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An educational practitioner for over 30 years, Dr. Craig Witherspoon’s professional experiences include being an instrumental music teacher, a middle and high school principal, an instructional improvement officer and a superintendent for 12 years, working in urban, suburban and rural settings in Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama and South Carolina.Dr. Witherspoon began his duties as superintendent of Richland County School District One in March of 2015. Richland One is South Carolina’s ninth-largest school district, with 52 schools and centers, 22,000 students in pre-K through 12th grade and 4,200 employees. The district stretches over 480 square miles and encompasses urban, suburban and rural communities. Richland One has a proud history and tradition of excellence, as well as a reputation for innovation. Every year, our students, staff and students receive honors, awards and recognitions at the local, state and national levels.
Under Dr. Witherspoon’s leadership, Richland One has expanded the number of unique learning opportunities and experiences offered to students to appeal to their individual interests and to help prepare them for college and careers. In Richland One, elementary students can learn to speak and write in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese through our Language Immersion Program. Middle school students can explore the health care field through our Medical Magnet Academy. High School students can pursue an internationally recognized diploma through our International Baccalaureate Diploma Programs. These are just a few of our choice programs.
In addition to leading the district, Dr. Witherspoon is a member of several professional and civic organizations, including the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA), the South Carolina Alliance of Black School Educators (SCABSE), the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE), 100 Black Men of Greater Columbia and Phi Delta Kappa.
Dr. Witherspoon’s honors and awards include being named the 2018 Administrator of the Year by the South Carolina Association of Educational Office Professionals (SCAEOP) and the Richland County Association of Educational Office Professionals (RCAEOP).
Dr. Witherspoon is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities. He is married to Dr. Monique Gardner Witherspoon and they have one son, Cameron.
