ELECTIONS 2014: Common Core debate cools between candidates to head schools
Common Core isn’t the hot-button issue it was during South Carolina’s primary season for candidates vying to be superintendent of education. While Republican Molly Spearman and Democrat Tom Thompson...
View ArticleSC Democrats split in schools race
COLUMBIA, SC — Tom Thompson could have a more difficult time getting elected than other Democrats in South Carolina next month. Thompson’s opponent in the race for state schools superintendent, Molly...
View ArticleEditorial: Molly Spearman can help transform schools as SC education...
COLUMBIA, SC — SOUTH CAROLINA finds itself in a rare happy place when it comes to public education: Both major-party candidates for education superintendent are committed to working with school...
View ArticleEditorial: A review of The State’s endorsements
COLUMBIA, SC — THE CAMPAIGNING is over, and now it’s the voters’ turn. Here’s a review of our endorsements in today’s election: Governor. Democratic Sen. Vincent Sheheen is smart and studied and...
View ArticleMolly Spearman to lead SC Schools
COLUMBIA, SC — Molly Spearman will head S.C. public schools after defeating Democratic candidate Tom Thompson on Tuesday by a wide margin. Spearman, of Saluda, has led a school administrators’...
View ArticleSpearman leads SC superintendent money race
COLUMBIA, S.C. In the crowded field to be South Carolina's next schools chief, Molly Spearman leads the money race among eight Republicans...
View ArticleSpearman leads money race for superintendent
COLUMBIA, S.C. Republican Molly Spearman has raised more than 10 times the amount of Democrat Tom Thompson in their race to be South...
View ArticleEducation superintendent: Montrio Montess Belton (D)
Columbia, SC — Date of birth, including year: 1973 Number of years living in the district you seek to represent: Born and Raised in South Carolina Family (name of spouse, number and ages of children if...
View ArticleAtwater, Spearman lead in SC schools chief race
In the Republican race to be South Carolina’s next superintendent of education, Sally Atwater has out-fundraised the seven other candidates. However in the last 15 days of the primary race, Molly...
View ArticleFriday letters: Choose Spearman to lead schools
Columbia, SC — On Tuesday, voters will have the opportunity to select the Republican nominee for state superintendent of education in a runoff. In my opinion, that is one of the most important choices...
View ArticleEditorial: Belton is SC Democrats’ best choice for education superintendent
Columbia, SC — MONTRIO Belton talks about not being sure the state needs to be spending more on the public schools, and he talks about the need to give parents more options about their children’s...
View ArticleZais says he will kill Common Core
COLUMBIA Lawmakers who wanted to see Common Core disappear from S.C. classrooms could not kill the education standards this spring. But lame-duck state schools Superintendent Mick Zais says he has a...
View ArticleSuperintendent of Education - The candidates at a glance
Republicans Sally Atwater, 63, of Charleston Special-needs teacher, former executive director of President George W. Bushs Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities; also, worked in the U.S....
View ArticleSpearman leads SC schools chief race in fund raising
The Republican nominee for superintendent of education raised more money and has more available to spend than the two opponents she will face in November. Molly Spearman had raised $222,375 through...
View ArticleDemocrat running for schools chief says SC should focus on teachers for poor...
COLUMBIA, SC — The Democratic candidate for state schools superintendent said Wednesday he wants to attract teachers to high-poverty, low-performing school districts by providing them with better...
View ArticleSpearman is no fan of Zais approach to Common Core
A reasonable person could ask how Education Superintendent Mick Zais’ plan to strip all vestiges of Common Core from our state’s curriculum standards could drive me to apologize for endorsing him four...
View Article12 candidates vying to lead SC schools
COLUMBIA, SC — While one candidate for S.C. superintendent wants to legalize marijuana, another wants the NAACP to end its boycott of South Carolina. A third candidate has close connections to the Bush...
View ArticleChief of admin group runs for SC superintendent
The director of the state Association of School Administrators announced her bid Monday to be South Carolina's next superintendent, touting her various roles in education. Molly Spearman is now the...
View ArticleELECTION 2014: UPDATED -- Spearman becomes tenth candidate for schools chief
Note: This is an update to a story that ran on Monday's Morning Buzz. Molly Spearman, executive director of the S.C. Association of School Administrators, officially joined the race for state...
View ArticleTwo York Republican lawmakers back Spearman in superintendent race
Two Republican lawmakers from York County endorsed Molly Spearman in the race for state superintendent of...
View ArticleSC politics: Race for education superintendent flares
NORTH CHARLESTON — Race for education superintendent flares Two former Republican candidates took sides Friday in the GOP runoff for state superintendent of education. Both said initially they planned...
View ArticleCommon Core, evolution vs. creationism divide GOP candidates for S.C....
COLUMBIA, SC — Eight Republicans running for state superintendent of education faced off Tuesday in an ETV debate — staking out their positions on a range of issues from Common Core education standards...
View ArticleControversies over sex ed , Democratic past ripple through race for SC...
One candidate stumbled badly when asked about sex education in schools. The other was first elected as a Democrat. Tuesday’s runoff between the two Republicans vying for the GOP nomination for S.C....
View ArticleVoters to pick GOP nominee for superintendent
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Molly Spearman and Sally Atwater finished the eight-way GOP race to be South Carolina's next education superintendent within 1,500 votes of each other. Voters return to the polls...
View ArticleGOP candidates for education superintendent
Republican candidates for state Superintendent of Education: Sally Atwater Job: Special needs teacher Prior experience: Executive Director of Pres. George W. Bush's Committee for People with...
View ArticleEducation superintendent: Molly M. Spearman (R)
Columbia, SC — Date of birth, including year: 1954 Number of years living in the district you seek to represent: I was born in SC, left for about 8 years when first married; but, returned in 1984 to...
View ArticleSC Superintendent of Education endorses Childs in education chief race
COLUMBIA, SC — Republican Meka Childs picked up an expected endorsement from her former boss whom she hopes to succeed, state Superintendent of Education Mick Zais. “A woman of impressive intellect and...
View ArticleSC politics: Zais endorses Atwater, Haley appointee endorses Spearman
Schools chief endorses Atwater S.C. Superintendent of Education Mick Zais on Tuesday endorsed Sally Atwater in the Republican runoff to nominate his successor. “Sally Atwater will bring to the state...
View ArticleTemperatures rise in SC education superintendent primary contest
GREENVILLE, SC — Republican Molly Spearman is accusing Sally Atwater of ducking out of debating her one-on-one, and the third-place finisher is calling for Atwater to bow out, saying she is woefully...
View ArticleWinthrop Hosts Oct. 14 Debate For S.C. Education Superintendent Candidates...
(Source: Winthrop University) ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Winthrop University will host the three candidates for S.C. Superintendent of Education on Tuesday, Oct. 14, to debate their goals for...
View ArticleSpearman joins SC superintendent's race
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The director of the state Association of School Administrators is entering the race to be South Carolina's...
View ArticleMolly Spearman, Sally Atwater headed to runoff for Republican race for S.C....
Republican candidates Sally Atwater and Molly Spearman were neck-in-neck during Tuesday’s primary and now are headed to a runoff. Atwater, of Charleston, and Spearman, of Saluda, were separated by...
View ArticleFour lawmakers endorse Molly Spearman
Several lawmakers endorsed Molly Spearman for state superintendent of education on Tuesday. Those Republican legislators from rural areas of the state were: Sen. Billy...
View ArticleSpearman wins GOP nomination for SC superintendent
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Molly Spearman is the Republican choice to be South Carolina education superintendent. With 90 percent...
View ArticleSchool administrators chief is 10th candidate for top SC education jobMolly...
Molly Spearman, executive director of the S.C. Association of School Administrators, officially joined the race for state superintendent of education Monday. Spearman will bring with her about $30,000...
View ArticleMolly Spearman, Sally Atwater seek support and votes from ousted candidates
In order to win the Republican nomination for superintendent of education, runoff opponents Sally Atwater and Molly Spearman will need a little help from some of their one-time foes. “(You) hope that...
View ArticleSpearman, Thompson to battle for superintendent of education in November
COLUMBIA, SC — Republican Molly Spearman and Democrat Tom Thompson won landslide victories in their party runoffs Tuesday for S.C. superintendent of education. Spearman of Saluda easily beat Sally...
View ArticleGovernor's appointee to SC Board of Education endorses Molly Spearman
The governor's appointee to the State Board of Education, endorsed Molly Spearman in the S.C. superintendent of education runoff on June...
View ArticleEditorial: A review of our endorsements in Tuesday’s SC primaries
Columbia, SC — VOTERS GO to the polls today to decide the major-party nominees for both of South Carolina’s U.S. Senate seats, congressional races, education superintendent, lieutenant governor, state...
View ArticleMolly Spearman, Tom Thompson to battle for SC superintendent of education in...
Republican Molly Spearman and Democrat Tom Thompson won landslide victories in their party runoffs Tuesday for S.C. superintendent of education. Spearman of Saluda easily beat Sally Atwater of...
View ArticleEditorial: Vote for Tom Thompson in Democratic SC education superintendent...
Columbia, SC — THE DAY AFTER she finished at the top of the four-way race for the Democratic nomination for superintendent of education, Sheila Gallagher announced that she wanted to debate...
View ArticleEditorial: Molly Spearman is best choice among Republicans for SC education...
Columbia, SC — THE SUPERINTENDENT of education has to run the Department of Education, a huge state agency that handles nearly half the state budget. This is a job that requires significant...
View ArticleEditorial: A recap of The State’s endorsements in Tuesday’s SC runoff elections
Columbia, SC — THE TEMPTATION is great to sit out Tuesday’s runoff elections, since there are so few contests on the ballot, and we just voted two weeks ago. It’s a bad idea. The job of superintendent...
View ArticleEditorial: Spearman for SC education superintendent, McMaster for lieutenant...
WE WERE delighted to see Molly Spearman and Henry McMaster finish in first place in their campaigns for the Republican nominations for state superintendent of education and lieutenant governor....
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