Darby: N. Charleston’s new education commission to boost outcomes

Editor’s Note: Henry Darby, the North Charleston High School principal who serves on Charleston County Council, asked the City Paper to publish a response to an opinion piece in another newspaper. It offered a criticism related to a new commission that he has been appointed to lead to boost educational outcomes in North Charleston. In the public interest, we provide his commentary.

Maurice Washington, the former chair of the Charleston County Republican Party, recently wrote a scathing editorial about the educational joint commission between Charleston County School District (CCSD) and the city of North Charleston. It centered on the acting superintendent, Anita Huggins, with the brunt towards me – that I was appointed to lead the commission.

The best in me decided to abide by the Jesusian-Gandhian-Kingian philosophy which I adopted decades ago to take the high road – that unearned criticisms and sufferings are redemptive. However, there are a few points which need to be made.

I wanted to detail my qualifications to lead the commission but was restrained that some would consider my being arrogant, supercilious and ostentatious – characteristics far removed from my personhood. However, I am compelled to answer the “why” despite the fact I may have to use the personal pronoun “I.”

I have been bringing people together to resolve civic problems since an early age. As a 17-year-old resident of Liberty Hill, I was active in opposing the blatant discriminatory and racial practices against African-Americans with the founding of the newly organized city of North Charleston in the 1970s. Thereafter and since the 1990s, divergent groups including blacks, whites, Muslims, Christians, grassroot organizations and political figures were brought together to prevent the selling of drugs, prostitution, home invasions and killings in various communities of North Charleston, Charleston and Summerville. I was able to bring together blacks, whites, Muslims, Jews, atheists, political and business and civic leaders to erect a monument on one of the most controversial figures within American history – Denmark Vesey.

I have served on Charleston County Council for a number of years which should not be dismissed in resolving political problems among the citizenry. As a result of past experiences dealing with the public, I was asked to lead the commission not merely because of my educational background but because of my methodologies of getting people from different, divergent, and sometimes hostile, backgrounds to work together as a unit in a county where politics are often hostile and distasteful.

Mr. Washington accused me of not being the most qualified educator to lead the commission. I confess I am the least among educational administrators. However, the question is not whether a person is “most qualified.”; The question is whether a person is “qualified.” In all walks of life and positions, there’s always someone more qualified.

According to Mr. Washington, it would be solely my responsibility to make recommendations to the major stakeholders. Not so! The recommendations would be that of the commission.

I applaud Ms. Huggins for having the clairvoyance and courage for establishing the commission – as a pilot – to bring up standards among poor schools of the North Area which houses majority black and brown children. She is doing great work as acting superintendent to help disadvantaged students. Incidentally, Mr. Washington opined the idea of a commission came from a former superintendent where he, himself, perhaps would serve as the lead? I hope Mr. Washington’s attack was not a matter of sour grapes?

There are some who have personal vendettas against Ms. Huggins and seemingly want me to partner in it. Never will I make a butchery of my conscience to oppose someone merely to satisfy personal vendettas. All of her enemies are not my enemies and all of her friends are not my friends. In her two short years as acting deputy superintendent, disadvantaged schools have procured more resources than ever before without prodding from principals. I have witnessed where funds have been allocated toward poor schools to reach equity to that of affluent schools.

Mr. Washington, not satisfied in attacking my qualifications, challenged my leadership of North Charleston High School (NCHS) and purposely cited it as “unsatisfactory.” In 2017, NCHS was one of the roughest schools within the state of South Carolina. Today, the culture has changed from dress attire to mannerism.

Because of positive changes:

Student population has grown from 499 to 787.
Graduation rates have risen from 59.6% to 76.6%.
Scholarships have risen from $300,000 to $3.2 million.
Eighty-seven percent of students taking dual enrollment courses make As.
There is a marked improvement in career readiness. The school was featured by South Carolina’s Education Flexibility Guide and Clemson University for innovative methodologies just to mention a few successes.

For Mr. Washington or anyone else, I will not allow the labeling of the state to define the dignity and worth of my faculty, staff and students as “unsatisfactory.”

As a student of the Jesusian-Gandhian-Kingian philosophy, I have learned that one cannot hurt others without hurting oneself in the process. Conversely, it teaches that one cannot help others without helping oneself in the process. If we as adult leaders reflect and resolve our personal and interpersonal idiosyncrasies without trying to hurt one another and to be exemplary in our deportment, then the socio-educational-political problems of CCSD will be resolved so that equity may abound in all its schools.

Henry Darby is principal of North Charleston High School and has been a member of Charleston County Council since 2005.