Superintendent offers up goals for Horry County schools

By: Rusty Ray | SCNow
Published: October 21, 2008

Tuesday was report card for Horry County Schools.
New superintendent, Dr. Cynthia Elsberry, met with local media to discuss her goals for the district, and how she may go about implementing her plan to make sure those goals are met.
Dr. Elsberry laid out these five goals:
* Designing work for students that is engaging and challenging
* Ensuring every child can read fluently by the end of 2nd grade and write expressively by the end of 5th grade
* Teaching 21st century skills using 21st century tools
* Investing in and developing the best teachers and leaders
* Building positive relationships
Dr. Elsberry talked extensively about the importance of making sure Horry County students are prepared for the global marketplace, something she said business leaders have continually shared with her in her time in the community.
She also said the district can focus on skills to get students prepared for the international market place, and not lose focus of reading, writing, and arithmetic.
"We've got to give these skills to the students," Dr. Elsberry said. "I think if parents know we're not abandoning what we had in the past, they'll be assured," she said.
Her goals also included specific areas to study and even improve, including possible changes to the high schools in Horry County.
Dr. Elsberry said, much like the private sector, the district is having to study ways to do more with the less. That may mean what she calls "higher utilization plans" for existing buildings in order to meet the growing population base, but not necessarily dumping more kids into a building that is already over-crowded.
According to Dr. Elsberry, many of her plans may not pan out, and many could take a number of years, but she feels confident it can happen with the district working with lawmakers and community members to bring it together.
"Systems change is very difficult, and I understand that," Dr. Elsberry said. "I have the challenge of being sure that I build a capacity for that change in the organization."