News Releases

March 18, 2025
SCDE To Award $5 Million to SC Teachers for Measurable Student Growth: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announced the new schools that will be participating in the Strategic Compensation Pilot Grants, awarding $5 million to 37 schools across 29 districts for their commitment to accelerating student growth in English Language Arts (ELA) and math.

March 14, 2025
Hampton County High School's Jennifer Nelson Named State Teacher of the Year Finalist: Learning is about curiosity, problem-solving, and discovery—and Jennifer Nelson works alongside students and teachers at Hampton County High School to develop not just content knowledge, but a bank of skills they can apply in any setting. Her passion for STEM education and now instructional coaching has made her a finalist for South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

March 12, 2025
Batesburg-Leesville Middle School's Corey Bedenbaugh Named State Teacher of the Year Finalist: Teaching wasn’t always Corey Bedenbaugh’s plan—he once considered becoming a lawyer. But after realizing the profound influence his own teachers had on his life, he changed course. Today, as an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Batesburg-Leesville Middle School, he is making that same impact on his students. Now, he’s a finalist for South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

March 11, 2025
Starr Elementary School's Terri Ivester Named State Teacher of the Year Finalist: For Terri Ivester, reading is more than a skill—it’s a gateway to opportunity. As a Reading Coach at Starr Elementary School, she helps students discover the joy of literacy while also mentoring fellow educators. Her leadership has now made her a finalist for South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

March 10, 2025
South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind's Taylor Carvajal Named State Teacher of the Year Finalist: Taylor Carvajal’s connection to her students runs deep. Inspired by her legally blind grandparents, she has spent her career ensuring blind and deaf students have the tools they need to succeed at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind. Now, her dedication has earned her a spot as a finalist for South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

March 7, 2025
Lexington 4 Early Childhood Center's Miranda Grice Named State Teacher of the Year Finalist: Before children learn to read or write, they learn to speak—and for some, that first step requires extra help. Miranda Grice, a Speech-Language Pathologist at Lexington Four Early Childhood Center, has dedicated her career to ensuring every child has a voice. Now, her impact has made her a finalist for South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

March 3, 2025
South Carolina's START Report Tackles Teacher Shortages with Bold Solutions: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has released a bold and comprehensive blueprint to address the state’s teacher recruitment and retention challenges. Developed in collaboration with educators, policymakers, and national experts, the Strategic Talent Acquisition and Retention Taskforce (START) report outlines evidence-based recommendations to create a supportive and innovative environment for South Carolina educators.

February 20, 2025
Columbia Educator Surprised with $25,000 Milken Award: Forest Lake Elementary School’s lead interventionist Keighley George thought she was attending a schoolwide assembly this morning in honor of a visit from State Department of Education officials, but instead, she received a heartwarming surprise. George was presented with the Milken Educator Award, a prestigious national honor hailed as the “Oscar of Teaching” and recognizes exceptional educators for their dedication to excellence in education and leadership. Created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken, the honor includes an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize that the recipient may use however they choose. The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joshua Barnett presented the Award on behalf of the Milken Family Foundation.

January 30, 2025
State Superintendent Weaver Shares SCDE Budget Requests for 2025 with SC Lawmakers: Expanding the state’s Summer Reading Camps, increasing teacher salaries, and establishing a permanent, sustainable funding source for capital projects for rural and public charter schools are some of the top priorities for State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver in the new year.

January 29, 2025
SC Students Outperform National Trends in Latest NAEP Results: South Carolina students continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience as they recover from pandemic-related disruptions, according to the latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly known as the Nation’s Report Card.

January 24, 2025
Converse Bus Shop renamed after longtime SCDE employee: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) held a ceremony to commemorate the renaming of the Converse School Bus Shop to the David T. Brewington School Bus Maintenance Center on January 24.

January 17, 2025
SCDE seeks partners for Summer Meals Program: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is seeking local governmental agencies, school food authorities, faith-based and public/private nonprofit organizations to provide summer meals to children.

January 16, 2025
SCDE and partners unveil 2025 SC African American History Calendar: On January 15, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), in collaboration with its community partners, hosted the unveiling of the 2025 South Carolina African American History Calendar at the Koger Center for the Arts in downtown Columbia.

January 9, 2025
SCDE provides update to school districts on PowerSchool data breach: As the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) continues to monitor the scope of the PowerSchool data breach incident, the SCDE provided an update Thursday evening to school districts.

January 8, 2025
SCDE responds to PowerSchool Data Breach: Late Tuesday, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) was informed by PowerSchool of a cybersecurity breach involving its PowerSource portal. This was an international incident over which the state and local districts had no control.

November 25, 2024
State Superintendent of Education Weaver Statement on latest Educator Supply & Demand Report: State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver released the following statement in response to the release of the 2024 Educator Supply and Demand Report by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA).

October 22, 2024
Williamsburg County School District board earns increased governance responsibilities: In recognition of the marked improvement seen in student achievement data over the past year, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) will take the first step in transitioning more governance responsibilities to the locally-elected Williamsburg County School District Board of Trustees (the Board).

October 21, 2024
SCDE, SCDPS Stress Importance of School Bus Safety During National Observance: The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) and the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) held a joint news conference Monday morning to highlight the importance of school bus safety. National School Bus Safety Week, which runs from October 21-25 this year, is aimed at encouraging drivers to slow down, be alert, and use best practices on the road.

October 15, 2024
Pinecrest Elementary School's Barry Jacks Receives Principal of Excellence Award: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, is proud to announce Barry Jacks, Principal of Pinecrest Elementary School in Greenwood School District 50, as the recipient of the Inaugural Principal of Excellence Award.

October 15, 2024
State Education Agencies celebrate Academic Achievement of schools while stressing the need for statewide improvement: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC) released the 2024 SC School Report Cards at Pinecrest Elementary School in Greenwood School District 50. These report cards, available at www.screportcards.com, provide insights into student performance and school quality for the 2023-2024 school year.