From Germanna Community College:
Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt has been appointed by the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors as the county’s representative for the coming four years on the Germanna Community College Board.
Dr Kay-Wyatt brings over 23 years of public school education experience to the Germanna Board. The former principal at Walker-Grant Middle School in Fredericksburg currently serves as Director of Human Resources for Secondary Education for Spotsylvania County Schools. She began her career as a special education teacher at Culpeper Middle School, then taught special ed at James Monroe High School, before moving on to WGMS.
Dr. Kay-Wyatt said that in working with the Germanna president she has found GCC President Janet Gullickson “very engaging” and “a breath of fresh air.”
In the current climate, she said, educators at all levels must address both equity and excellence in schools. “It’s critical to focus on equity,” Dr. Kay-Wyatt said. “It’s more than a buzzword… We really need to speak to justice.”
“Funding is huge” as a roadblock to equity, she said, in terms of quality and in terms of bridging the digital divide. She’s concerned about students from low-come families having the same access to resources on the Internet as those from more affluent families.
“There’s a lot of emphasis on getting devices into students’ hands,” Dr. Kay-Wyatt said. “But they also have to have Internet access.” Even when there is Internet access, she said, some families don’t have the bandwidth in their homes for two or three children to access materials online at the same time.
Shaid the proposed on-site social distancing phasing in of K-12 students this fall in Virginia will be especially difficult with younger elementary school students: “They’re all about connecting, not social distancing.”
“Although Baron Braswell has been an exceptional board member representing Spotsylvania County and we are very sad to see him end his term, we know that Dr. Kay-Wyatt will add significantly to our board talent,” Gullickson said. “Her background in human resources, curriculum and instruction and K-12 education adds strength to Germanna’s already robust board.”
She has served as past president of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development International, chair of the ASCD International Board of Directors and Virginia ASCD president-elect, Board of Directors.
Dr. Kay-Wyatt earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University; a master of education in Educational Leadership from the University of Mary Washington; a master of science in education from Old Dominion University and a bachelor of science in Business Administration from Mary Washington College.
She was recognized as Jaycees Educator of the Year in 2006 and James Monroe High School Teacher of the Year in 2004.
She has two grown children, Billie and Temple Wyatt.
