GPB’s Education and Digital Media division is excited to introduce a new education team! My role will be Education Project Manager for the group and Shayla McGhee and Margaret Blackwell will serve as the Education Curriculum Specialists. The team will be implementing new education projects for students and teachers, as well as developing education content and aligning existing content to performance standards.

I come to GPB with eleven years of experience as an educator, having taught middle grades and high school English language arts and journalism. For the past three years, I served as Instructional Learning Manager at Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning where I managed the curriculum, instruction, and assessment initiatives for Georgia’s birth to five early learning programs. Born and raised in Cordele, GA, I graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. I also received my Masters in English Education and my Education Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Piedmont College.

Shayla McGhee graduated Suma Cum Laude from Spelman College where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Secondary Education. Her most notable accomplishments during her time at Spelman College were serving as one of the chartering members of Kappa Omicron Tau, a national education sorority, and graduating as the class valedictorian. Shayla also attended the University of Georgia School of Law and passed the Georgia Bar. Although she enjoyed law, she knew that she wanted to pursue a career in education and became a teacher for the Fulton County Schools system, where she taught American Government, World Geography and International Affairs.

With 11 years of teaching experience, Margaret Blackwell has taught both English language arts and Georgia history. Her teaching career began at Upson-Lee Middle School in Thomaston, Georgia. She attended the University of West Georgia for her Bachelor’s degree in Middle Grades Education, Troy University for her Master’s degree in Post-Secondary Education, and Lincoln Memorial University for her Educational Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction. She is certified in middle grades English language arts and social science, secondary English, as well as being gifted certified.

As former teachers, we are passionate about education and are eager to bring the teacher’s perspective to the development and implementation of GPB educational resources across Georgia. Please feel free to email us at levans@gpb.org, smcghee@gpb.org, and mblackwell@gpb.org and follow us on twitter @GPBEducation. We welcome your suggestions and feedback.