AIKEN --- Dr. Beth Everitt moved into her new role as Aiken County schools superintendent this week, and already she has a mental to-do list of initiatives and ideas she'd like to pursue.
Dr. Everitt said she plans to dig into data-driven research in the next few months, using years of past test scores and new pilot programs to determine which strategies are best for improving the overall education of Aiken County pupils.
"You can't ignore test scores," Dr. Everitt said. "From state scores to teacher assessments, they all together give you a good overall picture."
Dr. Everitt will begin school visits and meetings with teachers next week. She says she wants to evaluate consistency among schools, including how teachers decide whether a paper is worth an "A." The goal is to make sure pupils at each school have the same educational opportunities, she said.
"Comparing tests at various schools is a very professional way to look at possible change and improve teaching," she said.
Other goals include showing pupils the "big idea" of education and how being educated is essential to functioning as an adult.
Dr. Everitt said that when she was a child, schools didn't force pupils to think about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Dr. Everitt said she wanted to be a go-go dancer in fifth-grade.
She said she grew up in an era when women weren't expected to go to college. Her mom called her high school counselor to let him know Dr. Everitt had completed her master's degree, something Dr. Everitt said wouldn't have happened if she did what was advised by the school.
"I look at the photos on my wall of all the places I've traveled and know I couldn't have done any of that without my education," she said. "You should never put limits on what students can do."
A road trip across the county last week gave Dr. Everitt a quick glance at the pupil diversity, ranging from agricultural families to more affluent pupils in the city limits. The trip also provided her first impressions of school conditions.
"The bones and foundations for a great education system are here," Dr. Everitt said.
Reach Julia Sellers at (803) 648-1395, ext. 106 or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com.
MEET DR. EVERITT
WHEN: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15
WHERE: Schofield Middle School, 224 Kershaw St., Aiken
BETH EVERITT
AGE: 53
FAMILY: Husband, stepson, 4-year-old granddaughter
EDUCATION: University of New Mexico, educational administration certification, 1984; University of New Mexico, doctorate in special education and public administration, 1983; East Carolina University, master's in special education, 1979; East Carolina University, bachelor's degree in special education, 1976
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