Claims made about falsely-credited teachers, instructors at Midlands school

CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) – WIS is looking into claims that several teachers at F.E. Dubose Career Center in Clarendon County are uncertified.

The school is a career and technical education center where high school students can take specialized courses on vehicle repairs, early childhood education and cosmetology.

Another one of those programs taught the fundamentals of real estate, which listed La’Shon Horton as an instructor on the school’s graduation program and certificates.

But on the students’ course schedules, Stephanie Bradley was the teacher of the real estate class. Bradley is listed as the instructor of an introductory class focusing on early childhood education on the school’s website.

Students who spoke to WIS said they were surprised to see Horton, a licensed broker, on the first day of class.

“David Lloyd’s School of Real Estate. That’s where I went to get my instructor’s license,” Horton told WIS.

Under state law, instructors at career and technical education schools like F.E. DuBose must hold a valid teaching license.

A spokesperson with the South Carolina Department of Education said they have no certification records with anyone under the name La’Shon Horton.

WIS reached out to the district’s communications director, Dr. Keisa Carr, asking about Horton’s certification status. Carr is also the interim director of the career center.

“Ms. La’Shon Horton is affiliated with The Real Estate Playbook, an SCDE-approved brokerage company,” said Carr. “And provided instruction and testing within our state-approved real estate program. This program, which is implemented in other districts as well, is taught under the supervision of our certified instructor, Mrs. Stephanie Bradley.”

But when Horton was asked about that, she said Bradley was not in the classroom.

“Denise Ross, that was the other instructor’s name,” she said.

Ross is also not listed as a certified teacher on the SCDE website.

So, what does this mean for students? A spokesperson with SCDE said in a statement that in order for a student to receive credit, “the instructor must hold both a valid Instructor’s License and a valid SC teaching certificate.”

When checking the school’s website for other instructors, WIS found two more who did not appear in SCDE public records:

Erica Wallace, listed as an image editing teacher
Jennifer Wilson, listed as an automotive instructor

SCDE said Wallace holds “a valid CTE educator certificate at the induction level in the field of media technology.”

WIS has asked SCDE for an official determination regarding student credits and was told that the request is under review.

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