Darlington County parents encouraged to explore teacher’s professional qualifications

DARLINGTON, SC (WBTW) – The Darlington County School District wants parents to know that if ever they have questions regarding their child’s teacher, they have access to the instructor’s professional qualifications.

In 2015, President Barack Obama signed the “Every Student Succeeds Act.” In that act, it states that every parent has the right to know the professional qualifications of the teachers who instruct their child.

As the school year begins for Darlington County kids, district officials want to ensure that parents are comfortable with who is instructing their child each day in the classroom. It’s a service the district feels is underutilized by parents, and may even serve to prevent challenges from developing if parents know they have immediate access to an instructor’s information.

“It is important that parents know who is leading their children and who is teaching their children,” states Darling County School District Public Information Officer Audrey Childers. “We believe that this information is critical for the parents to know, and it’s critical also to establish communication between the parents and the schools.”

A parent’s access to the information is available year-round, so if parents simply want to learn more about the teacher as school begins, or if they have questions later in the year, there is a solution.

“It is a useful thing to be able to know the qualifications of the individuals teaching your children, because teachers come from a variety of backgrounds, and as parents, we want the best and most qualified teachers for our children,” explains Darlington parent Douglas Bramlett.

Anyone wishing to request information about their child’s teacher can request an Every Student Succeeds Act form from the school. Fill out the form, return it to the school, and you will be given the information in about 10 days.

Darlington County School District officials say the form will also be made available online.

The service is available in all counties, but the process may differ. Parents are encouraged to ask their child’s school about how to obtain the teacher’s educational background if they have questions.