From the Superintendent's Desk
The Week of October 30, 2009
We started the week off with a County Board meeting, followed the next day by a groundbreaking ceremony for the new E.B. Ellington Elementary School. On Tuesday night, we held our District 20 Town Hall meeting, where community members offered useful feedback on our building program, downtown schools, and Advanced Placement offerings. The feedback was constructive and helpful, and I really appreciated the presentations made by our downtown principals. It was clear to everyone in the room that these school leaders have made dramatic improvements. Right now, there are dynamic and attractive school choices available to our downtown families.
Speaking of choices, the big news of the week, is Boeing’s announcement that it is coming to town! This is critically important to our district because the connections between public education, a strong workforce, and economic growth are powerful. I want to welcome Boeing to the Lowcountry, and urge anyone connected with the company- or anyone interested in our district- to please call us and visit our schools. I have already met with the superintendents in Dorchester Two and Berkeley counties, and we talked about creating a regional aviation academy and ensuring that our region's public schools form a pipeline of excellence into this high-tech industry. We would love to take you on tours and show you firsthand what terrific options our schools offer. Thanks to our hard-working teachers, principals, staff and community partners, CCSD is a district on the move. The results speak for themselves:
- An 11-point gain in graduation rate;
- An “Excellent” improvement rating on the latest report card;
- The highest Advanced Placement scores on record; and
- Students who earned higher proficiency rates than their state peers in every subject and every grade on the last elementary-middle state test.
Our partnerships with business, community, and faith-based partners could not be stronger. My message to everyone at Boeing—and every parent in our county considering public schools—is to GO PUBLIC! and join our excellent schools. Our vision is your vision—every child graduating with the skills necessary to succeed in college and the 21st Century workforce. Please visit our school choice page to learn more about our many options, or call us at 937-6303.
In addition, please note that many of our magnet and charter schools have adopted similar application deadlines for admission for the 2010-2011 school year. Applications are due December 4 for many of the district’s growing number of magnet schools and special programs. Please call or visit the CCSD web page for specific schools to verify their specific dates and obtain their applications.
On a final note, we encourage parents to visit with us at the Parent Information Fair at Burke High School on Saturday, November 14th.
This Fair is a great opportunity for you to learn about the excellent school choices and options available to your children in Charleston County. The Fair will also feature the Title I Advisory Council and resources to help you stay involved with your children’s education, and we will also provide information on free tutoring available to parents in our district. Refreshments and childcare will be provided. See you all there!
Be sure to catch the rest of this week's Community Update electronic newsletter.