Darlington County School District hires Dr. Celestine LaVan as director of elementary education
DARLINGTON, S.C. – The Darlington County School District recently hired Dr. Celestine LaVan to be the new director of elementary education.
Since 2013, LaVan has served as the principal of Joseph Shanklin Elementary School in Beaufort County School District.
Dr. Tim Newman, DCSD superintendent, praised LaVan’s experience and welcomed her to the district.
“Dr. LaVan’s broad experiences will benefit our district in many ways,” Newman said. “I have seen Dr. LaVan’s expertise on display at many statewide functions, and I am excited to have her on the DCSD team.”
Before her years as principal, LaVan served as assistant principal at Joseph Shanklin Elementary and Whale Branch Elementary schools. She began her education career as a fifth grade teacher at West Hills Elementary School in 2006 before teaching fourth grade at Beaufort Elementary School. She later worked as an instructional coach at Beaufort Elementary.
“I am excited to begin this journey in Darlington County School District,” LaVan said. “Working collaboratively with an emphasis on teamwork and a ‘students first’ mindset, we will continue moving our district in a positive direction and improve the educational outcomes for all of our students.”
She holds both a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Liberty University. She also holds a Master of Arts in Education from Ashford University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. LaVan is a veteran of the United States Navy.
The director of elementary education is responsible for assisting in building the capacity of principals to improve the conditions of teaching and learning in elementary schools while also ensuring the district’s mission and goals are achieved.