced academic expectations or curriculum," but rather provides for individualized accommodations for students as related to the student's disability, which are needed in the regular classroom and are recommended by the student's campus §504 Committee.

RIGHT TO IMPARTIAL HEARING

A parent with a concern or complaint about the District’s actions regarding the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of a student with a disability shall have the right to an impartial hearing. 

A parent shall be provided written notice of the due process right to an impartial hearing upon consent for evaluation for 504 services.  Information about the due process right to an impartial hearing is available upon request from the 504 Coordinator for the District.

The impartial hearing shall be conducted by a person who is knowledgeable about Section 504 issues and who is not employed by the District or related to a member of the Board in a degree that would be prohibited under the nepotism statute.  The impartial hearing officer is not required to be an attorney.  The District and the parent shall be entitled to legal representation at the impartial hearing.

If you have any questions about Section 504 or eligibility, please call your student's Counselor or the District 504 Coordinator Cheryl Randolph, for additional information (334-419-7250).

Section 504 requires the schools to:

• Identify and notify qualified disabled students of their rights and procedural safeguards
• Evaluate students to determine §504 eligibility
• Provide appropriate classroom accommodations to eligible students
• Meet the needs of eligible disabled students as adequately as the needs of non-disabled students
• Provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE)
• Afford eligible disabled students with equal opportunities to participate in extracurricular and nonacademic activities to the same extent as non-disabled students

Social-emotional learning (SEL), as defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

Why is Social Emotional Learning Important?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) provides a foundation for safe and positive learning, and enhances students' ability to succeed in school, careers, and life. Research shows that SEL not only improves achievement by an average of 11 percentile points, but it also increases prosocial behaviors (such as kindness, sharing, and empathy), improves student attitudes toward school, and reduces depression and stress among students (Durlak et al., 2011).