South Carolina Teacher Leadership

BY SUZANNE KOTY

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​We are delighted to bring you the fourth issue of the South Carolina Teacher Leadership newsletter.  Our goal is to provide a collaborative resource that highlights state and district level teacher leadership activities, outlines issues related to South Carolina education, and sparks ideas among Teacher Forums.

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Meet the 2019 South Carolina Teacher of the Year

​Jeffrey Maxey, a special education resource teacher at Starr Elementary School in Anderson School District Three has been named the 2019 State Teacher of the Year.  The State Superintendent of Education, Molly Spearman, made the announcement at the annual Teacher of the Year gala held on May 2, 2018.
 
Maxey serves in several roles in addition to his teaching responsibilities: Department Head, Mentor, Master Teacher, District Teacher Trainer, and District Evaluator.  He spent eight years teaching educators in North Africa before coming to South Carolina.
 
For the next year, Maxey will complete a one-year residency at CERRA as he serves as an education ambassador.  In that role, he will work with Teacher Cadets and Teaching Fellows, lead the State Teacher Forum, attend various speaking engagements, and serve as a representative of the state’s over 50,000 educators.

The Charles Dickerson Community Service Award

​Lexington School District Two’s Teacher of the Year, Daniel Bailey, received this prestigious award at the gala.  Bailey, a teacher at Airport High School, has said that he wants his students to discover the value in helping others.  He plans to donate the check that accompanies the award to Airport’s Camp Kemo annual fundraiser.  

2018 South Carolina Teacher of the Year Events

​The District Teachers of the Year were celebrated in a black tie optional gala hosted by South Carolina Future Minds.  Guests gathered for a reception while they awaited the grand entrance of the District Teachers of the Year.  Each honored teacher entered to a trumpet serenade.  During the event, guests posed for photos with the BMW and networked with colleagues, lawmakers, family, and friends.  During the dinner, a co-author of Just A Chicken, Preston Thorne, entertained the crowd with stories of his experience in education.  Daniel Bailey of Lexington District Two was named the recipient of the Charles Dickerson award which recognizes community service efforts, and Jeffrey Maxey was named the 2019 South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

​The next day began with a breakfast at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, which was hosted and catered by Bojangles.  Jeffrey Maxey and Whitney Glenn, who could not attend as she was expecting the birth of her second child, were surprised with 5 night Caribbean cruises.  Daniel Bailey was again honored for his award. The teachers then visited the State House.  They were recognized by the House of Representatives and the Senate. After taking a group photo on the steps of the State House, the teachers made their way back to the cathedral to attend a working lunch.  The lunch began with a presentation of rings by Thomas and Dusty Rhodes of Jostens to acknowledge the finalists’ accomplishments. The 2018 Honor Roll teachers then facilitated a discussion in which the District Teachers of the Year identified key education issues that need to be addressed at the state or local levels.

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News

The 2018 District Teachers of the Year will have the opportunity to participate in a cohort of
National Candidates next year.  Details and dates will be shared next week.  If you are interested in participating and have not already signed up, please email suzanne@cerra.org by June 30, 2018.

CERRA Book Club

​CERRA’s book study came to a close with a video-conference to discuss the group’s key take-aways of the book.  See a summary of the main talking points below.

CERRA can provide support for your District Forum.
Contact Suzanne Koty at Suzanne@cerra.orgfor more information.
Options:  Organizational support, presentations, strategic planning, and more
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CERRA’s Teacher Leadership Team