Divided board picks District 4 superintendent
By LEE TANT, T&D Staff Writer Tuesday, August 11, 2009A split Orangeburg Consolidated School District 4 board selected Dr. Thomas Sparks as the district’s new superintendent Monday night.
“I feel like I’m well qualified. Kids are my number-one priority. Every decision I make is with the kids in mind,” said Sparks, who is currently an assistant superintendent in Lexington School District 3.
Sparks said he has a solid background in how to run schools after working 36 years in education. In the past, he’s been a principal and managed transportation, written budgets and overseen curricula.
He will replace Dr. Darrell Johnson, who resigned in April to direct a statewide online public school. Dr. Floride Calvert has been serving as superintendent on an interim basis.
The board voted 4-3 to tap Sparks, with Board Vice Chair Peggy Tyler and trustees Joseph Garvin and Ray Jameson casting the dissenting votes.
Garvin said Sparks isn’t a good fit for OCSD 4 and that he failed to give a particularly great interview. He said if the district extended its superintendent search longer, it could have found a better and more experienced candidate.
“The man (Sparks) has the qualifications. He has been in the business,” said OCSD 4 Board Chairman Aaron Rudd. “The majority felt this was the right man for the position. He knows his teachers by their first name. He works the budgets.”
Among the five finalists vying for the position, Garvin favored OCSD 4 Assistant Superintendent Dr. Shirlan Jenkins.
“I thought she was more well-educated about our district. I thought she could start off running,” Garvin said.
Sparks says he will be a “hands-on superintendent” in OCSD 4.
“I’ll be in the schools helping out. I might even teach a class or two,” he said.
Sparks wants to raise academic achievement, reduce drop-out rates, establish a cutting-edge staff development program and keep more teachers in the district.
“I want to get our kids ready for the 21st century global economy,” Sparks said.
Rudd said 16 people applied for the position before the search was narrowed down to five finalists.
Sparks attended the University of Tennessee on a baseball scholarship. After graduating with a math degree, he began teaching and coaching in Chattanooga.
He then moved to South Carolina, teaching in Rock Hill and earning a master’s degree from Winthrop University. Sparks received his doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.
In 2003, he accepted the assistant superintendent position in Lexington 3.
Sparks is married to Patty and they have four children. In his free time, Sparks enjoys reading, history and playing fast-pitch softball.
He plans to meet people in the Orangeburg community soon and learn the area.
Sparks will assume the job in the next 30 days.
T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.
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