Republican incumbent Ellen Weaver is running to defend her title of Superintendent of Education against Democrat Sylvia Wright and Baba Amin Ojuok (UCP).
Ojuok has not responded to our candidate guide questionnaire.
We will publish his responses here if we receive them.
Ellen Weaver (R)
What’s your top priority for education in the state and how do you plan to address it?
My top priority is making sure every South Carolina child has the foundation to succeed: strong reading and math skills, a great teacher, and a safe school. Every child is capable, creative, and full of God-given purpose. Our responsibility is to match that potential with high expectations and strong support, in every ZIP code.
We’ve restored phonics-based reading instruction, trained more than 20,000 educators in the Science of Reading, and launched the Palmetto Math Project. My next term will build on that work: getting struggling students help earlier, equipping teachers with effective materials and training, and giving parents meaningful options. We are making progress, but we are not finished until that progress reaches every child.
What do you think the path to improving test scores and graduation rates in SC is?
Our latest results show what is possible. South Carolina now has 320 Excellent schools, up from 270, and an on-time graduation rate of 87.5%, the highest in a decade. Some of our strongest gains came from high-poverty schools. Our students, teachers, families, and school leaders earned those results. Source
It starts with getting the fundamentals right and following through. Children need to learn to read, build a strong foundation in math, and get extra help as soon as they fall behind. Teachers need the training, resources, and classroom time to make that happen.
The next step is to build on what is working: strong instruction, early intervention, focused classrooms, and clear pathways to college and careers. A diploma should mean a student is prepared for what comes next.
How do you plan to address salary and retention concerns for teachers across the state?
Teachers deserve competitive pay and working conditions that make them want to stay. Working with Governor McMaster and the General Assembly, we’ve increased starting teacher pay by more than $10,000 to $50,500 and secured paid parental leave. I will keep making teacher compensation a priority, including support for experienced educators who have dedicated their careers to our students. Salary schedule
Pay is essential, and teachers also need to know we respect their time and support their work. That means cutting unnecessary paperwork, providing useful training and classroom materials, maintaining safe schools, and backing teachers on classroom discipline. Our Free to Focus policy helps protect instructional time by putting phones away. Keeping great teachers requires listening to them and addressing the daily frustrations that drive them out of the profession.
What separates you from your opponents?
I have a record voters can measure. I promised higher expectations and stronger support, and we’ve delivered higher teacher pay, stronger reading and math instruction, safer schools, and more choices for families. I’ve built the partnerships with the governor and General Assembly needed to turn those priorities into action.
My focus will remain on continuing the progress our students and teachers have worked so hard to achieve. South Carolina education is surging.
Sylvia Wright (D)
What’s your top priority for education in the state and how do you plan to address it?
Lack of access to Pre-K programs. Our current 4K program is free if you qualify, or you have to pay for private preschool. Only 39% of students demonstrated school readiness in Kindergarten demonstrating the need for more investment in PreK. My plan is to work with the SC General Assembly and the Governor to expand our current program to universal PreK.
How do you plan to address salary and retention concerns for teachers across the state?
Teacher Exodus. Teachers are not only leaving the profession, we do not have enough student teachers to replace them. I will continue to work with the SC General Assembly and the Governor to increase teacher pay, but money is not the only factor. We have to respect them and treat them as professionals. So, in addition to increased pay and incentives, I plan to strengthen our leadership pipeline with training and mentorship. This will be a pipeline from teacher to administration to superintendent.
What do you think the path to improving test scores and graduation rates in SC is?
There is a huge emphasis on standardized testing, instead of growing students and closing the achievement gap. I plan to shift from SCReady to a growth model that focuses on strengthening our students and allowing them to become more active participants in their learning.
What separates you from your opponents?
I have worked on every single level in education - from a classroom Teacher to a District Coordinator. I will also continue to engage with schools, families, and communities to ensure their voices are heard. For the past two years I have traveled around the state, listening to the voices of different communities. As State Superintendent of Education, I pledge to continue to hold Town Hall and Listening Sessions all over the state to make sure communities receive updates about the state of education and academic progress of their county and our state.
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
