On this episode of After the Bell, the official podcast of Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, we welcome Brian “Cruz” Cruz, lead custodial technician at Groves High School in the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, recently named a finalist for the district’s 2027 Instructional Support Person of the Year.

Cruz explains “white glove service” as consistency, accountability, attention to detail, and a customer-service mindset that supports students, staff, families, community members, and vendors by ensuring campuses feel clean, safe, and cared for. He shares his path from concierge work in New York and New Jersey to Savannah and discusses how student diversity and mutual respect shape his work, including students using service hours to help when the team is short-staffed.

Cruz highlights pride in positive feedback from events like the CTAE Success Expo and advises aspiring school support professionals to pursue excellence, professionalism, and education to advance in operations roles.

QUICK LINKS:

Contact Us - Main Page

District Calendar

Lunch Menus

Literacy is Our North Star

Engagement and Outreach

Map of Schools

Athletics Department

Career Opportunities

Meet the Production Team behind "After the Bell"

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Show Intro

00:28 Meet Cruz

01:31 White Glove Mindset

02:35 From New York

04:22 Award Recognition

05:55 Custodial Day To Day

07:23 Lessons From Students

09:15 Best Part Of Job

10:35 Career Advice

14:16 Closing And District Info

In this episode of After the Bell, we explore the science of learning to read, the impact of high-dosage tutoring, and what the data tells us about helping more students succeed. Heather Corbett, Director of Research and Evaluation for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, and Jessica Reid Sliwerski, Co-Founder and CEO of Ignite Reading and a longtime literacy advocate, join producer Dee Daniels for a conversation about the district’s 95 in 5 literacy goal and the importance of helping students become strong readers early.

They discuss why consistent attendance matters, how high-dosage tutoring provides students with targeted support during the school day, what research tells us about foundational reading instruction, and why giving students the right support at the right time can make such a meaningful difference.

QUICK LINKS:

Contact Us - Main Page

District Calendar

Lunch Menus

Literacy is Our North Star

Engagement and Outreach

Map of Schools

Athletics Department

Career Opportunities

Meet the Production Team behind "After the Bell"

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Welcome to After the Bell

00:44 Introducing Today's Guests

01:21 Guest Backgrounds and Experience

02:44 National Literacy Month and Moonshot

05:04 What is High Dosage Tutoring

07:05 Why Consistent Attendance Matters

09:30 Supporting Families and Students

10:43 Why 60% Need Structured Instruction

14:44 Cracking the Reading Code

16:01 The Joy of Learning to Read

17:45 Research Based Solutions That Work

19:21 Closing Remarks

On this episode of After the Bell - Clyde Newton, Strategic Partnership Coordinator for Savannah-Chatham County Public School System discusses how business-education partnerships strengthen student success and regional workforce development.

Newton, a Savannah native and SCCPSS graduate with 35+ years at Georgia Power, explains that strong relationships and alignment around the district’s new strategic plan help businesses and schools pursue shared goals, improve career readiness, and maintain economic competitiveness.

He highlights partnership opportunities including classroom career exploration, facility visits, work-based learning hires, teacher externships, and the Economic Development for Educators program with SEDA, which helped SCCPSS earn designation as an economic development school district by the Georgia Department of Education.

Newton shares outcomes such as graduates hired into welding, aviation, ports, and EMT roles, including high-earning careers, and invites businesses of any size to register via the district website to get involved.

QUICK LINKS:

Contact Us - Main Page

District Calendar

Lunch Menus

Literacy is Our North Star

Engagement and Outreach

Map of Schools

Athletics Department

Career Opportunities

Meet the Production Team behind "After the Bell"

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Show Intro

00:44 Meet Clyde Newton

01:51 Why Partnerships Matter

03:17 Keys to Success

04:41 Student Opportunities

05:58 Business Benefits

08:30 How to Get Involved

09:22 Real Student Success

11:36 Call to Action

12:07 Wrap Up and Credits