Human Resources
- F1S Culture
- About Our Area
- Employment Opportunities
- Current Employees
- Benefits
- For My Benefit (Newsletter)
- Certification
- Connect with HR
- Employee Spotlights
F1S Culture
The Florence 1 Schools Department of Human Resources is dedicated to the recruitment and retention of a quality workforce in support of student success. Our mission is to hire and retain qualified staff. Our overall goal is to provide excellent customer service and to build a team of professionals who are passionate about the success of students, who are also willing to dedicate the necessary time and resources to meet the needs of our diverse population.
Please use the links below to navigate through the different sections which offer valuable information for current and potential employees, including district employee services, current employment opportunities, policies, procedures, and requirements for employment in our school system.
About Our Area
About Our Area
Welcome to Florence! We are home to a tight-knit community with a big-town feel. Florence is at the heart of the Pee Dee region, conveniently located at the intersection of two main interstates, I-95 and I-20, providing opportunities for a short drive from larger cities like Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Columbia, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Community Spirit: Residents often participate in local events, festivals, and community gatherings that celebrate the city's heritage and culture. Families also enjoy The Florence Flamingos, Florence’s amateur baseball team.
Historic Downtown: Downtown Florence features historic buildings, charming boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants. The revitalization efforts in recent years have made it a vibrant hub for both locals and visitors.
Cultural Scene: The city has a burgeoning cultural scene with theaters, museums, and art centers. The Florence County Museum showcases regional art and history, while the Florence Little Theatre and Francis Marion’s Performing Arts Center offer a wide range of live performances.
Outdoor Recreation: Nature enthusiasts can enjoy outdoor activities at the nearby Lynches River County Park, Woods Bay State Natural Area, and our expansive network of Rail Trails. These areas provide opportunities for hiking, picnicking, and wildlife observation. Our Florence community also enjoys several playgrounds, neighborhood parks, and community gardens.
Education and Healthcare: Florence is home to several institutions of higher education, including Francis Marion University and Florence-Darlington Technical College, while Coker University is within a short driving distance. The city also boasts excellent healthcare facilities, such as McLeod Regional Medical Center and MUSC Health Florence Medical Center.
Economic Hub: As a regional economic hub, Florence offers diverse job opportunities across various sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, and retail.
Transportation: Interstate 95 and Interstate 20 intersect near Florence making it convenient for to explore surrounding cities. The city is also served by the Florence Regional Airport (where you may see our students earning their pilot's license!), an Amtrak station, and PDRTA, public bus transportation.
Cost of Living: The cost of living in Florence is relatively affordable compared to larger cities in South Carolina, making it an attractive option for families and retirees alike.
Overall, Florence, South Carolina, offers a welcoming environment with a mix of cultural, recreational, and economic opportunities, making it a pleasant place to live and work.
Employment Opportunities
Our Application Process
Application Process
The application process includes:
- Apply Online
- Submit Required Documents
- Application Screening
- Interviews and Reference Checking
(Please submit accurate & complete information) - Screening for Qualified Applicants
- Hired candidates must have a Tuberculosis (TB) test, subject to review, prior to starting employment
Required Documents
Classified Positions
- Unofficial College Transcript(s) 60 Hours of Earned Credit or
- WorkKeys Scores(Silver Level) in applied mathematics, Reading for Information, Locating Information and Writing
- High School Diploma
Professional Positions
- SC Educators Certificate or Out-of-state Certificate or Letter of Eligibility(PACE)
- Official College Transcript(s)
- Recent college graduates should submit PRAXIS scores
- Statement of Educational Philosophy
The above documents must be uploaded to your applicant file when completing the online application
Interviews and Reference Checking
After the closing date for a position and the applicant screening process, all eligible candidate resumes and applications are sent to the school or department which has the vacancy. The school or department will select from among the qualified candidates and conduct interviews.
- Only chosen candidates are interviewed in the school/department where the vacancy exists.
- References are checked, especially those from pervious/present employment.
- After the interviews are completed, a recommendation will be made to HR.
- HR will contact the recommended candidate.
District Employment Policy
Florence 1 Schools selects and employs staff members on the basis of qualifications and merit. The district ensures fair and equitable treatment for minorities. The district does not discriminate in employment based on race, color, religion, handicap, marital status, national origin, creed, political affiliation, ancestry, sex, or age.
(Online application required)
Current Employees
Current Employees Login Here
The Life of an Employee
Learn more about being a Florence 1 Schools employee from social media accounts to leave balances and types.
Employee Resources, Handbook and Guides
Florence 1 Schools Employee Handbook
HR Quick Reference Guide
FMLA Law
Title IX
Policy of non-discrimination: "The District does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs or activities as required pursuant to Title IX. This requirement not to discriminate in educational programs or activities extends to admissions and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX may be referred to the District's Title IX Coordinator."
Title IX Page
Contact Information
Nathaniel Marshall
Title IX Coordinator
319 South Irby Street
Florence, SC 29501
nathaniel.marshall@f1s.org
843-673-1105
HR Forms
The two forms below are frequently used by employees. However, additional forms are located under HR Forms within your Employee Portal.
More Information
Name/Address Change Form
Current and previous F1S Employees are encourage to complete and return Name/Address Form upon changes.
Email or mail completed forms to:
HumanResources@F1S.org or
Human Resources
319 S. Irby St.
Florence, SC 29501
Verification of Sick Leave
Current and previous F1S Employees can complete this form to transfer unused sick leave from other school districts in South Carolina.
New F1S Employees transferring FROM another district:
1. Complete the Employee and Transfer Section.
2. Your previous employer will need to complete the Previous Employer Section.
Your previous employer can email or fax completed forms to Tucker Kelley JKelley@fsd1.org or 843-665-2957
Benefits
Our Benefits Administrators
Renee Prosser
Assisting Employees with last names
A - J
renee.prosser@fsd1.org
Kamara Sanders
Assisting Employees with last names
K-Z
ksanders@fsd1.org
Retirement
Insurance
403 B Vendors
Valic - Cali Brown - Cali.Brown@aig.com - 803-743-2020
National Life Group - Reuben W. Fleming Rfleming@
Equitable - Johnathan Bright -Jonathan.Bright@equitable.com - 803-316-5249
Voya - Bob Sharpe - 843-395-4954
Lee Wilson - Pee Dee Educators Agency - Lee.Wilson@horacemann.
Supplemental Policies
For My Benefit (Newsletter)
For My Benefit
September, 2024
September, 2024 (Text Version)
Inside This Edition:
- Open Enrollment 2024
- How to Make Changes/Open Enrollment Schedule
- Education Improvement Leave for Classified Staff
- Safety Zone/Risk Control Manager
- An Offer from Orangetheory Fitness Florence
- The Citizens Bank: Solid Traditions, Smart Solutions
Open Enrollment 2024
It’s almost time to complete your open enrollment puzzle! Open enrollment time is here, and eligible subscribers may change their coverage for the upcoming year. Review each puzzle piece to learn about your insurance benefit options and find the perfect fit for 2025. Visit our web page, peba.sc.gov/oe, so you’ll be ready to complete your puzzle and elect your benefits for 2025.
Open enrollment is October 1-31, 2024. Begin as early as September 16, 2024.
If you’re unsure what insurance coverage you currently have, log in to MyBenefits at mybenefits.sc.gov to find out. While you’re logged in, take a few minutes to review your life insurance beneficiaries and make any updates.
If you are satisfied with your coverage, your puzzle is complete, and you don’t need to do anything. Your coverage will continue in 2025. Keep in mind, though, you must re-enroll in MoneyPlus flexible spending accounts each year.
Any changes you make during open enrollment take effect January 1, 2025.
Open enrollment ends October 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Once the deadline has passed, you must wait until either the next October or you have a special eligibility situation to make any changes to your coverage. Special eligibility situations occur after life events, such as getting married or having children. Insurance changes must be made within 31 days of a qualifying event.
To find more details about open enrollment, review the 2025 Insurance Summary, which is available on PEBA’s open enrollment webpage at peba.sc.gov/oe.
Highlights for 2025
- Active employee and funded retiree health insurance premiums will not increase in 2025.
- Supplemental Long Term Disability (SLTD) monthly premium factors will decrease in 2025.
- Active employees may apply for SLTD or change their SLTD benefit waiting period for existing coverage without medical evidence.
- Normal Plan provisions (co-payments and coinsurance) will apply to members who receive care at a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH).
- Members will pay the applicable brand co-payment for higher-cost diabetic products and supplies, such as continuous glucose monitorsand insulin pumps.
-
No-Pay Copay participants will pay a reduced co-payment for these higher-cost products and supplies.
- Supplies and drugs to treat diabetes will not be eligible for the No-Pay Copay program for Savings Plan members.
- A new tobacco cessation will offer participants an option of live interactive online sessions or a self-paced structured program.
How to Make Changes
Begin as early as September 16, 2024.
The easiest way for subscribers to make coverage selections during open enrollment is through MyBenefits (mybenefits.sc.gov).
Keep in mind, changes to existing dental coverage can be made during open enrollment only in odd-numbered years. The next opportunity for subscribers to make a change will be October 2025 or within 31 days of a special eligibility situation.
Life Insurance Changes During Open Enrollment
If an active employee wants to enroll in or increase Optional Life or Dependent Life-Spouse coverage, they must complete a Notice of Election (NOE) for plan year 2025, sign it and return it to their benefits administrator by October 31, 2024. The employee must also complete the online Statement of Health they will receive in an email from MetLife. If MetLife approves their coverage, the benefits administrator will submit the NOE and MetLife approval report to PEBA.
SLTD Changes During Open Enrollment
Active employees may apply for Supplemental Long Term Disability (SLTD) or change their SLTD benefit waiting period for existing coverage without medical evidence. As a reminder, applying for SLTD or changing the benefit waiting period from 180 days to 90 days throughout the year require medical evidence.
Make Your Benefits Meeting Appointment Today
Reserve an appointment at our convenience in three simple steps:
- Visit wardservices.com/florence1.
- Select a location date and time for your Open Enrollment appointment
- Enter your contact information to confirm your selection
That’s it! Setting up your benefits consultation appointment is quick and easy.
Open Enrollment Benefits Visitation Schedule
Week 1 - September 15 – September 21
- Monday, September 16 – Delmae Elementary
- Tuesday, September 17 – Delmae Elementary
- Wednesday, September 18 – Briggs Elementary (a.m)
- Wednesday, September 18 – Royall Elementary (p.m)
- Thursday, September 19 – West Florence High
- Friday, September 20 – West Florence High
- Friday, September 20 – Brockington Elementary
Week 2 – September 22- September 28
- Monday, September 23 – Carver Elementary
- Tuesday September 24 – McLaurin Elementary
- Wednesday, September 25 – Lester Elementary
- Thursday, September 26 – N. Vista Elementary
- Friday, September 27 – Greenwood Elementary
Week 3 – September 29- October 5
- Monday, September 30 – Southside Middle
- Tuesday, October 1 – Southside Middle (a.m)
- Tuesday, October 1 - Williams Middle (p.m)
- Wednesday, October 2 – Williams Middle
Week 5 – October 13 – October 19
- Monday, October 14 – South Florence High
- Monday, October 14 – CDC at Woods Road
- Monday, October 14 – John W. Moore Middle
- Tuesday, October 15 – South Florence High
- Tuesday, October 15 – John W. Moore Middle
- Wednesday, October 16 – McClenaghan Administrative Annex
- Wednesday, October 16 – Alfred Rush Academy
- Wednesday October 16 – Compass Academy
- Thursday, October 17 – Henry Timrod Elementary
- Thursday, October 17 - Florence 1 Schools Facilities, Maintenance and Transportation
- Friday, October 18 – Wallace Greg Elementary
- Friday, October 18- Advantage Academy
Week 6 – October 20-October 25
- Monday, October 21 – Savannah Grove Elementary
- Tuesday, October 22 – Sneed Middle
- Wednesday, October 23 - Dewey L. Carter Elementary
- Thursday, October 24 -Lucy T. Davis Elementary
- Friday, October 25 – Florence 1 Schools Administrative Office (Irby Street)
Education Improvement Leave for Classified Employees
Policy GCC/GDC
Are you a classified employee pursuing a degree in education? Need time to complete student teaching? This updated policy is for you!
Any Classified employee who has worked for the District for a minimum of three years, has positive employee evaluation, and a recommendation from his or her supervisor, and who is pursuing a degree/certification in education may obtain educational leave without any reduction in pay or benefits for the purpose of student teaching in the District. Such leave must be approved by the superintendent or designee.
Safety Zone: The Impact of Slips, Trips and Falls
Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls
Accidents are likely to happen for any number of reasons, but the most common include: they are removed when the hazard is abated.
- Slipping on wet surfaces
- Tripping on uneven surfaces, worn-out mats, obstructions or debris in walkways
- Sudden movement, inattention and unsafe behaviors
Preventing slips, trips and falls requires a recognition of the hazard, implementing steps to prevent it, and focused training of all staff on site. Cleaning and drying spills, removing walkway obstructions and clutter are everyone’s direct responsibility unless policy states otherwise. If you can’t fix the problem because you’re busy doing something else or don’t have the proper equipment, you need to isolate the hazard and report the issues immediately. The problem must be corrected before it causes an accident.
The condition of walking surfaces, location and storage of equipment, adequate lighting, preventive maintenance and immediate corrective action are all things that prevent accidents. Additionally, good housekeeping projects an image of a well-run facility you can be proud of.
Steps everyone can take to help eliminate slips, trips and falls:
- Keep floor surfaces clean and dry, especially near showers and in hallways
- Clean up spills immediately
- Stand and announce spills or mark them with a “wet floor” sign to alert others of the hazard
- Obey wet floor signs and make sure they are removed when the hazard is abated.
My Health Toolkit
You can log in to your account through the secure My Health Toolkit website, or download the mobile app. You’ll be able to:
- View and share your digital ID card.
- Submit and check the status of your claims.
- See what's covered by your health plan.
- Find an in-network doctor or other health care provider.
- See how close you are to meeting your deductible or out-of-pocket limit.
- And more!
Access tools and resources
At times, everyone needs a little help managing their health — and their health insurance benefits. My Health Toolkit has tools and resources to assist you.
- Connect with wellness programs and resources, such as health coaching.
- Use the Find Care tool to locate health care providers and facilities, and get cost estimates, where applicable.
- Compare health plans to find the benefits that fit your needs.
- Learn more about prescription medications and options that can help you save money.
Registering for My Health Toolkit is easy. And you can log in from anywhere at any time
F1S Employees Receive $5 Off Spin Doctors Concert
Get a Free Month’s Membership: Orangetheory Florence
Orangetheory Fitness Florence is offering all Florence 1 staff a free membership in addition to $50 off heart rate monitors. Employees will receive 1 free month with a minimum of a 2-month membership. If employees choose to continue, they will receive a discounted monthly membership. Each month, one employee will be selected to receive a free month’s membership.
August, 2024
August, 2024 (Text Version)
Inside This Month's Issue:
- Granting Leave
- Sick Leave
- Leave Policy
- Personal Days
- Bereavement
- Staff Conduct (Policy GBEB)
- Reporting Absences
- Blue365 Overview
New Addition to Granting Leave
Within the Granting Leave policy, every employee in Florence 1 Schools is advanced two sick days at the beginning of the year.
At the beginning of each contract year, or from the starting date of employment if hired mid-year, the district will advance two sick days. Learn more by reviewing Granting Leave.
Sick Leave
Sick Leave - Accrual of sick leave
All full-time employees of the district will accrue sick leave on the basis of one and one-fourth days of sick leave for each month of active service. This will provide 12 days for nine months (180-190 days),13 days for ten months
{200-215 days), 14 days for eleven months (220 days), and 15 days for twelve months (240 and 260 days). An employee may accumulate up to 120 days of sick leave which is accrued but not used provided that such employee does not violate his/her respective contract.
For the purposes of this policy, a full-time employee will mean any person employed in a position for which certification is required by the South Carolina State Department of Education or a person who works at least 30 hours per week.
An employee may use sick leave days awarded and accrued in a year for absences caused by the employee’s personal illness or medical appointments or the illness and medical appointments, of an immediate family member. “Immediate family member.” For purposes of the use of sick leave, is defined as follows:
- spouse
- son, son-in-law, stepson
- daughter, daughter-in-law, stepdaughter
- mother, stepmother
- father, stepfather
- brother, stepbrother
- sister, stepsister
- grandparent, grandchild
- guardian, ward, or other person who may have raised employee
GBC/GDC - Professional and Classified Staff Leaves and Absences
This policy on Professional and Classified Staff Leaves and Absences is comprised of four sections: Sick Leave, Granting Leave, Personal Leave and Bereavement Leave.
Medical Appointments
Are you aware of the following provision of the Sick Leave policy?
An employee may use sick leave days awarded and accrued in a year for absences caused by the employee’s personal illness or medical appointments or the illness and medical appointments of an immediate family member. Learn more by reviewing the Sick Leave policy.
Personal Days
Here’s an update. The awarding of personal days is based on the length of an employee's employment in the district. Review this update within the Personal Days policy.
Years of Service with District | Days Awarded | Rollover Days | Cap on Accumulated Personal Leave |
0 - 5 Years | 2 | 0 | 2 |
6 -12 Years | 4 | 2 | 6 |
13 Years of more | 5 | 3 | 8 |
Personal Days -
In addition to the sick leave referenced above, a full-time employee will be granted personal leave days at the beginning of each school year, based on the schedule set forth below. The eligibility for fulltime employees to receive personal leave days will be based on the total number of years of service each employee has with Florence 1 Schools.
240, 245, and 260-day employees are not awarded personal days. The district will deduct any personal days taken beyond this at the employee’s daily rate of pay.
Personal leave may be taken in increments of one-half days or full days. An employee who is not under contract at the beginning of his/her work period will receive a prorated number of days based upon the quarter system. That is, if an employee becomes active during the second grading period of the school year, he/she would be entitled to 75% of personal leave; during the third marking period, he/she would be entitled to 25%, and so forth.
An employee may not use personal leave during what are known as black-out times:
1. First two weeks of school
2. Last two weeks of school
3. Day before or day after a district holiday
4. Day designated as an in-service day
5. During standardized testing at the school assigned
Requests to use personal leave during any period listed above will be granted only in unusual
circumstances as approved by Chief Personnel Office Nathaniel Marshall, (nathaniel.marshall@f1s.org).
Bereavement Leave Policy Revised
The Florence 1 Schools Bereavement Leave is no longer a part of the Sick Leave Policy. Under the revised Bereavement Policy employees are granted three days per occurrence, with an expanded list of relatives that have been included.
Employees may be granted up to three days of absence with pay for bereavement (per occurrence) in their household or in the immediate family as defined as:
- spouse
- son, son-in-law, stepson
- daughter, daughter-in-law, stepdaughter
- mother, mother-in-law, stepmother
- father, father-in-law, stepfather
- brother, stepbrother
- sister, stepsister
- grandparent, grandchild
- guardian, ward, or other person who may have raised employee
The employee should directly contact the principal and district leave specialist to request bereavement leave. The employee must submit a written request on an appropriate form prior to the absence, but no later than three days following the employee’s return to work, providing the relationship. The filing of a request for bereavement leave does not guarantee that the leave will be granted.
Did you know?
Did you know that there is a policy which governs the conduct of faculty, staff and administrators of Florence 1 Schools and their social media decorum?
Learn more by reviewing Policy GBEB Staff Conduct. In part the policy states the following:
Policy GBEB Staff Conduct
The personal life of an employee, including the employee’s personal use of District issued and non-District issued electronic equipment, inside and outside of working hours (such as through social networking sites, email, text messaging social media and personal portrayal on the Internet), will be the concern of and warrant the attention of the Board if it impairs the employee’s ability to effectively perform his/her job responsibilities or if it violates local, State or federal law or contractual agreements.
The Board expects employees to ensure all their conduct and communications, including those associated with their social media and electronic communications, do not disrupt the school/work environment, or impair the efficiency of the school/workplace. Unprofessional conduct may subject the employee to disciplinary actions, consistent with state law, federal law, and/or board policy.
Reporting Absences:
There's a An App for That!
Employees in Florence 1 Schools have access to The Frontline Education mobile app. Simply go to the app store on your mobile phone and download it. Look for the purple and white Frontline logo.
It’s a quick and easy way to access the Frontline Platform (that you normally use on your desktop computer) while on-the-go. Employees of Florence 1 Schools are now able to check leave balances and create absences on their mobile phone using the Frontline Education App.
Reporting Absences
Employees in Florence 1 Schools have access to The Frontline Education mobile app. Simply go to the app store on your mobile phone and download it.
It’s a quick and easy way to access the Frontline Platform (that you normally use on your desktop computer) while on-the-go. Employees will be able to check leave balances and create absences on their mobile phone.
The Frontline mobile app allows Florence 1 employees to do the following:
People:
View your contact list and reference email and/or personal phone options;
Absences:
View any approved absences. The page also includes upcoming, denied absences and the option to schedule an absence;
Calendar:
View upcoming scheduled absences;
Settings:
Review your current district details or log out of the app.
For more information, contact Tucker Kelley (Kronos Timekeeping and Leave Specialist, jkelley@fsd1.org).
Healthy Living
Blue365 gives you access to savings across all aspects of your life including savings on Fitbit devices, low monthly cost gym memberships access at over 10K locations, discounts on healthy, organic meal delivery services from Sunbasket and much more!
Register now to take advantage of Blue365. It's an online destination where participating members can find healthy deals and exclusive discounts; All you need is your BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Member ID card to get started. Get started today at www.Blue365Deals.com/register.
Certification
Certification and Certificate Renewal
- License Information
- R2S Endorsement Requirements
- Virtual SC PD Certificate Retrieval Form
- SLPs
- National Board Certification
- Link Library
- Essential Documents
License Information
License Information:
Initial License: Educators holding an initial certificate (3-year validity) will begin the 120-credit renewal process after they receive a professional certificate. To move from an initial to a professional certificate, an educator must be employed with a South Carolina district in a teaching position while holding a valid initial license. After the educator has successfully completed all South Carolina requirements while employed in a South Carolina district, (i.e., ADEPT/SCTS, PACE, etc.) the SCDE will automatically issue a professional license to the educator.
Professional License: Educators holding a professional certificate must earn a minimum of 120 renewal credits during the 5-year validity period of their certificate. The renewal process is a continuous cycle for the educator every 5 years. Upon completion of 120 renewal credits for each renewal cycle the educator will complete the district’s renewal process. (See attached from SC Department of Education)
- Professional Renewal Requirements
All official transcripts and certificates of completion regarding renewal credits should be submitted to Ashley Watson and Michelle Killian.
As part of earning 120 renewal credits within a given renewal period, educators may also be required to meet the following criteria in order to renew their professional educator certification:
- Read to Succeed (R2S) Endorsement(s) - Educators holding professional certification expiring in 2020 and beyond are currently required to earn the appropriate R2S endorsement to be eligible for further certification renewals.
- Upon the completion of R2S courses, you must also complete the SCDE Request for Change/Action Form (link below) and submit it to the SCDE along with copies of your R2S certificates of completion. Note: District renewal coordinators are unable to mark you as sufficient to renew without the appropriate R2S endorsement(s).
- Upon the completion of R2S courses, you must also complete the SCDE Request for Change/Action Form (link below) and submit it to the SCDE along with copies of your R2S certificates of completion. Note: District renewal coordinators are unable to mark you as sufficient to renew without the appropriate R2S endorsement(s).
- Jason Flatt Requirement - Educators working in public middle or high school settings must satisfy the Jason Flatt Act requirements before their professional certificate can be renewed. This requirement may be completed by visiting the Jason Foundation Website, signing up for the free professional development series, and completing the Mental Health Issues Surrounding Suicidal Ideation (Module 2) training.
- Elimination of the Graduate Course Requirement - Effective June 26, 2020, Regulation 43-55 was amended to remove the graduate course requirement for educators who do not hold a master's degree.
- Read to Succeed (R2S) Endorsement(s) - Educators holding professional certification expiring in 2020 and beyond are currently required to earn the appropriate R2S endorsement to be eligible for further certification renewals.
As a reminder, an official educator license will be issued by the state department only when an educator qualifies for the very first South Carolina license. All subsequent changes, additions or modifications to a license may be confirmed and printed by the educator from the Licensure Status page on the website www.ed.sc.gov
R2S Endorsement Requirements
All certified educators are expected to earn one or more of the R2S endorsements depending on their certified field(s) as part of their regular Professional certificate renewal cycles.
The R2S Literacy Teacher endorsement associated with the completion of all four R2S courses applies to educators holding a Professional certificate in the fields of Early Childhood, Elementary, ESOL, Special Education, or Montessori Education. To earn this endorsement educators must complete the R2S courses below and submit evidence of completion along with a Request for Change/Action form to the SCDE.
The four R2S courses associated with the R2S Literacy Teacher endorsement are:
- Foundations in Reading
- Instructional Practices
- Assessment of Reading
- Content Area Reading and Writing
The R2S Requirement endorsement applies to educators holding a Professional certification in the fields of Middle School (all content areas), High School (all content areas), PreK-12 (except for Special Education), Career and Technology, Library Media Specialist, Leadership and Administrative, School Guidance Counselor, School Psychologist, or Speech-Language Pathologist.
To earn this endorsement educators must complete:
- R2S Content Area Reading and Writing course.
For more information, including R2S deadlines, click here.
If you have completed a Virtual SC PD course but lost the certificate of completion, you may complete this Google Form to obtain a copy (Note: This form was not created or maintained by F1S)
Virtual SC PD Certificate Retrieval Form
SLPs
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs)
Policies on renewal for Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) recently changed. SLPs employed full-time by a South Carolina public school district will now be renewed by the district renewal coordinator, not by the SCDE.
Educators who are certified as Speech-Language Pathologists by the SCDE are required to show current SC LLR licensure as a Speech-Language Pathologist in order to renew their educator certification. To do this, educators should submit a current Speech-Language Pathologist license from the SC LLR during the expiration year of their educator certificate to their district renewal coordinator; this LLR license must extend beyond the expiration date of the current educator certificate. (Example: The educator certificate issued by the SCDE expires June 30, 2023. The LLR license can be presented no earlier than January 1, 2023, and the LLR license must have an expiration date beyond June 30, 2023.) An SLP certificate will not be sufficient to renew unless they present their current SC LLR license during the expiration year of their educator certificate. The LLR license does not exempt educators from any additional renewal requirements, such as Jason Flatt or Read to Succeed.
Educators who hold Speech-Language Pathologist certification in addition to other educator certification fields from the SCDE must meet their 120 renewal credits through Options 1-11 of the Renewal Matrix as appropriate, in addition to presenting the current LLR license.
National Board Certification
Link Library
Essential Documents
Certification Contacts
Nathaniel Marshall
Chief of Personnel
Nathaniel.Marshall@fsd1.org
Calandra Brisbone-Davis
Executive Director of Professional Development
Calandra.Davis@fsd1.org
Connect with HR
Employee Spotlights
Hidden Heroes
Where We Are Now
- Patrick McKnight
- Katherine Hardee
- Jordan Johnson
- Demetric Russell
- Leslie Adams
- Shala Lewis
- Sissy Smith
- Kasandra Durant
- Steve Welch
- Lindsey Bibler
- Roy Ann Jolley
Patrick McKnight
Patrick McKnight
As a middle school student, Patrick McKnight thought he was interested in entering the medical field to work in dermatology. During his senior year at Wilson High School, though, he knew that he had truly found his path.
“When I got into high school my interest in teaching started sparking,” McKnight said. “I solidified that my senior year when I participated in teacher cadets. It was then that I knew teaching was for me.”
McKnight credits Mrs. River-Davis at Wilson for showing him just how amazing teaching could be.
“My coordinating teacher Mrs. River-Davis was wonderful,” McKnight said. “She really opened the educational world and I saw the benefits of being an educator and what it could do, not only for myself but also for the generations after me that I would be affecting.”
McKnight taught kindergarten at North Vista Elementary for three years before moving to Brockington Elementary where he has been for the last five years.
“When I started doing field experiences I knew that young people were my niche,” McKnight said. “My kindergarten teacher inspired me to not only want to be a teacher but to want to be a good person. I know that I will do all I can, and show my students all the love I can, while I have them.”
McKnight, Brockington’s current Teacher of the Year, said that Mrs. River-Davis instilled a love for learning and a pride in academics in him. He hopes to impart that same wisdom to his students.
“Students are always watching everything you do so being an example for them is essential,” McKnight said. “That is important at any age but with this age (first grade) that is especially true. You can instill those core values and that mindset for education now and, hopefully, it will continue and you will be raising up great men and great women.”
Katherine Hardee
Katherine Hardee
After graduating from West Florence, Katherine Hardee wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do in college and beyond. Both of her parents were educators in Florence 1, her father taught orchestra at Williams and Wilson and her mother taught kindergarten at Greenwood, but she didn’t see that path for herself. Somehow, after finishing a degree in history, she still found herself drawn to it.
Hardee said she worked as a manager at Books A Million and occasionally as a substitute teacher after college. Eventually, her mother suggested that she go through an alternative certification program and become a teacher.
“Apparently this was my calling,” Hardee said laughing. “I think I tried to avoid it and then I still ended up here; if it is what you are meant to do, you will get there somehow. I get along well with kids and I really enjoy teaching. I completed the PACE program and started teaching social studies.”
Returning to the district she graduated from was a strange experience, Hardee said, notably when former teachers told her to call them by their first names.
“It was very weird when I came back as a teacher, especially when I worked at Sneed because I had gone to school at Sneed,” Hardee said. “There were teachers working there when I started who had been my teachers. Now I’ve been here long enough that I’ve taught kids and then they’ve come back and taught in the building with me.”
After several years teaching social studies at Sneed, she joined the Middle Years IB Programme (MYP) at Williams Middle School in 2009 and she has been there ever since. She served as the interim MYP Coordinator last school year before removing the interim title this year.
“MYP is meant to be a well-rounded education, similar to what you’d get at a liberal arts college,” Hardee said. “You are experiencing a little bit of everything which helps you see what’s out there. One of the big benefits of it is that students can potentially leave the program at Williams with five high school credits. If students don’t know what they want to do in life but they know that art or STEM is not their thing, this would be a really good place for them. It is so well rounded that they can find so many other things they might be interested in.”
Hardee said that with her own children in Florence 1, it is amazing to see all of the programs that are available now.
“When I was in school there were one or two classes that you could take that earned you high school and college credit and that was it,” Hardee said. “I think it is so great that kids have all of these opportunities now. We have come a very long way. I don’t feel like we were prepared in terms of knowing all the different career opportunities available. Students need to know their options, that way they can find something that they are passionate about before they finish college.”
Jordan Johnson
Jordan Johnson
To say that being an educator runs in the family for Jordan Johnson would be an understatement. Her mother, grandmother and both of her aunts have all been teachers. Currently, she and her husband both work in Florence 1. Johnson said working in the district she graduated from “feels like home.”
After graduating from South Florence High School, Johnson earned her bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. She also obtained her master's degree in Language and Literacy which allowed her to be certified K-12, meaning she could teach at any grade level. After earning her degrees, she moved back home to Florence not expecting to stay long.
“I moved back to Florence and lived with my parents for a year while I was figuring out what I wanted to do,” Johnson said. “It was during the Recession and no one was really hiring but I ended up getting a job at West Florence where my mom was working. I thought I would work there for one year and then move to Greenville but then I met my husband Greg and the rest is history.”
Johnson spent five years teaching an academic enrichment class at West Florence before she had her first child and took a break. After several years of teaching at a virtual school, and after having her second child, Johnson decided she was ready to come back to a physical classroom. After looking at her options, she found the school that seemed just right for her: Briggs Elementary School.
“Briggs has changed a lot since I was a student here but at the same time it hasn’t changed, it is still that sweet little neighborhood school that I went to,” Johnson said. “The updates and changes have just made everything that much better.”
She said that everything has come full circle with her own children now attending Briggs.
And though she graduated as a Bruin, you’ll now find her many days cheering for their cross-town rivals, decked out in West Florence green, supporting her husband who is the Knight’s Athletic Director. She said occasionally for spirit days she’ll pull out the old Blue and Gold but she is also more than happy to represent the place she got her start as a teacher in Florence 1 and the school that means so much to her family.
“My kids are already talking about where they will go to high school,” Johnson said laughing. “No one talks about where they are going to go to high school when they’re eight but we do because that is our life. Their daddy is there all the time and when we get a free minute, we are there too. The kids are always running around on the field and I tell them they are the luckiest kids in the world. Florence 1 truly is my family. We are not Clemson fans but we are “All In”
Demetric Russell
Demetric Russell
For Demetric Russell, being a teacher at Sneed Middle School is a surreal experience having been a Squire himself as a middle schooler. He said that his goal was to go into finance after graduating from West Florence but “the grace of God” sent him on another path that led to his current role as a Social Studies teacher.
“I wanted to become a school counselor but my spirit was also telling me that I could possibly be a great AP or principal and I knew I would need that classroom time,” Russell said. “I felt that I could assist our youth in overcoming whatever adversities they might be going through, especially because I felt like I could relate.”
With a degree in Psychology from Coker University, Demetric said that he feels like he has insight into student behaviors and why people make the decisions they do, something he uses to help students understand the importance of the decisions that they make.
“At this age, they are trying to figure out ‘Do I go left or do I go right’,” Russell said. “It is so difficult to identify which way you need to go if you don’t have anyone to push you or assist. I try to be an example to the students because everything that they are doing, either I did or my peers did. I’ve gone through it and I’ve seen people go through it so I can tell them, ‘You don’t want to do that because this is what’s going to happen.” It has me work a lot harder because I don’t want to see them, at a crucial point in their life, throw their life away because they made a wrong decision.”
Along with teaching at Sneed, Russell has been a coach. This year, he took on a new challenge: South Florence Men’s Volleyball.
“Sneed molded me into the coach that I am,” Russell said. “I had great success coaching at Sneed and when the opportunity came to be the varsity men’s volleyball coach, I wanted to try something new. I think that this has been great for the school and the district.”
Russell said that many current and former district employees have helped him get to where he is now. Ms. Doris Brown at Sneed was one person who influenced him as a student.
“Ms. Brown had a gift for pushing students,” Russell said. “She knew how to help us understand what it took to be successful, especially when it came to the different challenges we were being faced with as an adolescent. Now, I look at working here as giving back to the school that helped me grow.”
Leslie Adams
Leslie Adams
Growing up, Leslie Adams always knew exactly what she wanted to be: a teacher.
“I really wanted to be a kindergarten teacher,” Adams said. “When I was little, that was all I talked about. I never thought of being anything other than a kindergarten teacher. When I started college as an education major, I even worked in a daycare. Working with kids was just always a passion.”
Later, though, Adams said she found her passion was teaching math.
“I had some very influential math teachers in school like Ms. Barber at South Florence and Ms. Miller,” Adams said. “I ended up changing my major in college and I wanted to be a math teacher.”
As a math educator, Adams has spent the last 25 years making an impact on students in Florence 1. She started her teaching career at Timrod Elementary School in 2nd grade. She taught at the school for 13 years before moving to Moore Middle School when the, then Intermediate School, got a new building on Westfield Drive. Adams worked under Carol Schweitz as principal at both Timrod and Moore.
“I started at Moore when the new building opened and it was 5th and 6th grade,” Adams said. “I went through the grade-level transition and it was stressful but it was also really neat to see because some of our students spent four years here. To be able to see the growth from year to year is so rewarding. When those students left us it was hard, they were like heartstrings to me.”
Adams currently teaches pre-algebra and she said she loves the opportunity it allows her to form relationships with students.
“I might not be able to get to everybody but I can make connections with the students I have and let them know that I’m here,” Adams said. “I want them to know that they can always come to me. I had those teachers and I love, now as an adult, being able to tag them in those posts on Facebook asking ‘Who was your favorite teacher growing up?’ because I want them to know the impact they had on me. ”
As a parent with students who have and are attending school in Florence 1, Adams said it has been wonderful to see the advances the district has made since she was a student
“It is so amazing to see how things have changed from when I was in school until now,” Adams said. “All of the STEM stuff and the Project Based Learning that allows them to think outside the box. We have come a long way.”
Shala Lewis
Shala Lewis
Shala Lewis said as a student in Florence 1, she never imagined she would end up working for the district she graduated from. She had plans to own her own hair salon and attended cosmetology school after graduating from Wilson. After completing cosmetology school, though, she realized that was not the path for her.
“My mom was working in the Clerk’s Office and an accounting position came open in Family Court,” Lewis said. “The Clerk at the time took a chance on me because I didn’t have a degree; I didn’t go to college after high school. When she did that, that was the turning point for me and I decided I wasn’t going to sit on that blessing. I decided that I was going to go back to school and get the degree to back it up. I got my undergraduate at Limestone and had such a good experience that I decided to get my master's.”
Lewis attended Webster University, earning both an MBA and a Masters in Human Resources Management from their dual-master’s program. After earning those degrees, Lewis realized she wanted a role with more responsibilities. That is what led her back to Florence 1, where she now works as a Data Manager in the Human Resources Department.
“It was scary to make the decision to walk away from a job after 15 years but I’m glad I did,” Lewis said. “Coming back to the school district that I graduated from is pretty cool. One day I actually saw one of my old teachers, Ms. Carpenter, who taught me at Southside. Even all these years later, she said she remembered me.”
Last year, Lewis visited Wilson for the first time as a district office staff member. She said that it was a unique experience.
“It is different coming back now,” Lewis said. “The school seemed so big when you were a student. Now, I just get this feeling walking through the school, knowing that I walked these halls twenty-something years ago and the school is still in existence. Now that I am an employee, I would say that it is an honor to serve the district where I got my education from. I am serving the community where I grew up.”
Sissy Smith
Sissy Smith
Sissy Smith says that she graduated from West Florence High School unsure about what she wanted to study in college. However once she was at Francis Marion, working in the Writing Lab, she knew her calling was in teaching.
“My mom was an English teacher,” Smith said. “My friends and I would count words for her on her term papers because they had to have a certain number of words. I hated that and I thought grading papers was horrible so I was very adamant about not going into teaching. I worked in the writing lab because it was required as part of one of my classes and I caught the teaching bug bad; I just fell in love with it.”
She was a classroom teacher for 8 years but these days you’ll find her in the Media Center at West Florence.
“Working in the media center is really the best of all worlds,” Smith said. “It is the best of teaching, the best of helping kids, working with technology. It gives you so many opportunities to see everything, all the ins and outs of the school.”
Smith said it was a former West Florence librarian who encouraged her to make the move.
“When I started teaching here, I was upstairs and I would look through the window down into the media center and see what was going on down here,” Smith said. “I worked really closely with one of the librarians and she encouraged me to get my Master’s in Library Science. Her partner in the library retired and she told me to think about working in the library. I wasn’t sure I was ready to leave the classroom but I have loved this transition. ”
Working at the school she graduated from has been great because she loves the Knight community.
“It was weird but so much fun to come back to West Florence as a teacher,” Smith said. “I wound up teaching in my freshman English class, where you had crushes and when you walked in everything looked so big. Walking in as a teacher, it seemed so small. Going to pep rallies is a blast because you still get those feelings you got as a student. This Kastle is the Kastle; it will always be the same. I love it and I don’t want to go anywhere else.”
Kasandra Durant
Kasandra Durant
For Kasandra Durant, being a teacher was always her dream. While attending school in Florence 1, her teachers helped foster her love of teaching.
“I just always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Durant said. “I always asked my parents for a desk and they got me one for Christmas one year. I was really inspired by Ms. Jolley, my third-grade teacher, and Mrs. McFadden my sixth-grade teacher.”
By the time she was a high schooler at South Florence, she had begun to think that perhaps she wanted to go another route, though she soon found herself coming back to teaching.
“When I got into high school, I started getting interested in computer science so I started turning to that,” Durant said. “I did my first year of college in computer science and it wasn’t me, so I came back to teaching.”
As a student teacher, she worked with a first-grade teacher at McLaurin Elementary School and she never left.
“I went to Francis Marion and I did my student teaching at McLaurin in a first-grade classroom,” Durant said. “The next year, my cooperating teacher was going to the Reading Recovery Program. The principal offered me the first-grade job and I have been here ever since.”
Today, Durant works as McLaurin’s Literacy Coach.
“I am responsible for professional development when it comes to reading and writing,” Durant said. “I am also over Multi-Tiered Systems of System, making sure students get what they need for Tier 2 instruction. One of the reasons that I love my job is because I work with the teachers, but I also get to be with the kids. I love the children. My motto has always been “All children can learn, we just have to figure out HOW they learn.”
After more than 30 years at McLaurin, Durant said she still has a passion for teaching and her Scottie family.
“The best part about being a teacher is seeing the growth, seeing where students start and where they finish,” Durant said. “I keep up with students and, now, I can go out into the world and see them in many different places; it is just amazing. It makes you want to get up every day and do it all over again. McLaurin is family. It doesn’t matter who comes or who goes, we just always connect.”
Steve Welch
Steve Welch
Steve Welch’s classroom at Greenwood Elementary School is full of pennants, from Clemson University to the US Naval Academy. They are more than just decoration though: each one represents a student. Welch has been a teacher in the REACH program in Florence 1 Schools since 1997 and can tell you the story of each student represented by a pennant.
Welch is a graduate of Florence 1, having attended Delmae Elementary, Moore Middle, and both West Florence and Wilson, the latter being where his mother worked.
“My mom was a teacher and she told me that if I didn’t straighten up, she was going to take me to Wilson so she could keep an eye on little rebellious me,” Welch said laughing. “Well, I bucked her and lost.”
During his two years at Wilson, Welch played soccer, something he enjoyed playing all the way through young adulthood. He said that he even keeps in touch with a few of his Wilson teammates. Two years ago, he began coaching soccer at Southside.
“For some people, it's baseball or football, but for me the passion really is soccer; I love it,” Welch said. “At Southside, I really feel like I’m supposed to be there. There are guys I’m coaching now who were with me last year and it is neat to see the improvement from one year to another. I don’t take the credit myself, but it is neat to see the outcome of what hard work does.”
Welch began teaching REACH when it was housed at North Vista and moved to Greenwood when it became a multiple-site program. He said looking back on his more than 20 years teaching REACH, it has been amazing.
“I have all kinds of stories about the kids and the things they’ve taught me,” Welch said. “ I remember one student, Robert Wells, coming in one of my first days. He said that he had learned something and he wanted to teach it to the class. Robert basically stood up in front of the fourth-grade class and, using a dry-erase board, taught them the quadratic equation. He had their attention and he was making it look easy. It just blows your mind what these kids can do. It humbles me that I am able to be just a small part of their journey. It is just awesome.”
According to Welch, becoming an educator was not in his plans when he enrolled at Francis Marion after high school, but he’s happy that it is where he ended up.
“People ask me how I got into education and I say I have no idea except that I liked working with kids,” Welch said. “I say that it was a divine calling and that this is exactly what God wanted me to do. I didn’t realize it, and I didn’t seek it out, but I guess it kind of sought me out.”
Lindsey Bibler
Lindsey Bibler
Lindsey Bibler knew from the time she was young that she wanted to be a teacher. She remembers, as a senior, flipping back through old school projects and finding a picture she drew of what she wanted to be when she grew up.
“I found a book that I made in first grade all about me,” Bibler said. “We had to draw a picture of our future selves and our career and there was a picture of me with an apple on a desk. I think I always kind of knew that I wanted to be a teacher, I just went back and forth about what subject I wanted to teach.”
Bibler points to a current West Florence Knight as her inspiration for teaching math.
“I have had a lot of inspirational teachers, but one that really sticks out to me is Sherry Young,” Bibler said. “Sherry, who is now an Assistant Principal at West Florence, was my AP Calculus teacher. I would watch her teach and she was just a spitfire. I loved her so much. I have had a lot of teachers who were inspirational for one reason or another, but the way Sherry taught math, and really had a passion for it, made me want to teach that subject.”
After college, Bibler got her first teaching job at South Florence, the high school she graduated from, and she’s been there ever since.
“A lot of times people will say that you need to get more experience or you need to branch out,” Bibler said. “For me, I found that I got so much support because the people here knew me and I was comfortable going to them when I needed help or didn’t understand something. I think that made those first few years better for me as a new teacher.”
Bibler also found a new supporter that first year: her now-husband Joel, who had moved from Montana and was starting his own teaching career at South Florence. Bibler said she has loved teaching at her alma mater and raising her own family in the community she grew up in.
“I know a lot of people might say this, but South Florence really has a family feel to it,” Bibler said. “There have been a few times I’ve been like, oh, there is a position somewhere else, but I can’t see myself leaving; I just love working with these people.”
Roy Ann Jolley
Roy Ann Jolley
After nearly fifty years as an educator in Florence 1, Roy Ann Jolley has many stories to tell and a lot of wisdom to share. A graduate of the Wilson High School Class of 1971, Jolley has been principal at Delmae Heights Elementary School for the last 25 years. She said that she’s never even considered working in another district.
“Florence is home,” Jolley said. “To be able to work at home and make a difference at home is special.”
Jolley attended elementary school at Holmes Elementary School. During those elementary years, schools were still segregated. It wasn’t until her senior year of high school that they were fully integrated. Though she was zoned for McClenaghan High School then, she was allowed to remain at Wilson because she was a senior which suited her just fine because “I bleed purple blood,” Jolley said. “I’m one of those Tigers.”
Jolley has many memories of former teachers but when asked to name someone who inspired her, one name came immediately to mind: John Douglas, an economics teacher at Wilson.
“He was the one who showed me that learning could be fun. It could be different from the norm. I remember his grading system so well. You could earn so much money during the course of a grading period based on your assignments, your work, and your participation in class. At the end of the quarter, based on the money that you earned, you could ‘buy’ yourself an A, a B, a C, but it wasn’t necessarily buying the grade because you had worked hard. People always think social studies and history are boring but he made it innovative and fun.”
Along the way, she has had the pleasure of seeing former students become educators themselves, including Wilson’s principal Dr. Eric Robinson who she taught when he was in first grade.
Jolley’s philosophy is “If you love the kids, we can fix the rest of it” because she says loving students is always the most important starting point when solving a problem. And though she did not intend to become an educator, “I look at it now that I had one plan and God had another.”
I Am Florence 1
Click Here To View Positions and Apply Online
(online application required)
Hours of Operation
Our office is currently open during normal business hours.
Monday-Thursday:
8:00 AM -4:30 PM
Friday:
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Nathaniel C. Marshall, M.Ed.
Chief Personnel Officer
Phone: 843-673-1105
Fax: 843-665-2957
For additional questions or concerns, feel free to contact our department at HumanResources@F1S.org
Human Resources Quick Links
Welcome home to Florence 1 Schools. Use the buttons on the right to explore our most frequently viewed resources.
Here's the latest from Florence 1 Schools Human Resources on Social Media