Jeanie Glover began her career in education as a classroom teacher at Langley-Bath-Clearwater Middle School, but her passion for students and experience as an administrator will now influence more of them than any single classroom could ever hold.
Aiken County Board of Education members approved Glover’s appointment as the District’s new Chief Officer of Instruction for the 2018-19 school year during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting.
Glover currently serves as Director of Federal Programs for Aiken County Public Schools. She will follow the District’s current instructional leader, Dr. Andrea “DeeDee” Washington, who is retiring following the 2017-18 school year.
“At my core is the desire to support our school system in any way I can. I have worked at the district level supporting schools for the last 16 years, and this position will continue to give me that opportunity, but on a much greater scale,” Glover stated Tuesday.
Glover has been a key figure in implementing the direction and vision of the school district. She has provided leadership and oversight on many critical projects, such as developing a district-wide Literacy Framework to set a common set of expectations for all schools, and restructuring the District’s elementary level Gifted & Talented delivery model to ensure more access and inclusivity for greater numbers of students.
She led the District’s effort in 2016 to create and implement a comprehensive Strategic Plan and visioning process, one of the largest community-wide projects in Aiken County Public Schools history, and she has served as a member of the District’s Instructional Services Division Leadership Team for many years. Glover’s work as Director of Federal Programs has been especially valuable, as she has supervised instructional implementation of all federally-funded programs, which include some of the school district’s most at-risk student populations.
Glover played an important part in the creation of the Aiken Scholars Academy, an elite high school academic experience opening on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken in August. Earlier this school year, Glover also received the Robert Alexander Administrator of the Year Award from the University of South Carolina Aiken’s Ruth Patrick Science Education Center.
“We have worked really hard the past few years on the plan to become a premier school district, and I will be able to continue to lead in that direction,” Glover commented. “I have perspective of the past, knowledge of our initiatives in the present, and a clear understanding of our path forward. We have some exciting days ahead of us, and I hope to keep our momentum going.”
Aiken County Superintendent Dr. Sean Alford says Glover has served with distinction throughout her career as a team-focused leader who has dedicated herself fully to any project, regardless of size or scope.
“Mrs. Glover is a proven leader who has consistently demonstrated the ability to work collaboratively with others to make a real difference in the lives of educators and students,” Alford stated. “We are thrilled she has accepted this new role in our school district, and we look forward to seeing what she will bring to our instructional programs moving forward.”
Glover’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education from the University of South Carolina Aiken and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration from Augusta State University.
Prior to serving as the school district’s Director of Federal Programs, Glover worked at the District level as an Instructional Program Support Coordinator. She also previously served as an English teacher and department chair at Langley-Bath-Clearwater Middle School (LBC).
“In my current role and in the areas I have served, I have gained a working knowledge of many other different aspects of the district, and I believe this experience will serve me well in my new role,” Glover added.
Glover, an Aiken County native, says that while she eventually accepted new challenges outside the classroom, leaving Aiken County has never been a goal or ambition.
“This is my home. My husband and I are products of Aiken County Public Schools; my children are products of Aiken County Public Schools, and I have never considered making anywhere else my home,” she stated.
As a former teacher, had someone told her during those early days in the classroom that she would one day serve as chief instructional officer for the entire school district, Glover says she would probably have been surprised that her career would have come so far.
“I loved to be in the classroom, teaching students. I don't know that I ever contemplated being in a position outside of the classroom when my career started,” Glover commented.
As the new instructional leader for Aiken County Public Schools, however, Glover says her passion for education will never move far from her teaching roots.
“Jeanie Glover, former teacher, would tell me never to forget what it was like to be a teacher and to always consider the students first when making any decisions,” she added.
Glover will begin her new duties as the school district’s Chief Officer of Instruction in July.