Tina McCaskill and her daughter, Savannah, have called Chapin home for the last 13 years. McCaskill enjoys attending her daughter’s soccer games as well as outdoor activities
“This area has very kind neighbors who look out for each other, and also such great opportunities to enjoy all areas of life. We have a tremendous school system that meets the needs of the students and the community. It is what brought us here for Savannah’s education,” McCaskill said.
McCaskill is the Chief Academics Officer for Lexington/Richland 5, and an enthusiastic advocate for education. “Sometimes I think the importance of what educators do can go unnoticed by culture – but there is a rewarding piece of it. Education is a heart profession. There are a lot of rewards that come from being in education that you just can’t get anywhere else,” she said.
As the Chief Academics Officer, McCaskill supervises the Lexington/Richland 5 school district’s magnet office, special education office, instructional technology, elementary schools, secondary schools, technical schools, and the district’s Career Technical Education programs. “This is my third year as Chief Academics Officer, and I am finishing up my 34th year in education,” McCaskill said.
She began her career in Manning, SC as a middle school teacher for ten years. After feeling like her heart was pulling her to teach at the elementary level, she moved to Sumter to teach elementary school. Later, she became a curriculum coordinator and then an assistant principal in Sumter.
McCaskill’s daughter played club soccer for a team in Columbia, which also played a role in moving to Chapin. “I was the assistant principal at Irmo Elementary School for six years. I became principal of the school for four years and then became the elementary director for the district around 2018,” McCaskill recalled.
One of McCaskill’s fondest memories of her career is seeing students complete their schooling. “I’ve had students I taught in kindergarten and elementary school, and I got to see them walk across the stage as high school graduates. It is really special to know that I was able to be part of their life.”
Preparing the students who come through the school district for life is particularly important to McCaskill. “With Career and Technical Education, we are constantly meeting with the community to see what type of work demands there are so that we can produce students who are ready for the workforce. We tailor our coursework and curriculum to fit the job needs of our community,” she said.
“We want to help students be prepared to begin internships with companies and be ready for a job when they graduate from high school. There are a lot of amazing careers that you don’t need a college degree for, and we want to help our students access those.”
McCaskill emphasized the importance of education, stating that it serves as the building block for communities and businesses. “There are no other careers without education – that is what I think about every day. Graduation is the ‘why’ behind what we do. It’s wonderful to watch kids cross the stage for graduation and to know we helped them plan their futures,” she shared.