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Ashley Hinson
May 2012
As a principal, Dr. Ashley Hinson saw many capable students for whom traditional high school just wasn't the right fit. "Some students got their diplomas, but they were destined for an entry-level job in the fast food industry," he says. "And I knew they could accomplish more."
Today as superintendent of Surry County Schools in the foothills of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, Hinson is thrilled that his district offers a different opportunity for those students through Surry Early College. "An early college high school diploma gives them a more meaningful diploma because they graduate with a jump start on a college education that many of them thought they could never achieve," he says. "Whether it ends with a two-year degree or a Ph.D., it's an unbelievable opportunity for these students to have college as a part of the normal high school experience. To be able to connect these students with the community college is one of the best things I've been part of in my 35-year career."
Surry Early College, currently in its sixth year, maintains a strong focus on first-generation college-going students. The school has become so popular that it has a waiting list- 135 students applied for the 80 slots available next year. Some graduates apply the transfer credits toward a four-year degree while others take the two-year degree into a career. Either way, Hinson says, it's not likely to be the end of their formal education.
"I see this as a huge part of economic development," he says. "If this county can produce students who have technology skills, teamwork, all the skills businesses are looking for, that helps our entire community."
Surry's three traditional high schools have also benefitted from the district's partnership with the NC New Schools Project in supporting the early college, Hinson says, allowing those schools to focus on their mission in a way they couldn't before. "After a trip to New York to look at strategies we want to use in Surry County schools, we brought back a learning management system for our 1:1 initiative that has kept us on the cutting-edge for the past year and a half." The Surry County Board of Education is forming a new BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy this spring that's among the first in the state to encourage students to interact with technology at school. Hinson says they are "pushing the envelope as a result of our exposure through NCNSP." Surry County is also part of NCNSP's Investing in Innovation (i3) grant, which looks to expand the strategies from early colleges into traditional schools.
Now Hinson is working with Davidson County Schools, the Piedmont Triad Partnership and the NC New Schools Project to develop a regional school-known as the Yadkin Valley Regional Career Academy-to expand high school innovation in his district.
"Although we are making strides, we still have students who are being served by a career and technical education curriculum from a by-gone era. We're providing instruction in trade and industries that aren't in demand," says Hinson. "I think it's a waste of time and energy for students, teachers and administrators to just be part of the status quo. We have to look 10 years down the road and provide real opportunities for students."
When the business community approached Hinson about joining planning the regional career academy, he says, it was "almost a god-send to find that kind of partnership." The district is working through challenges to make the academy viable, but he believes they can make it work.
Dana Diesel Wallace, NCNSP's vice president for school development, works with Hinson to bring these new programs to Surry County. "Ashley is constantly on the lookout for innovations that work to support the success of all students," says Diesel Wallace. "He never shies from the work of being a change agent and is supremely skilled at getting school and community constituents fully on board to support what's right for kids."
Hinson says working with NCNSP has helped him provide the opportunities and programs his students need. "It's helped our entire population in Surry County, and for that I'm very appreciative." He offers this advice for education leaders interested in bringing innovation to their schools: "If you believe that a particular program is going to benefit children the way this early college has helped us, be passionate about it. Don't be deterred by political issues. Work with your board of education about their concerns, work with all the constituents in your community to make sure that everyone sees what you can create for students' futures. Be professional, but take it on like a cause and give a voice to your students' needs."
Hinson has served as superintendent of Surry schools since 2004. He began his teaching career in 1977 in Clover, South Carolina, advancing to positions as assistant principal there and later principal before moving to North Carolina to be assistant superintendent for the Lexington City Schools. A native of Horry County, SC, Hinson graduated from Conway High School and received his undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina. He earned a master's degree and an education specialist degree from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, and his doctorate from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In addition to his public school career, Hinson served with distinction in the United States Army, attaining the rank of Sgt. Major. He was awarded a Bronze Star for service in Vietnam. -
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