Betsy Fanning appointed new Head of Trident Academy
July 9, 2015
MOUNT PLEASANT, SC – As of July 1, Betsy Fanning officially took the reins at Trident Academy as the Interim Head of School. She follows Kathy Cook who expanded the school’s mission to provide a specialized education to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in addition to students with a language-based learning difference. Fanning returns to Trident Academy where she found her passion in education after completing a course in Orton-Gillingham 25 years ago.
“Dr. Cook was instrumental in building Trident Academy’s program for students with ASD and impacted the lives of all our students,” said Michael Jeresaty, Board of Trustees President. “Fanning shadowed Dr. Cook this spring to provide a seamless transition into an exciting new school year.”
When asked what her goals are for Trident Academy, Fanning’s first response is to grow the school. “According to the Census Bureau, there are nearly 80,000 students in grades K through 8 in the tri-county area,” Fanning shared. “Statistics suggest that about 17,000 of those students have a diagnosis of dyslexia or Autism Spectrum Disorder. We don’t have a lot of room, but we certainly have enough room to welcome some of those students.”
Trident Academy will have slightly less room this fall as the school welcomes Crown Leadership Academy to its campus amid discussions with realtors regarding the sale of its land. As a result of the continued negotiations regarding the sale of 1455 Wakendaw Road, Trident Academy will sublet the Science and Technology Wing to Crown Leadership Academy. With Crown’s current lease ending on Sullivan’s Island, the relocation to Wakendaw Road is a pragmatic move.
Another objective for Fanning is to increase the access Trident Academy students have to assistive technology. “Resources such as tablets, smart pens, and apps help our students take better notes, organize their thoughts, and consume information given to them in their classes.” Grants and donations have already been received, though more financial support is necessary to overhaul the school’s technology program.
Fanning has a third goal for the school that she’s working on this summer. “Trident Academy built a reputation on providing individualized language instruction to a very specific group of students,” said Fanning. “We are going to do the same with our math program. The program has helped our students expand on their math skills, but I know we can do better.” As schools across South Carolina explore and implement new curriculum to replace the Common Core Standards this year, Trident Academy will do the same to further meet the diverse needs of our students.
For the ambitious leader, Fanning is well matched at Trident Academy where the school was recently awarded three levels of re-accreditation from SAIS/AdvancED and the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators.
About Trident Academy
Trident Academy provides individualized and small group instruction to students in grades K through 8. Teachers approach education with a multisensory curriculum and a commitment to help students build the confidence and tools to thrive in a conventional environment.
