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PUBLIC NOTICE — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 1, 2022

Lexington District One names PHES’s Sue Carter Teacher of the Year

LEXINGTON, S.C. — Lexington County School District One proudly named Pleasant Hill Elementary’s Sue H. Carter its District Teacher of the Year at the annual Teacher of the Year Celebration, honoring outstanding teachers who exemplify a commitment and dedication to educating students. Carter, an interventionist and Reading Recovery teacher, now goes on to compete in next year’s state-level Teacher of the Year program.

The district’s Teacher of the Year celebration took place Thursday, March 31, 2022, at 6:30 P.M. at the Performing Arts Center at River Bluff High School.

Influenced at a young age to become a teacher by watching her younger brother struggle with academics, Carter finds creative ways to equip her students with strategies needed to succeed. She believes her greatest accomplishment is hearing a student say, “I did it!” and watching them become independent and confident problem-solvers.

An educator for 22 years, Carter earned a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies from University of South Carolina and a Master of Education in divergent learning from Columbia College. She holds certifications in early childhood elementary education, learning disabilities and reading recovery. She also holds a gifted and talented endorsement, as well as a Read to Succeed Literacy Teacher endorsement.

She is a member of the Columbia Area Reading Council, the Reading Recovery Council of North America and the Pleasant Hill Elementary Parent Teacher Association.

As part of the selection process, all 31 school-level Teachers of the Year completed a written application form.

Since the district currently has 17 elementary schools, eight middle schools, five high schools and one technology center, three teams of elementary school-level judges, one team of middle school-level judges and one team of high school-level judges used an established rubric to read and score application forms.

The two school-level TOYs with the highest scores from each team became the Top 10 Finalists. There are six elementary school finalists, two middle school finalists and two high school finalists.

This year’s Top 10 Finalists included Gilbert Elementary Fourth Grade Immersion Teacher Deanne A. Ricard, Lake Murray Elementary Kindergarten Teacher Stephanie B. Ricard, Lexington Elementary Third Grade Teacher Spring B. Bridgers, Lexington Middle Special Education Teacher Sally M. Keiper, Lexington Technology Center STEM Teacher Patrick E. Martin, Midway Elementary First Grade Teacher Beth C. Sellars, New Providence Elementary Third Grade Teacher Laura M. Sundberg, Pleasant Hill Elementary Interventionist Sue H. Carter, River Bluff High English Teacher Apryl D. Henry and White Knoll Middle Interventionist Bria L. Martin.

In addition to the finalists, the district honored school-level Teachers of the Year including Beechwood Middle’s Josh W. Keiper, Carolina Springs Elementary’s Tyler D. Smith, Carolina Springs Middle’s Ashley N. Carter, Centerville Elementary’s Kathleen O. Oswald, Deerfield Elementary’s Cora L. Walker, Forts Pond Elementary’s Janet M. Pond, Gilbert High’s Katey E. Bailey, Gilbert Middle’s Billie M. Swygert, Lexington High’s Erika O. Perry, Meadow Glen Elementary’s Laurie R. Smith, Meadow Glen Middle’s Mindy H. Matthews, Oak Grove Elementary’s Deborah M. Harmon, Pelion Elementary’s Brooke L. Clayton, Pelion High’s Carl E. Flowers, Pelion Middle’s Brandy V. Wood, Pleasant Hill Middle’s Myriam I. Grandjean, Red Bank Elementary’s Kristin C. Tarcza, Rocky Creek Elementary’s Katherine M. Merrell, Saxe Gotha Elementary’s Hope N. Clark, White Knoll Elementary’s Natasha D. Miller and White Knoll High’s Sloan S. Fox.

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