Liberty STEAM Charter
Minutes
LSC Board of Directors Academic Committee Meeting
Date and Time
Monday September 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Location
LSC Network Office
108 N. Main Street
Sumter, SC 29150
This meeting is held in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. A copy of the agenda has been made available to the local media & general public.
Committee Members Present
(Tajma) LaShea Davis, Cameron Chandler, Jenny Knopf, Shafara Douglas (remote)
Committee Members Absent
None
Guests Present
Amy Hansen, Trevor Ivey
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C.
Invocation
D.
Pledge of Allegiance
Jenny Knopf led the Pledge of Allegiance.
E.
Reading of the Vision and Mission Statements
Cammy Chandler read the vision and mission statements.
F.
Approval of Consent Agenda
II. Academic Excellence
A.
Topics for Discussion
School Leaders’ Presentations
Special Populations Update – Nicky Pack
- Provided an overview of staff positions and the number of scholars served in special needs categories, including IEPs, 504s, interventions, and multilingual learners.
- Highlighted recent wins and advocated for additional staff to meet the needs of a growing scholar population.
Gifted & Talented / Academic Enrichment – Jane Hray
- Currently serving 106 scholars in 12 groups with seven learning goals and lesson plans.
- Emphasized the need for a JA/GT programming guide and the importance of GT endorsements in hiring.
- Addressed considerations for GT needs and expectations at the Junior Academy and High School levels as Liberty expands.
Culture Update – Micah Vaughn
- Shared progress on Culture Camp & Signing Day, Cultural Council, Scholar Supports, Mentor Training, and SEL Assessment.
- Highlighted the importance of the 5th Grade Possip Pulse Check and announced the Soar Store Grand Opening on October 29.
Committee Liaison Report – Dr. Michelle McDonald
- Provided updates on Transformational Coaching and Cognia, including: Learning Walks Calibration; Get Rubric in Action; Alignment Commitment & Effectiveness (ACE); Multi-source coaching decisions
- Shared Friday PD highlights and upcoming Lexia LETRS session at the end of September.
- Reviewed October priorities for Cognia, LEEA, and Transformational Coaching.
Executive Director’s Report – Dr. Trevor Ivey
- Shared updates on key initiatives, including: Recent site visits; adding science enrichment offerings; and the launch of a new Academy Best Practices Task Force to address topics such as uniforms, enrichment offerings, start times, and school calendars among others. members along with key topics and priorities will be identified for an October meeting.
Ms. Knopf noted as a result of discussion at the July retreat, recommendations for community representatives to committees are expected to be submitted to the executive committee.
III. New Business
A.
Directors' Suggested Agenda Items for Future Presentation
There were none.
IV. Executive Session
A.
Purposes of Discussion of Negotiations Incident to Proposed Property Contractual Agreements, Proposed Contractual Agreements, and/or Discussion of Personnel Matters
(Tajma) LaShea Davis made a motion to enter into executive session for discussion of a personnel matter.
Cameron Chandler seconded the motion.
The committee VOTED to approve the motion
After a discussion and upon consensus, the committee returned to open session.
V. Committee Action
A.
Any Action Related to Executive Session Item(s)
There was none.
B.
Committee Recommendations
The community representative recommended for the academic committee will be presented to the executive committee.
VI. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
- Special Pops and AEGT Overview for Board Academic SubCommittee.pdf
- Culture Updates.pdf
- Transformational Coaching.pdf
- 20250010 Henderson Collegiate Visit One Pager.pdf
- Henderson Collegiate Site Visit.pdf
- AE & GT by the Numbers (Fall 2025).pdf
- Festival of Windmills (4).pdf
(Tajma) LaShea Davis gave the invocation.