At the Clarendon County School District Three Board of Trustees meeting on November 14, 2019, the Board completed Superintendent Dr. Connie Dennis’ annual evaluation. The Board is extremely pleased with her leadership and releases the following letter.
Dear Dr. Dennis,
On November 14, the Board of Trustees for Clarendon School District 3 conducted its regularly scheduled meeting, including your evaluation as our District’s Superintendent. The Board is pleased to announce that you received high remarks for your continued leadership and support of Clarendon 3, particularly during this pivotal time when the District is working with Clarendon 1, the S.C. Department of Education, and local legislators to plan and make ready for consolidation. More specifically, your 2019 Superintendent’s Evaluation determined that you have exceeded the Board’s expectations.
The Board is appreciative of the work that you have done and will continue to do as the Superintendent. As an experienced Superintendent, we are happy with your current and consistent progress and look forward to our continued work together through your commitment and excellence to the District. As evidenced by the scores you received, the Board is committed to your continued success in our District and hopes that we will look forward to many more years of your guidance and steadfast dedication to our students and families in Clarendon County.
In conjunction with your high-marked scores, the Board recognizes that even during this time concerning the impact that consolidation will have on the District’s infrastructure, you and your staff remain committed to the proactive education of students, which is evidenced by the most recent test scores from the Ready to Work and SAT instruments. With regard to Ready to Work, the goal of schools and districts is to score a Level 4 (silver) or higher. A total of 71 percent of 11th graders in Clarendon 3 earned a silver rating compared to the state average of 63.6 percent. Students’ SAT scores reflect that our students are being provided a competitive education, and the Board is very pleased with these results under your administration. Clarendon 3’s SAT scores out-scored Sumter and Lee School Districts with an average score of 1006 compared to 970 and 828.
These scores not only indicate that our students are learning and will be ready to enter the workforce, but it directly stems from your dedication to the District, specifically to our students and parents. Our academic strides are promising and exciting for our stakeholders, and the Board also continues to be pleased that you and your staff work toward achieving excellence for our students while being fiscally responsible and utilizing best practices to cost-effectively use funding, including taxpayer dollars. Even in the face of uncertainty with consolidation, you and your staff continue to produce these outstanding results, and you put our students and their best interests first, which is reflected in your evaluation. Every student, parent, and employee in Clarendon 3 is directly responsible for our successes, and these improvements and accolades have been realized under your leadership. You cultivate an environment where results like these can be achieved to the benefit of our students.
The Board and the District stand firmly behind the hard work of our students, teachers, and administration. We believe these successes prove that our students and parents realize that education is the key to a better community, and our District has worked vigilantly to advocate for our students. Without reservation, the Board believes you are a great candidate to be considered for the position of Superintendent of the consolidated district, and we encourage you to apply once that position is formally posted. To that end, we thank you for your excellence in education and putting Clarendon 3 first. The Board looks forward to continuing to work with you in providing a quality education for our students for the 2019-2020 school year and beyond.
Sincerely,
Clarendon 3 Board of Trustees
