Assistant Superintendent Scott Rhymer Honored by SC Council for Exceptional Children
Scott Rhymer, Assistant Superintendent for School Leadership - High Schools, has been named the 2020 General Educator of the Year by the South Carolina Council for Exceptional Children.
Rhymer was nominated for this honor by the GCS Special Education Department as well as several principals. He is recognized for significantly increasing awareness and inclusion of students with disabilities at the high school level. Through his daily work with school leaders, he has provided an emphasis on improving services and outcomes for students with disabilities.
Mr. Rhymer has made it a personal focus of his work to become more knowledgeable about disabilities, effective practices, and ways to support teachers and administrators in the implementation. He works regularly with focus school teams and goal setting teams ensuring there are high expectations from staff and ownership for all students at all levels of the organization. Mr. Rhymer’s intentional integration of special education services into the core role of high school principals has proven that ownership for all, by all, is not only possible but absolutely necessary to improve our schools and in turn our community.
Mr. Rhymer’s 25 years in education include service as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal, middle school principal, and high school principal prior to being named assistant superintendent.
He earned National Board Certification based partly on conceiving and implementing an experimental program status for a video production curriculum with the South Carolina State Department of Education. As an instructional coach, Rhymer was responsible for developing pathways for high school curriculum to include career clusters and career majors in accordance with the Education and Economic Development Act.
As a middle school principal, Rhymer led Greer Middle School from a State Report Card Rating of Below Average and moved the school to Good in just five years with students and teachers achieving double-digit increases in Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) scores. In 2010, Mr. Rhymer received the Greenville Association of School Resource Officers Educator of the Year Award. He also received the 2011 Greenville County Schools Administrator of the Year Award.
As Mauldin High School principal, Rhymer led the largest school in Greenville County and the 8th largest school in the state of South Carolina. Under his leadership, the school’s graduation rate increased to over 90 percent, while leading the school as Greenville County School’s pilot program for one-to-one technology for students. Mr. Rhymer received the 2014-2015 South Carolina PTSA Outstanding Principal of the Year Award as well as the Rotary Club 2016 Principal of the Year Service Above Self Award. He has also served in Leadership Greenville, the Chamber's premier 10-month leadership development program designed to help develop informed, committed, and qualified leaders for Greenville County.
The South Carolina Council for Exceptional Children is a collaborative community of professionals who are the voice and vision of special education in South Carolina. Their mission is to improve the educational outcomes and quality of life of individuals with exceptionalities and their families through the actions of professionals, advocates, and other agencies.