Lexington, SC 09/24/2024 (Paul Kirby) – Mother, businesswoman, and former Lexington One teacher, Mariel Taylor is running for a seat on Lexington County School District One’s Board of Trustees. There are four total seats up for grabs on November 5th, 2024, during the General Election. Two seats are open because the board members holding those positions have decided not to run for reelection. The other two seats are held by trustees whose terms are expiring and they will have to try and win another term. Terms last 4 years.
Taylor has 2 children who are currently enrolled in Lexington One schools. One is an 11th grader at Lexington High School and the other is in the 3rd grade at New Providence Elementary.
As stated earlier, Taylor was a public-school teacher herself. She taught in Lexington One for 6 years and in another district 4 years to give her 10 combined years of teaching experience in the SC public school system. After her experience teaching in District One, she resigned from teaching and now serves as a Contractor Engagement Specialist at GordianTM. According to their website, “Gordian’s Building IntelligenceTM Solutions helps to successfully budget, build and maintain the capital-intensive assets communities rely on”. Taylor says that her work in this field gives her strength in tracking a projects’ progress, ensuring accountability for all stakeholders, and financial transparency.
When not working, she has enjoyed assisting with a shelter that rescues cats and dogs, feeding homeless people at the homeless shelter downtown, has volunteered with the Lexington High School Wrestling Team, and tutored at a local library. She enjoys spending time in the community and loves to attend events that bring the community together such as the Town of Lexington’s weekend farmers’ markets.
Taylor said that she feels Lexington One could certainly be more transparent with their finances. “Taxpayers’ funds and how they are used should be readily available to community tax payers and presented so that they can understand it. In fact, you’ll hear the current board uses terms like ‘transparency, ensuring students’ success, and supporting teachers’, all of which are talked about regularly. Unfortunately, the current board often falls short in these areas,” she said.
Taylor also says that the district really needs to listen to its teachers more. “When I was teaching in District One, I was often dismissed when presenting new ideas, particularly the current research on how children learn to read. Research on the literacy curriculum we were currently using had been shown to be harmful to students in kindergarten through second grade which is the most important time for kids who are learning to read.” The alternative, she found, was through the Science of Reading, which is now being required in schools by the current state Superintendent of Education. At the time Taylor presented this information, she said she didn’t feel like she was taken seriously and was told that the district’s plan was to stick with the current more trendy curriculum. “It left me feeling deflated as I watched some children getting further and further behind when I knew there was a path to helping our students learn to read, spell, and write and not struggle to do so.” The disconnect between what district leadership wanted and what was best for students in the classroom was alarming, considering she, like every other teacher she knew, went into teaching to help children, not hold them back. The message was clear. She knew she was not going to be able to change the district from the classroom as their priorities were not in the right place which she called, “Educational Malpractice.”
Taylor says that Lexington One doesn’t have school equity across all the areas they serve. “Each school needs to be treated fairly. If the stakeholders at one of the district’s schools even begin to think they are being treated with less resources or respect, that needs to be addressed quickly. That feeling can spread and ruin morale for the students, their parents, and the staff whether it is true or not.”
“We also need to look to see if ALL students are being served. Every student in the district needs to be tested for Dyslexia at an early age. If caught early, it’s easy to treat and can set that student up for long term success in school, rather than a constant struggle. I would like to know if District One has teachers that are certified to teach a Dyslexic child? There are special curriculums for that. No child should be left behind because of a lack of testing and use of the proper curriculum here either.”
Taylor also says that teachers are robbed of very necessary instructional time in several ways. “I have spoken to over 30 educators across our district over the past few weeks and have come to realize that there is a stark disconnect between the district's plans and the classroom reality. The influx of meetings and professional development sessions, often dictated by Central Services, has left little time for actual teaching preparation, adding to the already high stress levels of our teachers.
“I also would like to work with experts that could help us develop a 3-strike plan that would stop classroom disruptions, especially those that are constant and/or violent. If a child acts in such a way that causes the teacher to have to stop teaching, there needs to be a meaningful consequence behind it, a first strike. Here’s where I’d like advice from experts on what the consequences would be, but I believe removing that child from the classroom environment is necessary and should be immediate. School administrators would then be tasked with calling the child’s guardian, and even have them come to meet with the school administrator in person. Another option would be to have the guardian return to the classroom for some time to help monitor their student’s behavior. For the second and third instances a student brings instruction to a halt, immediate consequences need to include removing the child from the classroom and getting in contact with their guardian. There also needs to be more severe consequences like in school and even out of school suspension. The point is not to keep anyone out of school, but no one should be allowed to take instruction time away from the other students in the classroom. Classrooms are meant to be safe environments to learn in and teachers are not trained to be behavior interventionists, so if there is a student who continues to disrupt or be aggressive in the classroom, then that tells me they are not in the right place to be able to learn themselves. Our district needs resources and programs they can offer to our community members who may be overwhelmed with family, finances, work, and life to the point they feel like they don’t know what to do. Perhaps we could get our social workers and school counselors more involved here to help provide support for that guardian,” Taylor said. “We have to do more so that classroom disruptions dwindle and hopefully stop altogether so our teachers can teach and the students who want to be in the classroom can learn safely.”
At this point in our interview, we got on the subject of Individualized Educational Plans (IEP). Taylor again brought the subject of meaningful interventions up. “Do you think that a student that comes from a bilingual home where the adults speak little, or no English have parents that understand at all what’s being said and suggested in an IEP meeting? The student may be in the meeting interpreting for the teachers and administrators during these IEPs. Even if the district provides for the interpreter, do these parents understand? The point of an IEP is to provide a plan that is understood by all stakeholders and has effective interventions in place. We need methods in place so all stakeholders understand messaging and can make the best choices for their students.”
Taylor is also an advocate of the Lexington Technology Center (LTC). “The only drawback I see at the LTC is it needs to grow. My son expressed he wanted to be a welder since he learned about that option at LTC when he was in middle school. The times he has tried to get into the LTC welding program though, he has been wait listed. It’s not just my son either. There are other students who want to be a part of this program and others, but there are not enough classes for these students to be placed in. This tells me we need to offer more of these programs. There are also many other skills out there right now in great demand that I think we could find community partners to help us finance courses on,” Taylor said. “There’s a great deal of need right now for heavy equipment operators in our area. I understand that there are some great operator simulators out there that are wonderful teaching tools. I think there are some local businesses around us that would gladly help with a curriculum for that skill.”
When Taylor was asked about the district’s strategic plan she said, “Our district's strategic plan currently outlines ambitious long-term goals. While it lays the groundwork for strategic planning, there is considerable scope to evolve into a more deliberate and actionable plan that takes into account the current state of our district and the feedback from those impacted by it.” She continued by saying, “My expertise in project management and work in education positions me to ensure that the strategic plan's goals are not only well-crafted with attainable deadlines but hold key parties accountable for their role within the plan. Moreover, I would advocate for a transparent management tool, accessible to the public, which would provide clear insight into our objectives and our district's progress.”
Taylor brought the interview to a close by saying, “Our school district stands at a crossroads, and the choices we make now will define our future. I am ready to lead with integrity, foresight, and a commitment to action. It's time for a board that not only sets goals but achieves them, ensuring that our children receive the quality education they deserve. Together, we can create a system that truly prioritizes our children’s education and well-being.”
For more information about Mariel Taylor, follow her on Facebook at Mariel Taylor for Lexington School Board. You can also reach her at taylorforlexington1@gmail.com or 803-397-5682.
Finally, a breath of fresh air! And from a real teacher at that! Clearly Ms. Taylor has the inside experience and the larger vision for productive change in Lexington One. She has my vote!