Columbia – Former Superintendent of Darlington County Schools, Dr. Rainey Knight, has been hired to provide professional consulting services to the SC Education Oversight Committee. Knight’s work with the EOC will focus on dropout recovery and developing reading plans with school districts.

“The EOC is so pleased to have Dr. Knight join the staff of the EOC,” stated Melanie Barton, EOC Executive Director. “She is committed to putting the needs of young people above all else and we look forward to gaining from her insight and experience in education.”

Knight served as the Superintendent of Darlington County Schools from October 1999 until her retirement in June. She was responsible for the overall operations and management of the school district. Prior to that, she served as an Associate Superintendent in Darlington and was Principal of Mayo High School Math, Science, and Technology. Her 36-year career in education has included work with the SC Department of Education and the University of South Carolina, where she worked to develop technology curriculum for classroom teachers. Knight has published and presented on various topics including dropout recovery, career pathways for students, and graduation rates.

Knight received her B.S. from Francis Marion University and earned her Masters of Arts in Teaching in Biology and her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Carolina. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2013 Professional Industry Achievement Award in Education from Francis Marion University and the 2012 SC Superintendent of the Year from the SC School Administrator Association. In 2012, the Greater Hartsville Chamber named Knight their Person of the Year and she was the recipient of the 2011 Women of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina.

The SC Education Oversight Committee is an independent, non-partisan group made up of 18 educators, business persons, and elected leaders. Created in 1998, the committee is dedicated to reporting facts, measuring change, and promoting progress within South Carolina’s education system