Blythewood High School takes its professional development to a higher level
May 18, 2021
Blythewood High School received a pleasant surprise last week during the virtual 30th birthday celebration for the University of South Carolina Professional Development School (UofSC PDS) network. Blythewood was named the 2021 winner of the UofSC PDS Exemplary Achievement award. School principal Matthew Sherman credits his team of professionals for being only the third school in the state to win the award.
“Our teacher leadership model is an ongoing innovation at Blythewood that has set the stage for reflective practice across disciplines. While this model was generated in the Math Department, our work continues to influence the development of teacher leaders and advance their capacity to expand access to and success in the STEM curricula as well as the social sciences and humanities fields using culturally responsive pedagogies,” said Sherman.
According to the UofSC, the mission of the PDS Network is to establish and maintain “sandboxes” for research and innovation where University and Public School Partners collaboratively investigate student learning, professional development, clinical preparation, and induction to institutionalize best practices across teacher learning contexts.
Dr. Baron R. Davis is superintendent of Richland School District Two. “Blythewood High School completed a very tedious application process that shows their professional development of teacher leadership to address diversity, equity, and inclusivity to close opportunity gaps for marginalized students. We are proud of their accomplishments and look forward to future achievements,” said Davis.
The UofSC PDS Network has 24 active schools in five Midlands South Carolina school districts that collaboratively investigate and seek best teaching and learning practices. Nine schools in Richland Two are a part of the network. Killian Elementary School was the first school in Richland Two and the second school in the network to receive the Exemplary Achievement award in 2020.
