News Releases

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and Dominion Energy are pleased to announce the winners of the third annual Strong Men & Women in South Carolina History student writing contest. One winner was selected from each of South Carolina’s five regions: Central Savannah River Area (CSRA), Lowcountry, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Upstate.

State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver announced today at the annual South Carolina Teacher of the Year event that Renee Atkinson, an English teacher at Aynor High School from Horry County Schools, is the 2024 South Carolina Teacher of the Year. 

State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver surprised Aynor High School's Renee Atkinson today with news that she has been selected as one of five finalists for the South Carolina Teacher of the Year award. 

State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver surprised Lexington Two Innovation Center's Anne Reamer today with news that she has been selected as one of five finalists for the South Carolina Teacher of the Year award. 

State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver surprised Ridgeland Secondary Academy of Excellence's Amsavalli Velayuthan today with news that she has been selected as one of five finalists for the South Carolina Teacher of the Year award. 

State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver surprised Clover High School's Wayne Williams today with news that he has been selected as one of five finalists for the South Carolina Teacher of the Year award.

State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver surprised Riverview Elementary School's Amanda DeMeio today with news that she has been selected as one of five finalists for the South Carolina Teacher of the Year award. 

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is seeking local governmental agencies, school districts, faith-based and public/private nonprofit organizations to partner with the Summer Break Café to become sponsors to provide summer meals to children. 

Junior and senior high school students in South Carolina will have a chance to win an Apple MacBook Air and $1,000 for their school or home schooling association if selected as a winner of Dominion Energy and the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) third annual Strong Men & Women in S.C. History student essay contest.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has published the 2022 list of School Improvement Designations. The criteria for determining these federal designations are established in South Carolina’s federally-required plan to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver released the South Carolina Department of Education’s (SCDE) budget priorities for 2023, during the S.C. House Ways and Means budget hearing as part of the agency’s annual budget request.

Today, State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver issued the following statement after being sworn into office.

At the December 13, 2022 meeting of the State Board of Education, Dr. Crystal “Crissie” Stapleton was sworn in as the chair of the State Board of Education (SBE). The SBE also unanimously elected Dr. David O’Shields as chair-elect while recognizing four members who have fulfilled their terms on the board.

State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced two South Carolina high school students have been selected as delegates to the 61st annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) that will be held March 4-11, 2023. Each delegate will receive a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship.

South Carolina students will be eating more food grown by local farmers as part of a
partnership involving the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and the South Carolina Department
of Education.

Under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) must award these funds competitively to high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) to fund activities allowable under section 4108 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). In accordance with the Stronger Connections Grant (SCG) funded under Title IV, Part A of ESEA, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is proposing the following definition of a “high-need LEA” and seeks public input.
 

State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman released the following statement in response to the release of the 2022 Educator Supply and Demand Report by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA). Additional information concerning Superintendent Spearman and the South Carolina Department of Education’s (SCDE) actions to address the state’s teacher shortage crisis are also noted. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded South Carolina more than $58 million to purchase electric school buses, as part of its Clean School Bus Program. The funds to the South Carolina Department of Education are the third largest award nationally. It will be used to purchase 148 electric buses for 16 school districts and support infrastructure for the new buses.