Richland Two 2018–2019 personnel announcements

At a board meeting Tuesday, March 13, 2018, Superintendent Baron R. Davis recommended and the Richland School District Two Board of Trustees approved several personnel recommendations for the 2018–2019 school year. Matthew T. Sherman will take over as principal at Blythewood High School. Rashad Adams will take the reins as principal at North Springs Elementary School. Denise A. Quickel will assume the role of principal at Windsor Elementary School. Penelope Atkinson will begin serving as the Director of Middle School Instruction. They all will officially take on these new positions starting July 1, 2018.

Dr. Davis said, “Combined these professionals have dedicated almost 80 years to their passion — educating students. I look forward to working with them in their new leadership positions and supporting them as they use their gifts and talents to further our mission of developing global citizens of tomorrow who are prepared to lead and excel in their chosen pathways.”

Matthew T. Sherman will move to principal of Blythewood High from his current position as an assistant principal at the school. He has served as an assistant principal in Richland Two for seven years, including three years at Round Top Elementary. He also served as an assistant administrator at Blythewood High School from 2008 through 2011. Sherman began his career in education 18 years ago in Richland Two as a special education teacher at Ridge View High School, where he was selected as a Teacher of the Year and served as the chair of the special education department. He also coached football at both high schools. While serving as a transition specialist, he received a $129,000 Competitive Employment Training Grant.

Sherman holds a Bachelor of Science in education from Presbyterian College. He completed a Master of Educational Administration at the University of South Carolina. In addition to holding certifications in elementary and secondary administration, he earned National Board Certification in 2005. Sherman is a member of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA).

He replaces Bobby Cunningham who has been serving as the interim principal at BHS since Feb. 1, 2018, after Dr. Brenda Hafner accepted an offer to serve as an assistant superintendent in Sumter School District.

Rashad Adams will move to North Springs Elementary to become principal after serving at Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary as an assistant principal. Adams began his education career in Richland Two in 2002 at Bookman Road Elementary School. Between 2005 and 2007, he taught fourth-grade at schools in Virginia and then Maine. In 2007, he returned to Richland Two and Bookman Road Elementary where he taught fifth-grade for seven years, earned National Board Certification and was chosen the 2008–2009 Bookman Road Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Adams holds three degrees from USC: Bachelor of Arts in psychology, Master of Arts in teaching and a Master of Educational Leadership. During his time as an assistant principal at Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary he has completed the state’s Assistant Principal Program for Leadership Excellence, is participating in the Developing Aspiring Principals Program and is a member of the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Adams replaces Dr. David Holzendorf who announced in December that he is moving out of state at the end of the 2017–2018 school year.

Denise A. Quickel will move from Polo Road Elementary to be principal at Windsor Elementary. She began her career in education as a teacher in Lexington County School District One in 1994. Over a span of nearly 20 years, she taught or served as an administrator in Lexington School District Four and Lexington/Richland Five schools. Quickel joined Richland Two in 2013 when she accepted a position as an assistant principal at Polo Road Elementary. During her time at PRE, she helped the school and Richland Two develop the Dual Language Immersion Program, which was started in 2015.

Quickel holds two degrees from USC: Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Interdisciplinary Master of Arts with an emphasis in Spanish. She has completed 30 hours in educational administration with certification. Her professional memberships include the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development and SCASA.

Quickel replaces Beth Elliott who will retire at the end of this school year after educating Richland Two students for more than 40 years.

Penelope S. Atkinson will join Richland Two’s Teaching and Learning Department after completing her final year as principal at Boiling Springs Middle School in Spartanburg County School District Two. She began her education career in 1993 as a teacher in Laurens District 55 where she also served as a literacy coach. Atkinson made the move to school administration in 2006 when she became assistant principal at an elementary school in Spartanburg County and then assistant principal for Curriculum and Instruction at a middle school. She took over as principal of Boiling Springs Middle in 2010 and led the school to become a Palmetto’s Finest winner in 2016.

Atkinson holds a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Lander University. She holds a Master of Arts in school leadership from Furman University and is completing an educational specialist degree from USC. She currently serves as president-elect for SCASA, is a member of the association’s middle school division and serves on the Palmetto’s Finest Committee.

Atkinson follows Dr. Marsha Moseley, who currently holds the middle schools director position for Richland Two.

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