Two North of the Broad Teachers Receive Surprise Recognition with State Awards for Student Growth

BEAUFORT, S.C. - Two educators who taught at Whale Branch Middle last year were surprised at a Board of Education meeting, hearing the news that they will be receiving significant state-funded awards recognizing their outstanding teaching that led to measurable student academic growth.

 

The awards are part of a state-funded pilot program created by the South Carolina General Assembly to support innovative and strategic educator compensation across public school districts and charter schools. The pilot, extended through the 2025-2026 school year, recognizes and rewards teachers whose work is directly connected to student achievement.

 

Based on the criteria of the program, Whale Branch Middle School was selected for funding. The district implemented the State Collaboration Approach, which bases awards on student growth as measured by SC READY assessments.

 

For the 2024-2025 school year, educators Christine Williams and Christa Huffman were selected as award recipients for their exceptional work with students.

 

 

"We are proud of these educators and appreciative of their commitment to student growth and academic success," said Superintendent Frank Rodriguez. "This pilot represents one way we continue to explore meaningful, data-informed approaches to recognizing the work of our teachers and supporting excellence in our schools."