Reached by telephone on Tuesday morning, Fairfield County School Superintendent Dr. Samantha Ingram told The Herald Independent that she was nominated to be included on the list of candidates for the position of superintendent for Montgomery (Alabama) Public Schools after a consulting firm hired to do a superintendent search submitted her name to the Montgomery Pubic Schools Board of Education.

Dr. Ingram said that the search committee in Alabama presented her name as a candidate for the position based on the type of work she has done in Alabama schools in the past. The fact that she is also from Alabama was also a factor, she said.

Dr. Ingram said that two years ago the same search firm that is conducting the search for the Montgomery Public Schools this time nominated her and asked her to participate as a candidate, and she declined.

“This time, they searched for people that matched the type of work they want to do (in school reform) and based off of what the Montgomery Public Schools are needing,” Dr. Ingram said, and her name came up, along with four others, on a list of candidates..

Dr. Ingram stated that she feels the reform work she has begun in Fairfield County schools needs to continue.

“I want the people of the community to know that our work in Fairfield County is not done,” she said.

She then cited a list of some of the accomplishments in the Fairfield County School District under her administration as superintendent, including:

• 2008 School District Improvement Rating of Average. The first time the School District of Fairfield County had an Improvement/Growth Rating other than Unsatisfactory or At-Risk since 2005;

• Based on student performance on the 2008 South Carolina State mandated assessments, one gold and four silver Palmetto Awards were awarded to the schools of Fairfield County;

• The implementation of a five year strategic plan developed by the citizens and stakeholders of Fairfield County;

• Parent involvement in Fairfield County has greatly increased in one year, as evidenced by agendas and parent sign-in sheets;

• Creation of Fairfield Magnet School for Math and Science;

• Creation of Gordon Odyssey Academy;

• Decreased expenditures by over 2 million dollars and will close within budget for first time in 6 years.

“I know that we need to continue the work,” she said.