BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–Berkeley County School District board members believe in the work being done by Superintendent Dr. Eddie Ingram.
During the September 18 board meeting, members discussed the tool used to evaluate the performance of Dr. Ingram and took the time to discuss his performance.
At last night’s meeting, board members voted unanimously to rate Dr. Ingram “proficient” on his performance appraisal, which was done through the McRel evaluation tool.
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.
District 1 representative Michael Ramsey described the tool as an evaluation built on a growth model with a “starting point.”
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 during the September 18 discussion. “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.”
Ramsey personally thanked Dr. Ingram during the September 18 meeting. He said the district is “blessed” to have Ingram as superintendent.
“As many of us know, we would have never imagined some of these obstacles and the situations this district has had to deal with,” Ramsey said. “From my perspective, Dr. Ingram has done exceedingly well.”
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 his 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.
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