A Little More About Me

Since filing to run for School Board in District 24, I have met so many engaged people who are deeply committed to the best education for Greenville County students; additionally, they are super-committed to knowing as much about the candidates who are running as possible. Frequently, I get asked to go into more detail about my educational background, work history, and community outreach experiences, and often, people inquire about the specifics of each position I've held and how it will equip me to be the best choice for this important role. In order to provide more details regarding my experience in education, I am sharing in this blog post for folks who are interested in learning more about my 27-year commitment to public education at school, district, and state levels.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Ph. D. - Educational Administration, May 2010

University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

Educational Specialist - Educational Administration, August 2008

University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

Secondary Administration Certification, June 2006

Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina

Educational Specialist - Curriculum and Instruction, December 2005

Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina

National Board Certification, November 2001

Adolescent and Young Adulthood/English Language Arts

Master of Education, August 1995

Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina

Bachelor of Arts, May 1993

Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

WORK HISTORY

Director – Standards and Learning/Curricular Innovation

South Carolina Department of Education

(August 2015 – present)

• Ensured the development and/or revision of South Carolina’s College and Career Ready Academic Standards

• Ensures the development and/or revision of resources to inform best practices in curriculum development/design, instruction, and assessment to support implementation of College and Career Ready Academic Standards

• Ensures the development, implementation, and evaluation of research-based professional learning opportunities to improve the capacity of teachers and districts to raise student achievement

• Oversees recommendations for new and revised statutes, regulations, provisos and policies and oversees support for their implementation

• Serves as a liaison/representative with external offices, agencies, community organizations, colleges, and universities at state and national levels

• Ensures compliance with the provisions of the Education Accountability Act, State statutes, SBE regulations

• Manages and reports annually to ensure fiscal transparency regarding use of state and federal funding streams to support districts and schools

Executive Director of Carolina Alliance for Technology

Laurens District 55, Laurens District 56, Richland District 2

(May 2014 – August 2015)

• Led implementation of a 4-year, 6.9 million-dollar, Youth Career Connect Grant awarded to a three-district consortium in April 2014 through the Federal Department of Labor

• Collaborated with business and community stakeholders to develop extended learning opportunities for high school students

• Assisted district and building-level administrators and teachers with implementation of a school re-design model

• Developed and implemented a four-year employer mentoring model that will culminate in internships and registered apprenticeships

Director of Academic Support Services

Greenville County School District

(July 2012 – May 2014)

• Refined and aligned district curriculum to reflect national and state standards

• Provided regular professional development opportunities for administrators, teachers, and support staff to increase content knowledge and implement best instructional practices

• Managed interviewing and hiring for GCSD’s Instructional Coaches’ pool and provided recommendations for placement of applicants to principals

• Developed and implemented a multi-tiered curriculum management system to support effective and research-based instruction and assessment in all content areas

• Developed and implemented a protocol for interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary curriculum design that includes but is not limited to STEM/STEAM, IB, and Arts-Integrated Instruction

• Supervised yearly budget planning and development for Academic Support Services

• Oversaw implementation/completion of district-wide grants

• Ensured compliance to state and federal regulations within areas of job responsibility

• Supervised and evaluated content – area Academic Specialists

Director of Teaching and Learning

Beaufort County School District

(July 2010 - August 2012)

• Refined and aligned district curriculum to reflect national and state standards

• Directed ongoing development and implementation of PreK-12 Curriculum in ELA, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and World Languages

• Supervised and conducted ongoing training for administrators, teachers, and instructional support personnel in the areas of best practices in curriculum design, instruction, and assessment

• District Lead for 15 SC Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) Schools

• District Lead for Focused Instructional Observation Teams to provide feedback and support to schools and to develop plans for professional development and improvement

• District Technology Vision Team Member

Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction,

Berea High School

(July 2007 – July 2010) School District of Greenville County

• Principle evaluator for English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Departments

• High Schools That Work Coordinator

• Advanced Placement Coordinator

• 12th grade administrator in charge of senior discipline and graduation

• Professional Learning Communities Coordinator

• Certified ADEPT Evaluator

• Learning Focused Trained

Instructional Coach, Eastside High School

(August 2004 – June 2007) School District of Greenville County

• Provided curricular and instructional support for all content areas

• Coordinated and administered MAP tests to all 9th and 10th graders

• Trained teachers in analysis of MAP data and use of DesCartes Continuum to differentiate instruction

• Assigned mentoring teams for first-year teachers

• Provided professional development opportunities for teachers based on data from walkthrough observations and requests from departments

High School English Language Arts Teacher

(August 1995 - August 2004) School District of Greenville County

• Eastside High School (August 2002 - August 2004) English II Honors & Advanced, English I Honors

• Mauldin High School (August 1997 – June 2002) English II Honors, Advanced & CP, English I Honors & CP, Film Criticism

• J. L. Mann High School (August 1995 – June 1997) English IV Advanced, English III Advanced & CP, English II Advanced & CP, English I Advanced &CP

SUPPORT AND OUTREACH

• Hughes Academy SIC (2020 - present)

• President - Clemson Department of General Engineering Advisory Board (2019 - present)

• Clemson Department of General Engineering Advisory Board (2016 – present)

• South Carolina Governors School for Arts and Humanities Board of Directors (2017 – present)

• South Carolina Governors School for Science and Mathematics Board of Directors (2015 – 2020)

• South Carolina Coalition for Mathematics and Science Advisory Board (2016 – 2019)

• Transform South Carolina Project-Based Learning Leadership Team (2013 – 2014)

• Junior Achievement of Upstate South Carolina Board of Directors (2012 – 2014)

• Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) State Advisory Board Member (2011 – 2013)

• Technical College of the Low Country Advisory Board Member (2011 – 2012)

• Graduate Greenville Advisory Board (2007 – 2009)

• Program for Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE) Instructor, SC Department of Education (2005 – 2008)