Testing season is upon us again, and soon the South Carolina School Report Card results will be released. I can’t wait to share some of the big wins we’ve had this year, because they truly reflect the dedication, heart, and hard work happening at Horse Creek Academy every single day.
But before we all look at those numbers, I want to talk about something I’ve been thinking about as a 25-year educator.
The day-to-day life of a school is some of the toughest work I’ve ever done, and also the most rewarding. The highs and lows, the small victories and the occasional heartbreaks, the laughter in the hallways, and the tough conversations, it’s all part of shaping something bigger than ourselves.
Yet even as we celebrate academic success, I think we’d all agree: we don’t measure what’s most important.
The world around us feels a little more fractured than before. I believe one reason is that we’ve become a little too inward-focused. We are too quick to protect our own opinions instead of understanding others. At HCA, part of our mission is to create humans who are better than when they first walked through our doors.
We need better humans.
What does that mean? It means people who honor our HCA Mindsets:
People who listen to understand, not just to reply.
People who are open to other perspectives, even when it’s uncomfortable.
People who solve conflicts with pace and grace, not pressure and blame.
People who show up with service, connection, and heart.
And you don’t have to look far to see this work in action.
Just this past week, we watched a student with autism—who once couldn’t walk alone around campus—make it all the way from his car to the school entrance with very little prompting. We celebrated a senior who’s worked tirelessly to overcome challenges and earn an acceptance letter to his dream college. We saw a student who was once so shy he wouldn’t make eye contact become a confident performer on our theater stage. We witnessed teachers leading, learning, and stretching themselves to make an even bigger impact in our hallways.
That’s just this week. Imagine the stories unfolding here every single day.
If I were the State Superintendent of Education, I’d love to see one more box added beside those test score charts. Maybe something like this:
Is this student a better human than when they arrived?
Side note: I am becoming a better human by being our leader. 🙂
We added things to public school like, Social Emotionally Learning, Restorative Practrices, Collective Leadership just to name a few to make our school home a place of learning and growing for all its inhabitants.
If we could check that box and the one for academic growth, that would be a job well done.
We don’t always get it right, but we keep trying. Every single day. I’m proud of this team: our teachers, our staff, our families, who pour into students not just to raise scores, but to raise humans.
These are the people I’d want teaching my own child.
Call to Action:
As the report card results come out, celebrate with us. But also take a moment to ask yourself: What kind of world are we helping build? Together, let’s stay focused not only on strong minds, but strong hearts. That’s the real win.
-Dr. Ann Marie Taylor
HCA Chief Vision Officer