DSCD Board approves early childhood position
By Melissa Rollins, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
During a special called meeting of the Darlington County Board of Education April 24, approval was given to the recommendation that the district create an Early Childhood Director position.
The recommendation from the Office of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessments says that the director would supervise “the development, organization, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of early childhood instructional programs to ensure that all students will meet or exceed the state’s academic expectations. Achieving excellence will require the director to work collaboratively with the Assistant Superintendent to lead and support members of the early childhood staff, and communicate effectively with parents, members of the community, and colleagues in other districts and schools.”
It also lists some of the job responsibilities and duties as:
• Ensure that each student will meet and/or exceed the state’s academic expectations that are consistent with the mission, philosophy, values and instructional goals of the district while meeting all laws, codes, board policies and regulations.
• Establish and promote high standards and expectations for students and staff assigned to the Early Childhood Program.
The ideal candidate would have at least three years of experience in administration, teaching or other educational services.
Outside of the professional aspects of the job, the district also wants the director to have strong morals to serve as a good example to staff and students. They should be someone who has ‘excellent integrity and demonstrates good moral character and initiative’ and someone who ‘demonstrates enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to relate well with students, staff, administration, parents, and the community.’
In other business, the board discussed options for millage increases. Chief Financial Officer Ashley Smith gave board members a breakdown for how the budget would pan out if an increase was made at 5, 4 or 3.5 mills.
“Things are not quite as bleak as last time we met,” Smith said. “We did get some additional funding, we got a higher student base cost than expected and some additional funding for the retirement increase that we are having to do.”
Smith said that she took notes from the last special called meeting the board had and compiled a list of options for the things that board members had asked her to consider.
Those options include an increase in employee salaries, salary scale increases for teachers, an increase in athletic/band/art supplements and the addition of an Early Childhood Director position. All of the numbers given to the board were given as information only. No action was taken. Further meetings will be held to discuss what option the board will use going forward into the next fiscal year.
At the beginning of the meeting, board members heard from two administrators with Lexington County 4 about the early childhood program that the district operates. After the presentation, DCSD Superintendent Dr. Eddie Ingram spoke about the importance of thinking outside of the box when it comes to education.
“It is not about memorizing answers,” Ingram said. “I think it is about learning to ask the right questions. We can’t do that sitting in rows, getting out our cover sheets, making sure we memorize things when human knowledge is doubling every year as it is right now.”