Beaufort's Carole Ingram named Middle School Principal of the Year

When one looks at the numbers, it should come as no surprise that Beaufort Middle School leader Carole Ingram was named Middle School Principal of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators on Monday.

"We exceeded all the state average PACT scores and met all of our gap achievement goals," Ingram said Monday. Gap achievement is the effort to close the gap between Beaufort schools and state and national averages on standardized tests.

But Ingram says it is her staff who should receive the honor.

"Whenever superintendent (Valerie) Truesdale visits the building, she comments to me frequently about the climate, the tone in the building," Ingram said. "I attribute that totally to the staff."

Truesdale nominated Ingram because Beaufort Middle School is moving from "good to great."

"Ms. Ingram is a consensus builder, a challenging listener, a curious inquirer, a hands-on manager and a relentless advocate for all students," Truesdale said.

The school also is on the map for the arts. Beaufort Middle School won this summer's chalk festival and landed a grant to set up an art gallery of students' work in the school. The school also is one of 10 in the country selected for a program sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Daimler Financial Services that allows students to tell the story of the arts in their community.

The Principal of the Year selection process is rigorous, said Marjorie Riddle, spokeswoman for the school administrators association.

An individual is first nominated by a peer or administrator. The nominee then submits an application to the association and goes through a peer review before the finalists travel to Columbia for interviews with educators and business leaders.

Ingram said Beaufort Middle School is teaching students good 21st century skills with the help of the community. "We like the community in our building," she said.

ABOUT CAROLE INGRAM

•Carole Ingram earned a bachelor's degree in English from Valdosta State College in Georgia and a master's degree in administration and supervision from the University of South Carolina.

•She started with Beaufort County schools in 1983 as an English teacher at Robert Smalls Middle School. She earned Teacher of the Year for the school in 1990.

•In 1991, she transferred to Lady's Island Middle School. During the next 10 years she served as an English teacher, team leader, grade level leader and assistant principal.

•When Beaufort Middle School opened in 2001, she was assistant principal. She was named interim principal in 2004 and principal a year later.