Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! I am truly excited to serve the students, parents, and community of Chester Park School of Inquiry as the new principal. My name is Dr. Tonya Campbell. I have served as the assistant principal of the School of Inquiry for the past seven years. Before that, I was a teacher, reading interventionist and literacy coach at Chester Park Center of Literacy through Technology. I am currently in my 21st year as a proud employee of the Chester County School District.
A little unknown fact, I am a product of Chester County. I graduated in 2000 from Lewisville High School! It was always a dream to come back to my hometown county to teach. I have been proud to serve my county for the past 20 years. I attended South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC to receive my Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. I went on to receive two masters in Instructional Technology and Educational Leadership. I recently obtained my Doctorate degree from Gardner-Webb University in Educational Leadership. I have three sons (ages 17, 14, and 5) who also have attended Chester County Schools. My parents, who have been my rocks throughout the years, still live in Chester County.
In being a highly effective educator and leader, I had to look within myself to come up with a definition that best describes a leader of a school. Leadership is not having followers, a title, or being a dictator. A leader is someone who makes the right decisions with the help of their employees that are centered on increasing student achievement while engaging others in a vision and empowering others to follow suit to pursue a shared purpose. An effective leader is there to facilitate their teachers and to make sure that the lessons are rigorous and all assignments, assessments, and instruction are aligned to the state standards. In order to promote success in a school an administrator must have these characteristics: be willing to be flexible, a great listener, courage, sincerity, integrity, respect, and benevolence. An administrator sets the tone for the school by creating the vision and they help all stakeholders understand the vision. A leader that constantly reflects on the day to day operations of the school and receives constructive feedback from stakeholders is an effective leader who has created a safe and respected climate and culture.
My biggest contribution that I feel I have to offer Chester Park School of Inquiry as a principal is my dedication to helping students succeed. I have had the opportunity to analyze data and make informed decisions based on the data to help students succeed. With my vast knowledge and experiences, I believe I would be a great asset to our school and to the educational leadership profession. I am a dedicated worker who is ready to make the transition from an assistant principal to a principal to continue shaping students to become college and career ready based on the South Carolina Profile for a Graduate.
Dr. Tonya Campbell