News Releases

Five high school students from across the Palmetto State were honored today at the South Carolina Department of Education for their winning essays on the impact of African American leaders from South Carolina on their educational journeys. The students were also recognized before the State Board of Education.

For the first time since the 2018–19 school year, the Marlboro County School District Board of Trustees has been presented with a balanced general fund budget that does not rely on drawing down the district’s already depleted fund balance and projects an operating surplus.

High school seniors across South Carolina who have committed to military service after graduation were honored today by the South Carolina Department of Education during the Military Honor Cord Ceremony at Fort Jackson.

Dr. Christie Palladino has been named the 2027 South Carolina State Teacher of the Year. State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver made the exciting announcement this afternoon during the South Carolina Teacher of the Year celebration held on the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion in Columbia. Dr. Palladino teaches at Aiken County Career and Technology Center where she leads the biomedical science program.

Educational excellence is being celebrated statewide as 378 South Carolina schools earn Palmetto Gold and Silver honors. The South Carolina Department of Education announced the awards for the 2024-2025 school year, recognizing schools for strong academic performance.

With more than 30 years of dedicated service in public education, Alex Wharton stands as a South Carolina Teacher of the Year finalist whose passion began with a simple but life‑shaping moment—watching a high school classmate struggle despite giving everything they had. That experience ignited in her a lifelong commitment to ensuring every student, especially those with disabilities, has equitable access to meaningful learning.

Dr. Christie Palladino discovered her passion for teaching through years spent caring for patients as an obstetrician‑gynecologist and conducting health science education research—work that revealed the profound impact of helping others learn, grow, and find their voice. Inspired by that realization, she transitioned from medicine to the classroom, where she now brings her real‑world experience and research expertise to students at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center. And now, she’s a finalist for South Carolina Teacher of the Year.  

Kaitlyn Rhodes’ passion for teaching is rooted in her upbringing in South Carolina agriculture and the life‑changing influence of the agriculture teachers and mentors who shaped her. Through livestock exhibition, FFA leadership, and hands‑on agricultural experiences, she witnessed firsthand the transformative power of experiential learning—an impact she now strives to create for her own students as a dedicated Horticulture instructor at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe. Now, she is a finalist for South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

Nashari Williams’ passion for teaching was sparked early in life and shaped by the powerful example of her mother, a teacher’s assistant in a special needs classroom. Watching the impact of patient guidance and unwavering support inspired her to pursue a career where she could make the same difference. Today, as a dedicated 2nd‑grade educator at Greenwood’s School of Inquiry–Hodges Elementary, Nashari is fulfilling her calling to create a consistent and nurturing classroom environment and now she’s a finalist for South Carolina Teacher of the Year. 

Meagan Johnson’s journey into special education began long before she stepped into her classroom at Royall Elementary School in Florence. Although she once dreamed simply of becoming a kindergarten teacher, her true calling emerged in high school when she babysat a child with Autism—an experience that ignited her passion for supporting children with unique needs. Today, she is doing just that as she teaches kindergarteners with Intellectual Disabilities, and she has now been named a finalist for South Carolina Teacher of the Year.  

Junior and senior high school students in South Carolina are invited to participate in Dominion Energy and the South Carolina Department of Education’s (SCDE) fifth annual Strong Men & Women in S.C. History essay contest. Winners will receive an Apple MacBook Air and $1,000 for their school or home-schooling association. The program builds on SCDE’s longstanding South Carolina African American History Calendar, which honors prominent African Americans in the state who have made noteworthy contributions. 

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is seeking local governmental agencies, school food authorities, faith-based, public/private nonprofit organizations, and individuals to participate in the summer meal programs that provide meals to children during the summer when school is out.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Dominion Energy, announced North Middle/High School’s Debra Norman as the recipient of the 2025 Principal of Excellence Award Wednesday.

Stories of Revolutionary African Americans whose courage, service, unshakeable faith, and unyielding quest for freedom for all helped shape South Carolina and the nation take center stage in the newly released 2026 South Carolina African American History Calendar.

South Carolina is making meaningful strides in strengthening its educator workforce. The newly released 2025 Educator Supply and Demand Report shows teacher departures have declined for the third consecutive year under Superintendent Ellen Weaver’s leadership and statewide vacancies have fallen to their lowest level in years.