The Revelation of a Political Superintendent

For the past two years, Ellen Weaver has proven why a political superintendent with no background in education is not the answer to improving public education in the Palmetto State. The unbalanced mixture of politics in education has led to a one-sided perspective that has disrupted our educational institutions.  

Almost 50% of students in South Carolina are reading below grade level, and over 50% of 8th graders are not ready for high school math. Banning books, severing ties with librarians, filtering public funds to private schools, eliminating AP African American studies, and endorsing controversial curriculum do not address the educational deficits in our state.

A superintendent with classroom experience knows that librarians do more than stock the shelves of the library. Librarians gather resources for teachers to assist them with a research unit, provide story time that reinforces classroom instruction, and implement schoolwide reading initiatives that motivate students to read. 

Weaver’s lack of educational leadership experience will further exacerbate the teacher shortage and achievement gap as she prioritizes her political agenda over universal solutions to the educational deficits in our state.

My experiences as a teacher, department leader, school coordinator, instructional coach, and district administrator have shaped me into the educational leader that our state needs at this moment. An educational leader who will strategically navigate the pathways of the evolving post pandemic educational landscape of virtual learning, proactive safe school measures, rising mental health concerns, leveraging AI technology, and retaining qualified teachers.  

As your next State Superintendent of Education, I will uphold the constitutional duty of the office as a true advocate for public education. This includes working with all stakeholders, especially students, to discover the specific needs of our schools and communities in order to use our human and fiscal resources responsibly. Instead of mismanaging taxpayers' money with one size fits all solutions, we will implement intentional solutions to the real issues that are perpetuating the educational crisis in our state.

Weaver said that she would not indoctrinate our children, and she promised transparency. Her disregard for librarians, divisive policy to ban books, secret deal with PragerU, dictatorial elimination of AP African American Studies, and unconstitutional attempt to filter 90 million dollars of public funds to private schools has revealed her true character. Maya Angelou once said, "When people show you who they are, believe them the first time!"  

Sylvia Wright