Chester County school board names interim superintendent

A retired deputy superintendent with the S.C. Department of Education will take over as interim superintendent of Chester County schools.

Angela Bain of Columbia, who retired from the state job in September, was hired for the interim post Wednesday night with a unanimous school board vote.

She will begin work Monday.

Bain will replace the district’s interim superintendent, Keith Callicutt, who announced Jan. 11 that he would leave at the month’s end because he was “not the right person for the job.”

School board chairman Eugene Boyd said board members believe Bain’s background in educational leadership at the state level and in human resources would help.

“We thought that would help us in the district, and also with the healing in the community,” Boyd said. He said the board “is trying to work as a team, to do what’s best for the community and the district.”

Bain, 57, who owns an education consulting firm, said she has been reading news reports about the turmoil in Chester County schools for months.

She said she wants to help.

“I’ve known about Chester for a long time and it’s a great district,” said Bain, who graduated from Rock Hill High School in 1976. “I felt really badly that the district was going through some of the things, the turmoil.”

Bain said she recently received an inquiry about interviewing for the interim job. “I felt compelled to do so for the district and for the children,” she said.

Boyd said the school board interviewed one other outside candidate for the interim job. He said the board will be discussing a time frame for hiring a permanent superintendent.

Previous Superintendent Agnes Slayman resigned under pressure in September after a report commissioned by the board found she bullied employees and created a hostile work environment.

Callicutt, in annoucing his resignation, said he had failed to help the district heal after Slayman.

On Monday, the school board attempted to quell rumors that it might rehire Slayman when it voted 4-0 that it would not rehire a previous superintendent.

Bain has served as deputy state superintendent for educator effectiveness and as chief human resources officer in Lexington and Richland county schools.

She has taught math, science, language arts and social studies in elementary school through ninth grade, and has worked as an education instructor at Converse College and the University of South Carolina. She also worked as an assistant principal, principal and supervisor of special services.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 10:23 AM with the headline "Chester County school board names interim superintendent."