SAM presentation to SMC Faculty

Dr. John Stockwell, Executive Director of SAM (Spartanburg Academic Movement)  shared an overview of SAM with SMC’s faculty, staff and administrators on Monday, January 12, 2015. Dr. Stockwell served as chancellor of the University of South Carolina Upstate located in Spartanburg County; following service in other higher education positions in California, Indiana, New York, and Wisconsin.  He has served in numerous volunteer civic capacities in the County including the founding board chair of the Spartanburg Chapter of the Urban League of the Upstate; board member and chair of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, the Children’s Services Alliances, and the College Hub; and is currently a trustee of the Spartanburg County Foundation.

SAM is an “all-in partnership of schools and colleges, businesses, governments, foundations, faith communities and individuals across Spartanburg County in pursuit of high levels of educational achievement. Collectively, SAM’s mission is to measure academic accomplishment that matters, cradle to career; set achievement targets that escalate annually; align networks in pursuit of these targets; and, report progress with persistent regularity.

SAM, a commitment shared by educators, leaders and communities across Spartanburg County that our children will grow into well-educated, independent adult, is also a commitment to increase the importance we place on academic achievement for every child, from cradle to career and it’s a commitment to assure that our young people gain the education required for life and work in an economy that requires specialized knowledge to be productive. It is a sustaining commitment across our urban and rural county of 288,000 people to link the numerous resources we already have in place: our schools, colleges, and non-profit educational support partners.  This is a commitment to focus their unique missions on persistent and targeted gains in academic achievement at every stage of learning.  This commitment will do the most to advance our indicators of community well-being:  civic and public health, social and natural environments, and economic development.