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From YouTube: Aiken This Week - February 29, 2016: Dr. Sean Alford - Aiken County Public Schools Superintendent
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A
Welcome
to
aiken
this
week,
I'm
emory
langston,
as
has
been
the
theme
of
our
show
for
many
weeks
now,
there's
a
lot
of
exciting
things
that
are
going
on
in
our
city,
and
I
am
so
pleased
today
to
be
joined
by
dr
sean,
alfred,
our
new
school
superintendent
for
the
aiken
county,
public
school
system,
and
thank
you,
dr
alfred,
for
being
here.
We
really
appreciate
you
taking
the
time
out
of
your
schedule
to
talk
to
us
for
a
few
minutes.
A
A
And
that
you've
really
hit
the
ground
running
and
I've
looked
at
some
information
that
that
you
have
put
out
that's
very
impressive-
that
we'll
talk
a
little
bit
about
today,
but
as
we
get
started
today,
dr
alford,
if
you
could
just
give
us
a
snapshot
about
your
background
and
kind
of
what
brought
you
here.
B
Absolutely
I've
had
the
opportunity
to
work
in
a
number
of
school
districts
in
south
carolina
and,
although
I'm
not
a
native
south
carolinian,
I've
been
here
for
many
years,
beginning
with
that
small
stent.
Those
four
years
I
spent
down
in
charleston
at
the
citadel
and
just
really
grew
to
love
south
carolina
and
really
wanted
to
commit
my
service
in
a
professional
sense
to
the
students
and
families
of
the
state,
but
had
an
opportunity
to
grow
up
in
south
florida
and
really
had
wonderful
mentors.
B
A
great
educational
experience.
Great
parents
family
circumstance-
and
it's
just
really
inspired
me
to
make
sure
that
that
all
of
our
children
have
a
safe
and
wonderful,
nurturing
home
environment
and
they
also
have
an
opportunity
to
achieve
their
goals,
hopefully
through
a
very
strong
educational
experience.
A
Sure,
well,
I
think
that's
a
perfect
segue
to
my
next
question,
because
your
passion
for
education,
just
just
really
shows,
comes
out
very
strong
in
you
and
you.
The
plan
that
you
have
put
together,
pulling
a
lot
of
community
folks
together
to
be
a
partner.
B
B
Can
you
share
some
of
that
with
us?
I
think
my
parents
were
probably
the
major
contributors
in
that
regard.
B
B
B
I
want
him
to
be
a
part
of
my
knitting
club
so
after
school
on
tuesday,
as
a
first
grader,
I
would
sit
in
a
knitting
circle
with
miss
sarkin
about
four
other
young.
Ladies
and
myself,
and
we
would
knit-
and
my
piece
was
just
never
right
and
it
was
kind
of
dirty
because
you
know
I
was
a
young
man
and
I
was
playing
in
the
dirt.
B
A
B
B
A
A
It's
a
wonderful
document
that
folks
can
can
find
on
the
website
of
the
aiken
county
public
school,
the
main
page,
and
I
think
it
goes
over
four
goals
and
two
phases
of
implementation,
so
where?
Where
do
you
and
your
leadership
team
stand
with
the
in
terms
of
the
implementation
and
the
recommendations
that
you
made
in
the
entry
plan
going
forward?
So
where
are
you
now.
B
It's
work
in
progress.
There
are
a
number
of
recommendations
that
were
short-term
recommendations
that
with
the
right
support
and
the
right
focus
we
could
accomplish
quickly.
There
are
some
things
that
will
take
a
little
bit
more
time,
sure
and
a
whole
lot
of
collaboration.
So
progress
is
moving.
I
believe
it's
a
team
document.
B
You
know
I
get
so
much
credit
sometimes,
and
I
think
it's
unwarranted.
We
have
a
great
team
of
professionals
here
in
aitkin
county.
You
know
great
instruction:
we've
had
quality
schools
for
a
long
time.
B
We
have
an
opportunity
now
with
the
synergy,
that's
in
this
community
to
just
be
a
little
bit
better
than
we
always
have
been
and
that's
the
approach
and
that
that's
the
perspective
that
I
try
to
take
in
that
regard.
So
these
recommendations,
these
goals
are
really
focused
and
they
have
an
intent
to
improve
upon
the
wonderful
things
that
have
been
here
for
a
very
long
time.
B
B
You
know,
I
believe
that
there's
nothing
really
wrong
with
a
little
bit
of
positive
stress,
particularly
in
the
academic
arena,
but
we
want
them
to
be
the
very
best.
I
think
that's
what
parents
expect
from
us,
but
then
also
the
community
should
demand
that
we
be
financially
responsible
and
we
take
that
trust
say
with
a
sacred
perspective
and
that
we
do
everything
we
can
to
allocate
the
resources
that
we've
been
given
so
that
they
maximize
the
impact
for
students.
A
B
A
A
Sure
absolutely
well,
I
know
that
that
the
community
engagement
piece
is
so
very
important
to
to
everything
that
you
have
laid
out
and
it
hits
on
all
three
of
those
on
all
three
of
those
points.
Why
is
it
important
to
you
that
the
community
have
a
voice
in
in
the
public
schools.
B
If
we
don't
have
consistent
communication
with
members
of
the
community
regarding
what
those
expectations
are,
what
those
needs
are
what
those
aspirations
and
desires
are,
then
there's
a
good
chance.
We
may
miss
the
vote,
so
it's
really
a
matter
of
trying
to
triangulate
and
get
a
good
understanding
of
what
is
it
the
community
wants
as
an
end
product
and
that
just
takes
a
lot
of
conversation
in
a
time
frame
where
the
21st
century
workforce.
A
A
B
A
Well,
it's
very
holistic.
You
know
looking
at
talking
to
stakeholders
in
the
community
and
making
sure
that
that
that
you're
getting
the
input
and
what
a
challenge
I
mean,
what
a
challenge
in
today's
education
system.
You
know
20
years
ago
we
kind
of
knew
what
what
the
what
the
future
would
hold,
but.
B
A
Technology,
things
have
have
changed
rather
quickly.
B
A
Is
a
that
is
a
big
challenge.
Following
your
initial
entry
into
the
school
district,
you
had
a
county-wide,
listen
and
learn
tour
yeah
and
I'm
sure
that
that
was
very
eye-opening
for
you.
How
have
you
continued
that
process
in
in
soliciting
stakeholder
feedback,
and
can
you
kind
of
tell
us
about
your
impressions
from
the
from
the
tour.
B
It
was
an
absolute
blast,
but
probably
the
most
important
aspect
of
it
was
that
it
was
not
me
just
by
myself
visiting.
A
B
With
stakeholders
in
the
community,
but
the
entire
leadership
team
participated.
It
certainly
was
not
my
listen
and
learn
tour.
It
was
an
opportunity
for
the
leadership
in
our
school
district
to
touch
bases
with
our
stakeholders.
It's
just
that
simple,
but
I
tell
you
what
mary
glenn
piccolino
she
she
did
a
wonderful
job,
a
masterful
job
of
making
sure
we
were
where
we
needed
to
be
to
hear
the
things
we
needed
to
hear.
B
But
boy,
I
tell
you
what
it
worries
out:
high
level
of
fatigue
in
that
regard,
a
lot
of
travel.
This
is
a
huge
county.
B
B
Places
that
I've
never
never
even
seen
or
known
of
but
we've
had
an
opportunity
to
touch
bases
with
folks
who
have
an
interest
beyond
their
student
beyond
their
student.
B
Very
proud,
proud
citizens
in
this
county
and
they
want
aiken
to
be
the
best
in
many
ways,
and
you
just
don't
know
what
those
things
are
if
you
haven't
grown
up
here
right,
you
don't
know
what
those
things
are.
You
don't
know
you
don't
have
a
a
real
grasp
on
what
those
aspirations
may
be.
So
you
just
have
to
be
humble.
A
A
Things
move
forward
right,
we
do
have.
I
our
county
is
the
size
of
a
of
a
state,
so
I'm
sure
that
that
was
I
mean,
and
there
are
a
lot
of
schools
in
this
entire
county
so
and
we're
going
to
touch
on
that
in
a
little
bit.
Well,
I
I
know
something
that
is
so
important
to
to.
You
know
the
fundamental
of
education,
literacy,
yes,
and
so
how
are
you
impacting
that
early
literacy
piece.
B
Early
learning,
foundational
literacy,
it's
paramount.
B
But
you
have
to
leverage
a
number
of
community
resources
and
individuals
who
have
that
mission
to
hopefully
build
some
synergy
and
making
that
work,
so
we've
really
extended
a
hand
to
a
number
of
the
agencies
and
and
what
I
consider
to
be
cornerstone
organizations
in
the
community.
A
great
example
of
that
this
past
week
we
just
started:
what's
called
baby's
first
teacher
initiative,
where
we've
partnered
with
the
medical
center,
the
aiken
region,
medical.
B
A
B
Sit
bedside
and
have
a
conversation
with
them
to
help
them
understand
the
importance
of
reading
to
your
child
cognitive
development
in
the
early
years
to
share
with
them
a
couple
of
small
books,
age-appropriate
books
and
toys,
to
help
them
work
on
gross
and
fine
motor
skills
and-
and
I
think,
there's
no
one-
that's
probably
more
qualified
to
speak
to
a
young
mom
or
a
new
mom
than
someone
who's
been
a
parent
or
a
grandparent
for
a
number
of
decades.
That's.
A
A
A
Right
planting
that
seed
early
with
those
with
those
tiny
new
little
people
and
very
receptive
moms
when
you're,
that
that
is
a
very
innovative
initiative
and
you're
right,
I
mean
that
I
mean
it
almost
seems
like
a
no-brainer,
but
it's
new
and
what
a
wonderful
pairing
and
and
the
best
of
success
with
that
program.
Thank.
A
Well,
we
were
talking
just
a
second
ago
about
how
how
large
this
county
is
and
a
large
district
41
schools.
I
believe-
and
previously
we
were
split
into
five
areas,
a
little
bit
confusing
on
some
levels,
and
I
understand
that
you
would
like
for
aiken
county
to
be
one
school
system
and
not
a
whole
bunch
of
little
ones.
And
can
you
talk
to
us
about
this
and
why
that
is
important
to
you?
It's.
B
B
B
A
B
I
have
no
reservation
with
saying
to
anyone
at
any
time
we're
just
not
going
to
have
having
having
our
schools
we're
not
going
to
do
that,
not
saying
that
the
area
concept
in
the
past
facilitated
or
promoted
that
I
can't
comment
to
that.
I
was
not
hearing
aiken
at
the
time
sure
what
I
can
speak
to
are
the
things
that
will
take
place
since
I've
come
here
in
july,
and
those
are
the
things
that
we've
said
and
the
entry
plan
and
the
recommendations
on
television
on
radio.
A
In
the
past
six
months
and
and
knowing
you
know
where
you're
going
with
this
and
what
the
what
the
goal
is
in
the
past
six
months,
what
kind
of
steps
have
you
been
able
to
take
to
to
help
get
you
to
where
you
want
to
be
team.
B
A
B
B
A
B
A
And
to
know
that
something
like
that
is
going
to
be
coming
forward
is
is
very
exciting.
We're
excited
upon
being
named
superintendent.
You
made
a
comment
that
the
aiken
county
was
resource,
rich.
B
Absolutely
absolutely
even
even
more
convinced
at
this
point
you
just
think
about
the
people.
First
and
foremost,
tremendous
talent
we
have
in
this
town,
but
then
also
the
opportunities
we
have
opportunities
for
growth.
We
have
opportunities
as
it
relates
to
industrial
manufacturing.
We
have
employers,
we
have
high
quality
opportunities
for
education,
not
only
k-12
but
post-secondary
institutions.
B
A
And
I
think
again,
that's
another
great
segue
into
my
next
question
when
I
read
through
the
entry
plan,
something
that
just
really
resonated
with
me
was
the
solutions
focused
approach
that
you
have,
which
I
think
is-
is
really
powerful
so
with
aitkin
county's
graduates,
we'll,
ideally
be
these
solutions
for
our
community
and
putting
those
those
things
together.
So,
under
your
leadership,
how
is
the
school
district
equipping
the
students
now
to
meet
those
needs.
B
B
B
A
Right,
that's
right!
That's
I
just
the
the
position
that
you're
in
as
as
an
educator
in
today's
world
and
in
trying
to
identify
and
make
sure
that
we
give
these
students
what
they
need
and
knowing
what
the
community
needs.
You
don't
have
an
easy
job.
B
A
B
We
should
be
able
to
close
on
our
home
here
in
the
community
and
I'm
just
looking
forward
to
on
a
saturday
morning
going
to
the
auto
parts
store
going
to
lowe's,
picking
up
something
going
back
to
the
house
pedaling
around
in
the
yard,
for
a
little
bit,
maybe
running
into
some
community
members
in
the
bilo
or
the
kroger
or
whatever
it
is.
It's
it's
nice
to
be
a
part
of
the
community
sure.
At
this
point
I
consider
myself
a
servant,
but
until
you're
here,
you're
just
really
not
a
part.
B
B
That
we'll
be
here.
A
Very
good,
well
we're
so
very
glad
that
you're
becoming
a
part
of
our
community
that
you're
impacting
our
public
schools,
and
we
look
forward
to
hearing
lots
of
great
things
and
hope
that
you'll
come
back
and
share
the
strategic
plan
with
us
later
on
and
just
tell
us
all
the
wonderful
things
that
are
going
on
with
thinking
county
public
schools.