Darlington County School District
Excellence in Teaching & Learning for Each Child, Every Day.
Chief Schools Officer
240-Day / 12-Month Administration
Darlington County School District is seeking a proven, results-driven leader to serve as Chief Schools Officer. At the center of this role is a clear responsibility: strengthening school leadership so that every classroom delivers high-quality instruction and every student graduates prepared for whatever comes next college, career, military service, and life.
The Chief Schools Officer directly supervises school principals and leads the district’s work in leadership development, student attendance, student discipline, and school-level policy implementation. This role ensures coherence across schools aligning leadership, instruction, culture, and accountability systems to drive measurable improvement. This position requires disciplined focus on results, strong coaching of principals, and a deep commitment to student outcomes.
What This Leader Will Do
Lead for School Performance and Student Success
* Strengthen principal leadership to accelerate academic achievement and measurable student growth
* Drive improvement in school report card ratings across the district
* Ensure rigorous, standards-aligned instruction is consistently implemented in every school
* Reduce chronic absenteeism and increase student engagement
* Oversee fair, consistent discipline systems that maximize instructional time
Strong schools begin with strong leadership. This role ensures that every principal has both support and accountability to deliver results for students.
Supervise and Develop Principals
* Provide direct coaching, supervision, and evaluation of school principals
* Set clear, measurable performance expectations aligned to district goals
* Build a coherent leadership development pipeline for current and aspiring school leaders
* Partner with Human Resources to recruit, develop, and retain high-quality administrators
We are seeking a leader who knows how to move schools forward—and can build leadership capacity across the district.
Ensure Coherence, Accountability, and Stewardship
* Ensure consistent implementation of school-related Board policies
* Align school leadership to district academic priorities and readiness goals
* Monitor attendance, discipline, and performance data to guide strategic action
* Maintain safe, orderly, and well-managed learning environments
Clarity, consistency, and disciplined execution across schools are essential to sustained improvement.
Strengthen Family and Community Partnership
* Support principals in engaging families as active partners in student success
* Communicate transparently about school performance and next steps
* Align school leadership with district goals for graduation, postsecondary readiness, and workforce preparation
Student success is strongest when leadership, families, and schools move in the same direction.
Who We’re Seeking
We are seeking a leader who:
* Believes strong principals are the lever for student success
* Has successfully transformed a school as evidenced by improved school report card ratings and sustained academic growth
* Demonstrates a proven record of increasing student achievement across student groups
* Understands accountability systems and uses data to drive disciplined, measurable action
* Leads with urgency, clarity, and purpose
* Builds trust while maintaining high expectations
* Translates district vision into consistent, school-level results
Experience leading measurable school improvement—including documented increases in school report card ratings—is strongly preferred.
Qualifications
* Valid South Carolina Principal Certification
* Master’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
* Successful experience as a school principal required
* Demonstrated record of improving academic performance
* Experience improving school report card ratings strongly preferred
* District-level leadership experience preferred
Compensation
* Salary commensurate with experience and credentials according to the DCSD Administrative Salary Schedule
* Comprehensive benefits package including state retirement and health insurance
* Competitive 12-month administrative contract
Darlington County School District values strong leadership and invests in those who deliver results for students.
If you have successfully led meaningful school improvement—and are ready to strengthen leadership across an entire district—we encourage you to apply.
This is an opportunity to shape outcomes that matter—for students, for families, and for our community.
Click HERE to apply through the Darlington County School District Human Resources portal.
#J-18808-Ljbffr