11/06/2022
Here is an endorsement from Mrs. June Lee, a retired educator in BCSD. If you could share this, I would appreciate it so much!
“Coull for Schools!”
If you live in Berkeley County and recognize the need for excellence in education, it is imperative that you take into consideration the character and credentials of those who are running for seats on our School Board.
I have known Arnold Coull, who is running for a seat in District 6, for forty years. We both taught English at Westview Middle School in the early 1980’s, and my earliest dealings with him as a fellow educator convinced me that he was a “born teacher” who genuinely cared for and meticulously prepared for his students. He was strict but funny, quite knowledgeable in his subject matter, and unusually creative. He had already been chosen Teacher of the Year by his peers a few years prior to our meeting.
Some years later we both taught at Stratford High where Arnie headed up the SHS drama department, producing award-winning plays (many of which were open to the public) year after year. How he organized well over one hundred teenage students into groups of actors, singers, dancers, set design and construction crews, costume designers, and publicity committees makes me – even now – too tired to think about!
Arnie went on to work in Berkeley County Adult Education and later as an administrative assistant, a special education coordinator, and an assistant principal at Berkeley Middle School. He completed his career as the Principal of Marrington Middle, orchestrating its transformation into a successful magnet school. Prior to his experience in the BCSD, Arnie had served as an English and drama teacher at Chesterfield-Marlboro Technical College, as the Headmaster of Cheraw Academy, and as the Headmaster of Lord Berkeley Academy.
Arnold Coull’s educational background speaks for itself. It is difficult to imagine someone with more varied, hands-on experience at so many different educational levels. However, at the beginning of this letter, I spoke of character, and that is the aspect of this man I now wish to address.
Arnie Coull did something in the spring of 1983 that changed not only my life but the lives of my family as well. He invited me to church. In fact, he kept inviting me until I eventually gave in and showed up. Arnie knew that I was dealing with the recent death of our young son, and instead of shying away from my hurt, he met it head on with what he rightly perceived to be a step in the direction of healing.
That is when I began to see – and have continued to see throughout the last four decades – a person genuinely devoted to young people and families. From working on Habitat houses and organizing several hurricane relief programs to starting a church camp for children in need, I could list example after example of Arnold Coull’s concern and action for people who found themselves in circumstances anywhere from challenging to dire. The Bible admonishes us to be more than simply “hearers” of the Word. We are to be “doers” as well.
That’s Arnie. He’s a “doer.” And after the years of drama on various theatre stages, I’m betting he can handle the “drama” of school board meetings. Yes, Mr. Coull is for schools, but more specifically, he is for kids and their parents and teachers and principals – and for all of us who want to see Berkeley County Schools thrive.
Sincerely,
Mrs. June M. Lee
