Administrators

Lifelong educator and leader dedicated to fostering an equitable and inclusive learning environment where all students feel safe, valued, and challenged. I am committed to cultivating opportunities for growth and success for every member of the school community.

Before joining Gilbert Elementary School as an assistant principal, I spent over a decade with the New York City Department of Education. My career began in 2013, teaching special education for five years before transitioning to a social studies teacher for one year. Over the next six years, I held leadership roles, serving as the Dean of Students for three years and then as an assistant principal for three years, all at the same school.

I earned a bachelor's degree in Childhood Education and Students with Disabilities from Dominican University. I hold a master's degree in Literacy from SUNY New Paltz and a School Building Leader license from the College of Saint Rose.

An educator for more than 20 years, Garner joined the Lexington District One family in 2007 to teach at Lake Murray Elementary School. For six years, he taught second through fifth grades at LMES, then at Pleasant Hill Elementary School, before moving to Lexington Middle School in 2013. Garner moved to LHS in 2021 where he taught U.S. history, world history and AP world history. In addition to teaching, he also founded and coaches the LMS Fishing Team. A fluent French speaker, Garner served as co-coordinator and chaperone for the Lexington One French Exchange Program for six years, working with educators and families in Lexington District One and Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Garner graduated from University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in educational administration. Garner has served on the AVID Site Team at LHS, and has certifications in Leader in Me and International Baccalaureate. He is a mentor teacher, 4.0 evaluator, AdvancED Formative Site Evaluator and an S.C. CERRA Mentor Teacher trainer for Lexington District One. Garner was a member of the Lexington One Teaching Children of Poverty Cohort, is certified in Teaching Students of Poverty and is a Google-certified teacher. He also holds Gifted and Talented and College Board endorsements. He is a member of the Palmetto State Teachers Association. In 2017, Garner joined the Lexington District One Aspiring Assistant Principal Cohort.

Mrs. LaRoche is a dedicated and results-driven educational leader with 13 years of experience in instructional coaching. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Erskine College in 2003 and a Master of Arts in School Leadership from Furman University in 2015.

Her career began as a classroom teacher, where she taught for a total of eight years in various elementary school grades. Following her classroom experience, she transitioned to instructional coaching at Heritage Elementary School, in Greenville before she moved to the Midlands. Most recently, she served as the STEM Coach at Springdale Elementary School. In her coaching roles, Mrs. LaRoche had a proven track record of fostering a positive learning environment, implementing effective educational strategies, and collaborating with staff to enhance student success. For instance, she also contributed to Heritage Elementary School’s successful proposal to become a Solution Tree 2024 Promising Practices School.

In addition to her coaching and teaching experience, Mrs. LaRoche has served as a Summer School Administrator and worked as a Summer Camp Instructor with Roper Mountain Science Center for many years.   She has held other key leadership roles, including School Test Coordinator, School Improvement Council Chair, and ADEPT/PAS-T Teacher Evaluator. For her accomplishments, Mrs. LaRoche was recognized as the TIAA-CREF Greenville County Schools Emerging Teacher of the Year in 2006.