Award-winning charter school educators put kids first

Kathryn Pedings wears the same uniform as her Charleston Charter School for Math & Science students.

She doesn’t have to wear the khaki pants and blue shirt, but she does because she wants to be a positive role model. It’s that kind of enthusiasm for her school and concern about her students that set her apart from her peers and earned her Educator of the Year from the Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina.

“To have that kind of recognition from my teacher peers, it was awe-inspiring,” she said. “I sincerely care about my kids and their families, and I feel a connection with the school and a desire to make it an incredible place for students to come and learn.”

Thirty-one charter schools from across the state nominated educators for the award, and Pedings wasn’t the only Lowcountry winner. Jody Swanigan, principal of East Cooper Montessori Charter School in Mount Pleasant, was named Administrator of the Year.

Swanigan has been the school’s leader since it opened in 2003. It has grown from four employees and 44 students to 30 employees who work with 200 students.

“This really is not about me,” Swanigan said. “It isn’t about what I’ve done in the last 12 months; it’s about what we’ve done in the last eight years. This school has moved some incredible mountains in such a short time.”

The charter school has accomplished what only a handful of charter schools statewide have — funded, designed and constructed a multimillion-dollar building. It is rated excellent by the state, has won the state Palmetto Gold award, and serves as a model Montessori program for schools locally and statewide.

“Not only does (Swanigan) keep her eye on the ball for East Cooper Montessori Charter School and its future vision, she embraces the charter community as a mentor by offering all available resources to make the state a leader in successful charter opportunities,” wrote Jane Taylor, chairwoman of the school’s governing board, in her nomination letter.

Swanigan taught Montessori classes in private schools in Charleston and Atlanta before becoming the head of East Cooper Charter. She has led the school through every challenge it has faced, from securing land space for the building to adding grades and mobile units to obtaining a financing bond.

Taylor wrote that Swanigan exceeded the expectations of what a board looks for in an administrator, and she cited her attention to fiscal responsibility, leadership, vision and academic excellence.

At Charleston Charter School for Math & Science, Principal Tammy Kirshtein described Pedings in an equally flattering manner.

Pedings does more than what is required of her without asking, whether it’s updating the school website on a regular basis, co-creating and teaching an SAT exam prep course on Saturdays, sponsoring the school’s Academic Bowl team, or tutoring students before and after school, Kirshtein said.

“She understands teaching is a calling, not a job,” she said. “She eats, sleeps and breathes Charleston Charter School for Math & Science.”

Pedings grew up in St. Matthews, graduated from the state Governor’s School for Math and Science in Hartsville, and majored in math at the College of Charleston.

She taught at West Ashley High for a year before moving to the charter school last year, and she teaches advanced math classes such as calculus and statistics. She’s also working on her master’s degree.

In her Advanced Placement statistics class this week, Pedings walked students through a lesson that would baffle most adults. Her enthusiasm for students and their learning showed in her smile and the way she carefully explained the material and patiently answered questions.

“I’m very honest with my kids up front — these are difficult classes, but I’m there to support and help them,” she said later. “I want my kids to succeed, and I feel like I’m creating an atmosphere where they can succeed.”