Business community partners with new educators in Bibb County

OneMacon's Business Education Partnership announced its new business/teacher match program.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Local business leaders and new teachers from the Bibb County School District met Thursday for the Bibb Education Partnership’s meeting.

Bibb County Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Sims expressed how important the partnership is to shape students’ future.

“There are so many things that can happen out of that,” he said. “I believe what is going to happen is you’re going to have businesses who are now tied to classrooms, tied to students and tied their experiences, and students are going to be able to open up their eyes and see more clearly what adulthood and opportunities look like on the next level.”

So far, more than 100 news teachers have signed up for the program, but as of now, less than 30 businesses have committed.

“I got matched with today with Alicia Marshal with L.H. Williams Elementary School, and she’s a kindergarten teacher,” Major General Retired Thomas Grabowski said.

He’s the owner of four businesses, including Stardust Consulting.

“I’m so excited, because I can’t wait to bring the kids out to the base and show them the museum,” he said. “And, I think this is a wonderful program that the Mayor, Dr. Sims and Jessica Walden have put together to team local business and community leaders with our teachers so they know that they know they don’t have to do this alone.”

Jessica Walden, Co-Chair of the Business Education Partnership, said the program is a win-win for everyone.

“For us, it’s workforce development, it’s talent retention, it’s economics, it’s truly economics for us,” she said. “So we’ve created some avenues of opportunity today that were true calls to action to again, build that bridge to the business community to the education community.”