School Briefs - October 18, 2018
BCSD SUPERINTENDENT RECEIVES ‘PROFICIENT’ RATING
At the Sept. 18 meeting of the Berkeley County School Board, board members voted unanimously to rate Superintendent Eddie Ingram as “proficient” on his performance appraisal.
The McRel evaluation and assessment was presented to board members in August by Dr. Ingram, and board members supported the use of the tool based on its ability to establish a blueprint for improvement and approaches to problem-solving, backed by data.
Each of the nine board members completed the evaluation, and some, according to District 7 representative Kelly Spann, rated Ingram higher than he rated himself.
“Dr. Ingram came to Berkeley County during a very tumultuous time and has helped us continue to right the ship,” Spann said. “He has been one of our most active superintendents, attending multiple school events and hosting conversations in our communities.”
Spann also referenced Ingram’s work on recruiting and hiring staff members to improve the district’s financial accountability and his focus on policies and procedures the district was “lacking.”
The McRel tool is based on the company’s Balanced Leadership Framework, which focuses district leaders and board members on four primary areas: Purposeful community – using assets to accomplish goals that matter to all community members; Managing change – understanding the implications and adjusting leadership behavior accordingly; Focus of leadership – targeting appropriate areas for school improvement efforts; Management – having a system in place for organizing the work of the school district and prioritizing student learning and safety.
The McRel tool then combines the evaluation data with student performance data to give a complete picture of areas needing improvement to further student success. As one of the U.S. Department of Education’s labs, McRel works to “discover, study, and scale up ‘bright spots’ in education to help teachers, leaders, and learners flourish.”
Board Chair Sally Wofford said she’s pleased with the board’s decision to use the standards and leadership-based tool to measure the performance of the superintendent. She said she’s also pleased with Dr. Ingram’s performance and the path forward.
“Not only will Dr. Ingram know where he stands with his board, but we will also have a clear understanding of where our focus should be and even some of the steps we will need to take to make an impact,” Wofford said.
DIS HOSTS ‘BINGO NIGHT’
Over 400 attendees came out for the Daniel Island School PTA’s Family Bingo Night, sponsored by Coastal Luxury Homes, at Daniel Island School on Thursday, Sept. 27. Students, parents, and grandparents played bingo in hopes of winning up to 20 prizes donated by Daniel Island businesses and the PTA. There were over $1000 in prizes, including a 24-inch cruiser bike donated by Cooper River Cycles, a Lululemon tote bag by Fit Culture, and sports accessories by Tri Everything, as well as family passes to SkyZone, Charleston Battery, Daniel Island Ferry, Charleston RiverDogs and more. Other sponsors included Teacups & Trucks, Tech Savvy Kids Club, ShopWitchyPoo.com, Scentsy, MarineMax Charleston, Front Porch Travel, Creative Arts of Mount Pleasant, Gaia Fit, DI Lashes, Posh Nail Lounge, Haven Hair & Skin Salon, Totality MediSpa, Captain Greg Peralta, All Eyes Vision Care, Franzi Annika, Photography, Black Tie Music Academy, Pro Performance Athletics, Pure Fluff, Dave ‘N’ Dubs and Doc Popcorn.