South Carolina's top education official will not pursue another term.
On Wednesday, state Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman shared that she would not be seeking re-election.
"...Until the end of my term in January 2023, I will continue to work diligently to help us rise out of the pandemic stronger than before while advocating for the needs of our students, educators, and families," Spearman stated.
Spearman has served in multiple roles within education before becoming superintendent. In her statement, she highlighted these positions, such as being a teacher and a principal before working as a legislator, a senior staff member within the department and as an education association leader.
Spearman went on to discuss the challenges she faced upon her election in 2015, which included the state using nationalized Common Core Standards, having a low teacher pay rate and utilizing an aging bus fleet.
"Despite these challenges, we have made tremendous progress. We brought together South Carolina’s brightest educators, parents, and business leaders to write our own South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards. We pushed for additional funding for teacher salaries – raising starting pay nearly twenty percent and across the board salaries ten. We put a laser focus on modernizing our school bus fleet through innovative purchasing and technological advances giving us one of the most efficient fleets in the nation. We retooled our system of school improvement ensuring that each struggling school and district had boots on the ground support day in and day out along with a plan of action for improvement. We helped small districts prepare for the future while expanding opportunities for students through shared services and consolidation," she stated. "I am fortunate to have played a role in these changes that I feel have put our students, parents, educators, and state in a position that poises us to meet the challenges that lie ahead in the face of a global pandemic."
"More than most, Molly recognizes the power a strong education has on a child's life. Education empowers our next generation, regardless of their zip code, gender, race, or income, and she's worked hard to ensure children receive that education," said SCGOP Chairman Drew McKissick following Spearman's announcement. "We are grateful for her contributions to our state and Party and wish her well in this next chapter. Probably now more than ever, we've seen the government's increased involvement in the classroom and the massive need for school choice. COVID-19 has highlighted why one-size-fits-all learning doesn't work, and because of Republican common sense education policies and approaches, we feel certain we'll be electing a Republican State Superintendent of Education in 2022."
Spearman thanked family and friends for their love and support throughout her career in public service.