NORTH CHARLESTON — On a cloudy morning, Mayor Reggie Burgess avoided his office at City Hall. He opted instead for classrooms and crowded hallways at R.B. Stall High School, where he was “principal for the day.”
Burgess walked alongside Steve Larson, Stall’s actual principal, for a 90-minute crash course on Sept. 29 and got a glimpse of the work teachers and administrators do every day.
The immersive experience was part of a Charleston County School District initiative where elected officials, local business owners and leaders of organizations are invited to drop by schools across the county, shadow principals and learn about the day-to-day responsibilities of running a school.
Linking Organizations to Classrooms and Learners, or LOCAL, is an adopt-a-school/classroom initiative that encourages community organizations, private businesses and local agencies to provide financial support and resources to help students and their families, as well as the teachers in Charleston public schools.
Those resources can look different from school to school. Some principals have asked businesses to help with initiatives that boost student attendance; others want to provide students with internships, mentorships or volunteer opportunities, health resources or one-on-one tutoring.
The program offers flexible commitment levels, making it accessible to a variety of organizations, from small civic groups to large corporations.
“By inviting community leaders into our schools, we give them a first-hand look at how schools operate, the challenges our teachers and students face, and the successes they achieve,” CCSD Superintendent Anita Huggins said. “Our goal is to provide community leaders with a deeper understanding that will spark new ideas for collaboration and opportunities to support and improve our schools.”
Along with Burgess, dozens of other elected officials and community leaders took part as principals for a day, including Charleston Mayor William Cogswell, who visited Early College High School, Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie at Thomas C. Cario Middle School and James Island Mayor Brook Lyon at Camp Road Middle.
The district first hosted the event in late March, when the LOCAL initiative was launched. Huggins said the event was a success — leaders were assigned to every school in the county, and many of them became newly recruited partners, strengthening the district’s network of community support.
“While a few elected officials participated in the first event, its success highlighted the value of their engagement,” Huggins said. “We’re thankful to welcome even more elected leaders this school year as we continue building strong partnerships between schools and the community.”
Crowded halls, lasting memories
Over the course of his visit, Burgess experienced what a regular day looks like at Stall High. His tour of the school included stopping by the Early Head Start classroom, a biology class, the library and band practice. He also had a peek at the school’s dance team rehearsal.
While making his way through the hallways, Larson called a couple of students to meet Burgess. Some beamed with excitement and confidence, others approached him with shy smiles. As these students shook the mayor’s hand, their classmates walked by; some stared in surprise when they learned who he was.
Larson said what often surprises people who inquire about his job is the number of encounters he can have in a single day.
“Right now, we have about 1,850 (students), and just the number of human interactions throughout the day can make someone’s head spin,” he said. “I love it, I live off of it, but it can be overwhelming when you see the potential of having that many conversations.”
As Burgess strolled through the school, he said the visit reminded him of his own days as a student. He grew up in North Charleston’s Liberty Hill and Union Heights neighborhoods and attended Bonds Wilson High School. He reminisced about playing football against Stall’s team in his youth and spending his teenage years with people who attended the school at that time.
“Stall has always been in my life,” Burgess said to reporters. “I didn’t attend, I played against them in sports, but they’ve always been a strong pillar in this community.”
Strengthening community ties
Larson said one of the benefits of hosting community leaders and organizations as principals for a day is that they can witness the effort that teachers and staff members put in to improve student outcomes. He hopes that, by seeing that, they will feel confident about the work happening in schools every day.
“This is one of the strategies that (Huggins) has put into place to really remind folks that we’re all in this together and that we’re better when we’re together,” he said.
Larson highlighted the importance of understanding modern challenges in education and how being immersed in a school contributes to building stronger community support for schools.
“I think one of the limitations we tend to have is that we base all of our judgments and experiences on when we were in high school, and it’s a little different now,” he said. “We’ve got different obstacles that get in the way, like cellphones and trauma that haven’t been there in the past, so bringing folks in so that we can all connect and develop a similar passion for the work is always helpful.”
Burgess’ visit came to a wrap in a digital design class, where students presented him with a school jersey. He held it up and, between laughs, said, “I am a Warrior now,” alluding to the school’s mascot.
Burgess then turned to the students and shared a personal reflection.
“I came out of a North Charleston high school, went to college on a football scholarship, came back home after I got my degree, and I tried to make a change in my community.”
Along the way, Burgess said, teachers played an invaluable role: they believed in him.
“If I can tell you anything, as a grown man from this neighborhood, it’s love your teachers,” he said. “At the end of the day, they’re going to get you to the next level. Without them, I would have never gotten this opportunity.”