Jason Sims selected as principal at Laurel Hill beginning 2023-24 school year
June 5, 2023
Charleston County School District (CCSD) is excited to announce and welcome Jason Sims as principal at Laurel Hill Primary School effective July 1, 2023. Sims has served as assistant principal at Laurel Hill Primary for the last five years. Current Laurel Hill Principal Ashley Dorsey is transitioning to lead James B. Edwards Elementary at the conclusion of the 2022-2023 school year.
An advocate for early childhood education, Sims has served his entire career in the primary grades. He began his career in 2004 as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years in Concord, North Carolina. In 2014, he moved to Mount Pleasant and joined the CCSD family, teaching first grade and kindergarten at Laurel Hill.
Since becoming assistant principal at Laurel Hill in 2018, Sims has led professional development opportunities for staff and served as the school’s Multi-Tiered Systems and Supports (MTSS) chairperson. He also formed Laurel Hill’s Loggerhead Advisory Board, which brought together the work of the School Improvement Council (S
Jason Sims
IC) and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to make improvements around the school. Sims was also instrumental in Laurel Hill’s accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), successfully leading the accreditation renewal in 2018, as well as leading the current renewal set for this fall.
In addition to his role at Laurel Hill, Sims is an active member of the NAEYC. In 2019, he was selected as a Lasting Legacy Scholar, which recognized six emerging leaders across the United States in the field of early childhood education. In 2022, Sims was selected to NAEYC’s Council for Early Learning Accreditation Programs. Serving a four-year term through 2026 on a nine-member panel of early learning professionals, he will work closely with NAEYC’s governing board to refine the accreditation criteria for early learning programs across the United States.
Sims was a North Carolina Teaching Fellow Scholar and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of South Carolina. He has been a featured educator blogger for SCETV and was a member of CCSD’s 2022-2023 Assistant Principal Institute.
“With over a decade of experience serving the students and families of Laurel Hill Primary, Mr. Sims is a natural fit as the school’s new leader,” said Dr. Jennifer Swearingen, Interim Associate Superintendent of the Elementary Learning Community. “I am excited to welcome him to this role and support him as he leads Laurel Hill and continues to foster academic success and growth.”
About the Charleston County School District
Charleston County School District (CCSD) is a nationally accredited school district committed to providing equitable and quality educational opportunities for all of its students. CCSD is the second-largest school system in South Carolina and represents a unique blend of urban, suburban, and rural schools spanning 1,300 square miles along the coast. CCSD serves approximately 49,000 students in 88 schools and specialized programs.
CCSD offers a diverse, expanding portfolio of options and specialized programs, delivered through neighborhood, magnet, IB (international baccalaureate), Montessori, and charter schools. Options include programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); music and other creative and performing arts; career and technical preparation programs; and military.
