From the Desk of Senator Tim Scott

Dear Friend,

Our nation has an amazing opportunity in front of us.

The question before us right now: will we renew and expand the promise of our country’s founding ideals…or continue down the slippery slope of discord and division?

For me, there is no more important tool in our quest to secure “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” for every citizen in our country than the power of a good education.

As I have often shared with young people I have had the privilege to meet, education is the closest thing we have to magic. And I’m living proof.

My family has risen from cotton to Congress in just two generations. How was this possible, you might ask? Most importantly, I had a hardworking grandfather who set a shining life example and a fair but firm mother—and eventually a mentor—who never let me accept failure. They pushed me, loved me, and wouldn’t allow me to let my struggles define my future!

I was also blessed to be born in the most remarkable country in the history of the world. A country that, even through our missteps, has never stopped striving to create “a more perfect union.” Indeed, where else but America could a poor kid from North Charleston have been blessed with such incredible opportunity?

But we all know that our shared work in this great American Experiment is far from finished. Too many children are trapped by their zip code in schools simply unable to meet their education needs. Too many teachers are beaten down by the same outdated system that seems too often to fight for itself, not the students, parents, or teachers in it. It’s time for something different.

“Palmetto Promise Institute’s work is laying the foundation for the bright educa­tion future that can be ours…if we have the courage to claim it.”

I may have taken my fight for education opportunity to Washington…but my heart will always be at home in South Carolina.

That is why I am proud to see my friends at Palmetto Promise Institute honor my grandfather, Artis Ware. I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to his life than supporting the fight to give every single child in our state the opportunity of an education that can unleash their full potential.

Palmetto Promise Institute is doing just that, harnessing research and relationships to create real impact: equipping leaders, shaping debates, and powering the reforms that put the needs of students—not systems—at the center of our education framework. Their work is laying the foundation for the bright education future that can be ours…if we have the courage to claim it.

COVID has put the spotlight on education like never before; this is our “education moment.” We have underachieved for far too long. Teachers and parents want more. Our students deserve more. It’s time for an education revolution that breaks through old mindsets and barriers to opportunity with the power of freedom.

It’s time for South Carolina to lead the way.

Together in Hope,

Tim Scott
United States Senator