Dr. Phyllis Gamble: Aiken County educator has been a leader throughout her life

Aug. 14—An ability to lead and a passion for children is what led Dr. Phyllis Gamble down her current career path.

Gamble, the assistant superintendent of middle schools for Aiken County Public School District, came to the school district in 2007. But before she ended up with ACPSD, she joined the Army where she worked in the Signal Corps.

"I started off in the Signal Corps at Fort Gordon actually, and that's kind of what brought me back down this way," Gamble said. "Then I finished up at Fort Jackson in Civil Affairs. When I was in, I started off as a lieutenant and did a lot of different jobs and made it up to major while I was in active duty. Then I went in the reserves and made it to lieutenant colonel."

Gamble said she enjoyed her time in the military because of the possibility for every day to be different. While in the Signal Corps she provided communication for those out in the field and for the battalion brigade. When she joined Civil Affairs, she worked as a liaison when they went to foreign countries.

"When we went to Afghanistan, I was a liaison to their Minister of Women's Affairs, their Minister of Health," Gamble said. "... I got a lot of opportunity to spend time with the children, the kids, the education system, which was nothing compared to this one, which makes us, me, so fortunate to be here because they had nothing. They appreciated what they had; they just didn't have very much."

After leaving the military, Gamble entered the education field because she always wanted to be an educator. She has a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Maryland in Baltimore County, a certification in special education from USC Aiken, a master's degree in education from Augusta State University (now known as Augusta University), and a doctorate in educational leadership from Augusta State University.

Gamble first started teaching at a school in North Carolina. What eventually brought her back to the CSRA was that she wanted to be closer to her sister, who lived in New Ellenton. In 2007, she came to ACPSD where she started as a special education teacher at North Augusta Middle School.

"I started at North Augusta Middle School because that's where my kids went," Gamble said. "My youngest son says we started sixth grade together because he started sixth grade when I started working there."

When she first started teaching, Gamble said she didn't want to teach special education initially and had actually gone back to school so she could teach elementary schools. However, that all changed thanks to a professor at USC Aiken.

"A professor at USC Aiken really convinced me that special ed was the place to go; and one of my best memories is when I taught self-contained special ed, and I have this philosophy that I don't want to put a lid on anybody," Gamble said. "I don't know what anybody's abilities are. I want to let them grow and just watching those kids grow — there were like 10 kids in self-contained — I see them now doing jobs out in the community, and I'm so proud of them. So, for me ... I think it's the most heartwarming because those kids are so real with you. They're just who they are, and you just be who you are and love on them and they grow. That's kind of why I was drawn to it."

As for what made her want to teach middle school, Gamble said it was because every day is different and she is a middle-schooler at the heart.

"But just seeing them grow up, and even I think about it now, I was moved because my last class of middle-schoolers I really knew graduated this year — the ones I knew from North Augusta Middle. ... I see them all around the community. They're doing things, and when they were in middle school you were like what's going to happen," Gamble said. "They turn out just fine; they just go through the process. For me, I like the whole uncertainty of and then helping them to become who they want to become, and then they're finding themselves. For me, I think that's just a great place to be — to be able to help them in that area."

She taught for six years and at that time the school district had a part-time teacher and part-time assistant principal program, in which she participated. Juggling being an assistant principal and teacher was challenging for Gamble, but she was able to learn how to manage her time.

After two years, she became the principal at North Augusta Middle School.

As for why she wanted to become an assistant principal and a principal, Gamble said it was because "leadership is my thing."

"I think that's why I went into the military, seeing the big picture and being able to put the pieces together, getting people to work together and empower other people to do what they're gifted to do. I felt like that was just a natural progression for me," Gamble said.

Four years ago, Gamble made the transition to her current position at the district office because she felt it was a good opportunity. Her colleagues when she was a principal were very receptive to her new position.

"I think, for me, it was just an opportunity to get all the middle schools to work together. Like I always tell them, we compete on the field; but when it comes to the academics, we're just one," Gamble said. "So if one of us rises, then everybody rises together. So we share a lot of things at our meetings, and I'm just so happy to see that piece when we're all working for all middle-school kids, not just for our communities. That's been a good thing for me."

As the assistant superintendent of middle schools, Gamble supervises the 10 middle school principals. They plan what is going to be done to help improve in all areas of the middle school. She is also on several committees, including a district one to help overall with everything ACPSD is doing in schools.

She planned the leadership summit that took place over the summer and was involved with the committee when COVID-19 first started.

"I do that and ... I go and just support the principals anyway they need," Gamble said. "Every principal, to me, has a different strength and different need; so I spend a lot of time out in the schools just helping them to improve their practices."

Jeanie Glover, chief officer of instruction with ACPSD, said Gamble has a magnetic personality that draws people in.

"She's a phenomenal leader. She is ruler of the empire, which is the middle school level; and her whole principal team knows it as the empire," Glover said. "So that was something she started, and they are drawn to her magnetic personality. She is, for our leadership team here at the district, she's the one who keeps us motivated. Not only is she extremely bright, but just fun to be around, so she makes coming to work a joy."

For ACPSD Superintendent King Laurence, he has known Gamble for years and said she's a wonderful leader.

"She has a real vision for what education should be and for what's important to communities and children and just does an incredible job," Laurence said. "She has a real interesting, fun, dry kind of wit; and she brings that into meetings and conversation and can really lighten a mood when a mood needs to be lightened. But at the same time, she's very serious and takes what she does very seriously and is just an incredible leader and is a true asset to Aiken County schools."

Leavelle McCampbell Middle School Principal Tiffany Hall said she has known Gamble for about five years and said she is a big fan of Gamble. Hall added that the two have a military connection and because of Gamble's experience she is a great leader.

"I think because of her global experience, she's very innovative. She's adaptive, she's flexible and selfless; and she's been a great mentor to me," Hall said. "The success we've been able to have at my school and other middle schools is due to her begin a strong advocate for us. When I've doubted myself, she's empowered me, she encourages collaboration instead of being divided and makes sure we have the resources we need at Leavelle."

As for what she likes most about her job, Gamble said it's working with the principals and being around the students and teachers.

"When I can sit down and be in a training with the teachers and be a learner with them, I think that kind of helps that I can do both," she said. "I can lead, but I can also be a learner because we're all lifelong learners and set the example with that."

When she's not working, Gamble is involved in the community.

She is a volunteer for the American Red Cross, a member of the S.C. Association of School Administrators, and a member of Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Gamble has also received several honors throughout her career, including being named teacher of the year, principal of the year and on the honor court for the principal of the year.

Gamble added that she very much enjoys what she does, and even her son has noticed.

"My son said that when I talk about work, they're like most people don't love their job as much as you do; and I'm very fortunate to be in a job I thoroughly enjoy, and I get up in the morning excited to come up with some new strategy or some new way we can improve on what we provide for our students," she said.