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Hope For Our Students
Priority: The Whole Child Approach to Learning
We cannot expect South Carolina students to succeed without first knowing their foundational needs are met. To set our children up for success, we must meet each student where they are and ensure their basic needs - food, safety, shelter, and a sense of belonging - are met.
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Prioritize social emotional learning and self-regulation to address behavior issues at the root-cause, allowing a more positive and productive environment for the student, teacher and classroom
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Better address the challenges 21st century students face by increasing the number of social workers, guidance counselors, and school psychologists within schools and throughout districts statewide
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Collaborate with community-based, governmental, and non-profit stakeholders to address systemic needs of children not limited to access to: quality affordable housing, food insecurity, health, transportation, child care and other identified needs
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Hope For Our Teachers
Priority: Recruitment & Retention of High Quality Teachers
From the State Department to the classroom, we must actively work to restore respect for the teaching profession in South Carolina. Our children’s futures depend on our ability to recruit, retain, and ultimately respect quality educators.
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Provide an enhanced tax credit and childcare vouchers to educators; partner with daycares and afterschool programs to ensure sufficient high-quality programs across the state
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Strengthen discipline policies that protect teachers in school and online.
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Establish a minimum uniform rate of $35.00/hr for professional development and meetings before and / or after work hours
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Ensure teacher preparation programs are giving teachers the tools to educate 21st century learners and evolve student teaching to a paid internship model (ie. Clemson and USC CAP’s mentoring / residency program)
Hope For Our Schools
Priority: 21st Century Learning & Career Readiness
Graduation isn’t the end, it’s a piece of the puzzle. Our schools must be equipped to support the development of students and prepare them for continuous growth.
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Provide individualized success pathways for every K-12 student.
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Engage: Allow students to take ownership of their learning instead of being told what to think
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Empower: Responsibly leverage AI technology and the blended learning model, and expand opportunities for Career Technical Education and apprenticeships in every district
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Elevate: Create a platform for students to showcase their talents and academic skills beyond the classroom, ie. Texas UIL regional competitions
Hope For Our Districts
Priority: Local Control & Collaboration
Education isn’t a competition; it’s a collaborative effort.
The sitting superintendent’s focus on politicking and centralizing control has fractured communication and trust - and our students are paying the price. We must work to unite stakeholders and improve synergies between the state department, districts, schools, and the communities they all serve.
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Improve and rebuild synergies between the state department, districts, schools, and the communities they serve
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Foster a more inclusive culture through proactive engagement with internal and external stakeholders through regional conferences and peer learning opportunities, and collaboration to better understand their needs, while also
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Learn, share, and model best practices between school districts, ie. the Coastal Community Foundation's 'Reimagine Schools' proposal to co-invest with Charleston County School District in turnaround plans for select schools, based on needs to be defined by community commissions
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Facilitate better communication by expanding the Communities in Schools program and by connecting partnerships to supply the needs of students, family, and community engagement
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Hope For Our State
Priority: Prioritizing Public Education with Transparency & Accountability
Public funds belong in Public Schools. With transparency and accountability, we must prioritize and fully fund the system that serves 90% of students in South Carolina.
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Ensure taxpayer money is allocated effectively for the betterment of all public school students
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Monitor performance of state and district strategic plans with rigor and accountability to taxpayers
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Work collaboratively with stakeholders to proactively identify, address, and solve areas for improvement
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Develop evidence-based research frameworks to collect, analyze and report data with actionable, solutions-based insights
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