Statewide Honor for GCS Career and Technical Educator Director
Brooks Smith, Greenville County Schools Director of Career and Technical Education has been named 2016 Administrator of the Year by the South Carolina Association for Career and Technical Education.
The announcement was made at the South Carolina Education and Business Summit at the TD Convention Center in Greenville.
Smith is now in the running for a national honor. Smith has been with Greenville County Schools since 2014. He previously served in Aiken.
“I have been so encouraged here in Greenville County Schools that everyone from school board members, to the Superintendent to school administrators have been so supportive of our efforts to increase opportunities in career and technical education. It is refreshing,” Smith said.
In his two years at Greenville County Schools Smith has made significant changes to several career oriented programs. His first decision was to move was Health Science courses from the Career Centers to High Schools. The change led to a 400 percent increase in enrollment, from just over 300 students to 1500 students.
Smith also began a career fair for seventh grade students, organized tours of career centers for all eighth grade students and is expanding career center offerings to ninth grade students in August of 2016.
“I arrived in Greenville at perfect time because of the Superintendent’s Graduation Plus initiative. Graduation Plus is an effort to graduate students with college credits in their major and/or a technical certification. It fit seamlessly into efforts in CTE in certifications and work based learning opportunities,” Smith said.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Brooks on our team working tirelessly to improve the opportunities for our students! He has accomplished an amazing amount of work in the short time he has been with us,” said Interim Associate Superintendent Jeff McCoy.