Consultant Barnett Berry urges Horry County Board to reimagine high school learning

Barnett Berry, founder and president of the Center for Teaching Quality, delivered a short presentation to trustees focused on school redesign and strategies to support teachers in producing stronger student outcomes.

Berry told the board: "There can be no more top down, one size fits all approach to school reform," urging a system that supports teacher collaboration, more flexible learning ecologies and the concept of "teacherpreneurs"—expert classroom teachers who also spread practice and support peers. He described a vision in which brick‑and‑mortar schools become 24/7 community hubs and teachers work across cyberspace and onsite to reach more students and share expertise.

Lee, who earlier coordinated Berry’s visit, said the consultant had visited multiple high schools and praised existing work at AAST and St. James High School. Trustees discussed how district leaders could pilot classroom‑level innovations and how the board could provide direction and coverage for school‑level experimentation.

Why it matters: Berry’s proposals focus on redesigning structures and personnel roles to increase teacher collaboration and create practical supports for innovation. Board members said they wanted the district to consider targeted pilots and to continue follow‑up with staff and the consultant as the district finalizes leadership and governance changes.

What’s next: Dr. Ingram said staff would follow up with materials and suggested pilot options; trustees agreed to receive additional information and consider next steps once committees have completed governance work.