Lexington, S.C. — On Tuesday, July 20, 2021, the Lexington County School District One Board of Trustees approved four administrative hires to the position of assistant principal.
· Howard S. “Tradd” Denny to assistant principal at River Bluff High School
· Ashley R. Fouty to assistant principal of Pleasant Hill Middle School
· Alexandra M. “Alex” Pinto to assistant principal at Lexington Middle School
· Anna M. “Mickey” Summerall to assistant principal of Beechwood Middle School
Howard S. “Tradd” Denny, who currently serves as the assistant director at Lexington Technology Center, replaces Jacob Smith, who will serve as principal of River Bluff High.
An educator for 16 years, Denny began his teaching career at Saluda High School in Saluda County School District, where he taught business education. In 2006, Denny joined Lexington District One, first serving as the business education teacher at Gilbert High School, then at Lexington Technology Center and later at River Bluff High School. Denny also served as the DECA and FBLA adviser and coached football and baseball.
In June 2012, Denny was named assistant principal at Northside Middle School in Lexington School District Two. In 2014, Denny returned to RBHS, serving as administrative assistant. Two years later, he was promoted to assistant principal. In these roles, Denny handled all student discipline, facilitated professional learning with staff, served on the School Improvement Council, and prepared and administered all required state and district testing.
Denny received a Bachelor of Arts in communications from the College of Charleston and a Master of Education in educational administration from the University of South Carolina. He is a member of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators and the Palmetto State Teachers Association.
Ashley R. Fouty worked as an English teacher/department co-dean at White Knoll High School, joining the school in 2007. Fouty led professional learning on data collection and established high-functioning professional learning communities. Fouty believes in providing equity for students in all aspects of education, especially in the classroom through personalized learning.
At WKHS, Fouty served as the AVID coordinator, School Improvement Council teacher representative and secretary, and coach for junior varsity girls basketball. As the AVID coordinator, Fouty interviewed team teachers, recruiting scholars from middle schools, and worked to promote and brand the program through social media. During her teaching career, Fouty also participated in the Tier 2 Personalized Learning Cohort for the S.C. Department of Education and was a professional learning facilitator.
Fouty graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She also earned a Master of Arts in Teaching, English and a master’s degree in education administration, both from the University of South Carolina. Fouty earned National Board Certification in 2013 and was a Horace Mann Scholarship Grant recipient.
Alexandra M. “Alex” Pinto comes to Lexington District One from Lexington School District Two, where she taught seventh grade math and science at Cyril B. Busbee Creative Arts Academy.
Pinto, the 2020–2021 District Teacher of the Year, describes herself as a reflective leader who is passionate about connecting with students and improving school culture and climate. At Busbee, Pinto worked to improve grade-level culture, designed engaging lessons and collaborated with other professionals to identify essential standards and create district common assessments.
Prior to teaching at Busbee, Pinto also taught sixth grade math at E.L. Wright Middle School in Richland School District Two.
Pinto earned a bachelor’s degree in middle level education from Winthrop University and a master’s degree in education administration from the University of South Carolina. She is a member of the Palmetto State Teachers Association, S.C. Association for Middle Level Education and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Pinto has served as a seventh-grade team leader, districtwide professional development facilitator, teacher cadet mentor, Data/Achievement Team member, Arts Integration Committee member, School Improvement Council member, and a Schools to Watch reader and evaluator.
Anna M. “Mickey” Summerall began her career as a chorus teacher in Knoxville, Tennessee, before moving to Lower Richland High School in Richland School District One. Summerall joined Lexington District One in 2006 as the chorus/music theatre teacher at Pleasant Hill Middle School.
During her time at PHMS, Summerall held the role of department chair for the Fine Arts department, awarded and co-managed an Arts in Basic Curriculum grant, and worked with colleagues to develop and implement a musical theatre course. She also led schoolwide professional learning sessions on implementing initiatives to help build relationships and foster belonging through academic work. Summerall, the assistant director for the Lexington District One Fifth and Sixth Grade District Honor Choir and director of the district’s Summer Choral Camp, also served as the district lead teacher for middle school choral teachers.
Summerall participated on the S.C. Music Educators Association’s Choral Performance Assessment committee, led and organized various choral clinics around the state, and substituted for the music area coordinator for the Tri-District Arts Consortium.
An educator for 20 years, Summerall received a Bachelor of Arts in music education, with a vocal emphasis, from Carson-Newman University. She received a Master of Education in administration and supervision from Anderson University in 2019. Summerall is a National Board Certified Teacher.
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