Dr. Traci Young Cooper
Director

traci.cooper@richlandone.org 

(B.A. – Georgetown University)
(M.A.T. – The University of South Carolina)
(Ed.S. – South Carolina State University)
(Ed.D. – South Carolina State University)
 
Dr. Traci Young Cooper, Director of Richland County School District One’s Office of Strategic Partnerships and Extended-Day Programs, is an experienced, secondary educator with both classroom and administrative experiences at the school, district, and state levels. In 2002, Dr. Cooper held the distinction as South Carolina’s State Teacher of the Year and represented the Palmetto State in the National Teacher of the Year competition. An ardent and zealous advocate for public education and youth development programs, Cooper served two terms as a member of the John and James Knight Foundation Community Advisory Board; a taskforce convened to support and devise inner city, afterschool programs for middle school students.  Her advocacy for youth development programs lead to Cooper’s current position where she oversees the school district’s Comprehensive Remediation, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Athletic Tutorial, PROJECT ACT (a youth obesity-prevention), John and James Knight Foundation Arts-Infused, and Afterschool Childcare Extended Day Programs.

Under Cooper’s leadership, she has raised district, local, and state recognition and awareness of afterschool programs by expanding the District’s repertoire of Extended Day Programs, implementing a middle school (academic) Extended Day Summer Program, seeking and retaining afterschool grants, establishing an annual, Afterschool Convocation to celebrate afterschool programs, and sponsoring annual Lights On Afterschool events. Cooper has participated annually in the National Afterschool Alliance’s Challenge in Washington, DC.

Cooper serves on a wide-array of Executive Boards including the South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) Endowment Board of Trustees, EdVenture Children’s Museum Board of Trustees, University of South Carolina Alumni Association Board of Governors, and the City of Columbia’s KOBAN Columbia Board of Trustees, an afterschool enrichment program.

David Lee Jackson
Volunteer Coordinator

david.jackson@richlandone.org 

David Jackson is a graduate of Dreher High School class of 1985 here in Richland School District One. He holds a Master Degree in Educational Leadership: Administration & Supervision. From 1994 – 2000 he worked as a Bibliographic Researcher at the Thomas Cooper Library Acquisitions Department, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. He began his teaching career in Richland One as a fourth grade teacher at Sara Nance Elementary School in 2000. The following year, Sara Nance merged with Watkins Elementary thus, becoming Watkins-Nance Elementary School. There he taught for four years as a fourth grade teacher. While teaching at Watkins-Nance he served as the fourth grade team leader, voted teacher of the year as he successfully completed all requirements for serving as a teacher’s Mentor for District One. While teaching at Watkins-Nance Elementary School, Mr. Jackson received a letter of commendation from former Superintendent, Allen Coles because his students showed significant gains in math for at least two consecutive years.

Mr. Jackson started his administrative career in Richland District One in 2004 he was approved to participate in the program of study for aspiring administrators. During the 2005-2006 school year he worked as an Administrative intern at Horrell Hill Elementary School. From 2006-2012, he worked very diligently as the assistant principal, he served as a member on PTO committee, Student Intervention Team (SIT) and the school volunteer coordinator. As the school volunteer coordinator, Mr. Jackson worked to secure business partners, faith-based volunteers, lunch buddies, mentors and community members to become volunteers in the district to ensure the needs of Horrell Hill students’ needs met to the highest degree. During the 2012 – 2013 school year Mr. Jackson served as interim principal of Webber Elementary School. Also, during the 2013 – 2014 school year, Mr. Jackson served as interim principal of Gadsden Elementary School. During his time at Gadsden, Mr. Jackson served on the Montessori Middle School Task Force Committee. Notably, Gadsden Elementary - 2014 ESEA Grade resulted in a letter grade “A” as reported by The State of South Carolina 2014 Annual School Report Card.

Furthermore, from 2014 – 2015 Mr. Jackson worked at South Kilbourne Elementary School as an Administrator on Special Assignment and during the spring of 2016 he worked at Olympia Learning Center as an Administrator on Special Assignment where he worked a split shift: Assistant Principal (day-program) and Special Education Administrator (evening-program). More recently, Mr. Jackson was among six Richland One assistant principals who completed the SC Transformational Leadership Academy (SCTLA) sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Education’s Office of School Leadership. SCTLA is a 15-month preparation program designed to equip individuals to be transformational school principals. The program’s design included monthly meetings, quarterly seminars, expert coaching and well-planned experiences in case study analysis. Presently, he serves as the Volunteer Coordinator in the Office of Strategic Partnerships & Extended Day Programs and Pastor of The Goodwill Baptist Church, Eastover, S.C. 

Edna Hogg
Secretary 

edna.hogg@richlandone.org 

Ms. Hogg has worked in Richland School District One for 10 years. She began her tenure in Richland One serving in a secretary position in the superintendent's office. She then moved to the Parent and Family Services division where she worked as secretary for Dr. Sharon Earle. Prior to coming to Richland One, she served as the personal secretary to City Councilman and Attorney E.W. Cromartie.