ST. GEORGE - The Dorchester District 4 School Board has voted to replace Georgia Walters as Woodland High School principal and take advantage of a state approved principal-specialist. The school will also get a curriculum coordinator and a teaching specialist for language arts, math and science.

Superintendent Dr. Mary Rice-Crenshaw said the decision "points out that we have areas of concern in curriculum."

The Woodland High School had an "unsatisfactory" rating last year, and the state offers assistance to such districts if they so choose. Dr. Rice-Crenshaw emphasized that the new principal-specialist was not being imposed on the district, "but this is an opportunity we're taking. The board and myself believe that this decision is the best route we can take for Woodland High School."

Rice-Crenshaw said that Walters, who was named as an interim principal, worked very hard to improve the education program at Woodland. She added that the school needs strong leadership and someone with a proven history of program improvement. The school board has already gotten a list of qualified principal-specialists, and will be able to choose the person they select after an interview process. The new principal-specialist will be on staff July 1 to start the new school year.

The board has already interviewed the teaching specialists and has recommended their selection.

During a meeting two weeks ago in Columbia, Rice-Crenshaw met with superintendents from across the state. State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum told the group that the future of education in South Carolina was not very bright. She said the state faces years of deficits and called upon them all to come together to address the funding problems if they are ever to move South Carolina forward in education.

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