LAURINBURG — Scotland County Schools Superintendent Takeda LeGrand knows what it’s like to grow up in a small town. The Wadesboro native attended schools similar to the ones she leads. And she always had a love for teaching and learning.

Making history wasn’t on the list, but she did it anyway.

When LeGrand became the superintendent for Scotland County Schools, she was the first African-American woman to serve as the district’s leader.

“I know that I’m sitting here today, serving Scotland County Schools, because of my passion for learning and growing,” LeGrand said. “Because I was able to grow and learn, I was able to become a great leader.”

The journey

Wadesboro is similar to Laurinburg — a small town with a close community. It was in this environment where the seeds of LeGrand’s love of education were planted.

“I had a love for learning since I was a little girl,” she said.

Growing up, LeGrand said she was surrounded by people who valued education, from her grandmother to members of the community. That focus on education push her forward and she became a first-generation college graduate in her family. She said observing her grandmother, Georgia Knotts, caring for people, lead and serve people. Even though, her grandmother only had an eight grade education, LeGrand said she was the most intelligent women she’d ever known.

“My educators that I saw were in my public schools and my church, those were the educators who influenced me and who my parents and grandparents made sure I had connections to get me to summer camps and make sure I was involved in programs,” she said.

Legrand wasn’t just all books all the time, she was also an athlete. The future superintendent ran track in high school.

After high school, LeGrand attended the University of North Carolina-Greensboro., where she received her bachelor’s degree in health education.

Her first career aspiration was to work with primary and secondary health care prevention, she said.

“I wanted to teach people to live longer and make healthy choices after watching so many of my family members battle chronic illnesses and I wanted to think of ways to help us have healthier lifestyles.”

But LeGrand took a pivot and ended up working with young people instead of adults. She was teaching and thought she’d be there for just a year or so. Instead, she fell in love with it.

“Here I am, 19 years later, still employed with the state of North Carolina in public education,” she said with a smile. “And loving every minute of it. I truly love what I do. It’s hard work, but I tell everybody it’s heart work because I love serving. You have to have a servant’s heart to be in this position because you’re serving people.”

Being the first

According to a September 2020 article in the Gaston Gazette, 71% of North Carolina’s teachers are women. But “out of the state’s 115 school districts, only 31 — or 27% — are helmed by women,” the article states. Black women in these roles are around 10% nationwide.

LeGrand made history in Montgomery County as the deputy superintendent before coming to Scotland County. She was the first Black woman in that role, which she held for seven years.

But she isn’t about highlighting her achievements as the first, she’s all about helping the next person be better than she was.

“If it took me seven years to become a superintendent and I tell you what it was like, it should take you five. I tell people, I want you to be better than me. Somebody paved a way so I could get here, so my job is to make it easier or faster or more efficient for the next person. What can I do to help you?”

Part of the draw for LeGrand to come to Scotland County is the ability to connect with the community.

“I’m not sure a larger district would work for me, because I like to talk to people, I want to be able to see people,” she said. “I want to be connected to people and I do find pleasure in that. I do like the fact that Scotland County is small enough for me to know our people.”

LeGrand wants to see Scotland County become an ambassador of excellence.

“I would love to have our students, everyday, tell the story of Scotland County schools. I would love for our students to demonstrate mastery in various ways so we could recognize each of their talents and gifts. I would want our teachers and parents to see each other as partners in their child’s journey,” she said.

LeGrand also wants a culture of respect, equity and inclusiveness for all of our stakeholders, including our team members, so that each of them feel valued and included in this education process.”

Cheris Hodges can be reached at chodges@laiurinburgexchange.com.