Scott Greene’s work in independent schools has spanned 36 years and taken him to five different states, where he has served in such roles as principal, assistant headmaster, academic dean, and director of learning centers and academic services.
“My first full-time job was in a psychiatric hospital school in Asheville, N.C.,” said Scott, the soon-to-be retiring director of Darlington’s Teaching & Learning Center. “I was a part-time teacher working with students who had learning and/or behavioral challenges. I worked there for 11 years, moving up into the position of principal. In this position, I realized that I have a real soft spot for students with learning challenges. I loved the challenge of helping them learn using nontraditional methods.”
He and his wife, Tonya, joined Darlington’s Learning Center team in 2017.
“Coming back to the South from New England, we wanted to find a school where we all could be together - Alexander (‘20) in the Upper School, Addie in pre-K, and Tonya and I working in a Learning Center,” he said. “Darliington was one of the few schools that met that criteria. We had friends who worked here (the Zazzaros) and heard wonderful things about the school from them. The campus itself made a very impactful impression the first time I saw it.”
Since their arrival, the Teaching & Learning Center has grown and expanded programming to include the Accelerated Learning Program for Dyslexia. Focusing on grades 2-5, the ALP provides necessary remediation with experienced learning specialists, while enabling students with dyslexia enrolled in the program to receive the full Darlington experience.
“I am fascinated by dyslexic students and have spent years finding ways to teach them effectively,” said Scott. “I have started programs for dyslexic students as well as other students with learning differences at several different schools … the Accelerated Learning Program here at Darlington is an example of one of those programs. I am very proud of this program and very happy that my wife, Tonya, will continue to oversee it after my retirement. She is a true expert in dyslexia and the ALP would not have been possible without her knowledge and experience.”
The Accelerated Learning Program for Dyslexia has been fully enrolled since the year it was launched, and Scott says the results they have seen have been impressive.
“Using the Orton-Gillingham method of teaching literacy, our learning specialists have seen tremendous growth in our dyslexic students,” he said. “Almost more importantly, they have seen the joy of learning return to students who had lost it. Students who thought they weren’t smart or that they didn’t belong at a school like Darlington have realized that they learn differently and if taught correctly, can achieve as much as any student here. They tell their parents that literacy is now their favorite subject instead of something to be dreaded, which had been their previous experience. Our parents have been very happy and supportive.”
Darlington’s Learning Center currently serves approximately 80 students in the Upper School and 75 in the Pre-K to 8 division.
“There have been many successes with the students in our Learning Center over my five years here,” said Scott. “I have enjoyed seeing students who were frustrated learners, who struggled academically become successful, see that they can achieve at the highest levels just like all the other students at Darlington.
“It’s great to hear from students years later about how the Learning Center changed the trajectory of their educational path,” he added. “Most say they were well prepared for everything they experienced in college. Self-advocacy and work ethic are the two areas that I hear made the most significant impact on their readiness for college. Our learning specialists do a fantastic job teaching students how to be successful and independent learners and those lessons follow them well after Darlington.”
As Scott reflects on his time at Darlington, he says the community has had a meaningful impact on his family.
“Darlington was truly the perfect place at the right time for each of my two children,” he said. “Alexander graduated in 2020 and is now a junior at University of Georgia. We adopted him from a Russian orphanage at age 20 months only to later find out that he was totally deaf. After receiving cochlear implants, he needed educational opportunities that supported his learning styles, and Darlington did just that. My daughter is currently a third-grade student and loves school and learning. She has friends from all over the world!”
As he looks toward retirement, Scott says he will miss the time spent collaborating with his colleagues and working directly with students.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my one-to-one time meeting with the Upper School students in the Learning Center to support them with their academic challenges,” he said. “I have also been blessed to work with some truly phenomenal faculty here. My wife, Tonya, as my right hand in the lower grades, has made my job much easier and efficient. The Learning Center faculty have been some of the most talented educators with whom I have ever worked, and Darlington’s administration has made a positive impact on my time here.”
As for what’s next in retirement, Scott doesn’t plan to sit still very long.
“I am fortunate in that I will get to make a hobby of mine more of a vocation after retirement from education,” he said. “I have bought and sold many houses in the past two decades and I will be working in the real estate business next year with the folks at Toles, Temple & Wright here in Rome."
And with Tonya remaining at the helm of Darlington's Accelerated Program, the Greenes look forward to continuing to call Rome home.
