Carolina Journal: Carolinas united for academic excellence

Education
Blog · July 25, 2024

This op-ed was published in the Carolina Journal on July 25, 2024. It is written by Bryce Fiedler, director of the Carolinas Academic Leadership Network, for which Palmetto Promise is a partner organization. It’s been over 300 years since the colony of Carolina was officially divided, establishing distinct North and South Carolina colonies. Today, as

With no court ruling, almost 3,000 South Carolina ESA families face uncertainty as new school year draws closer

Education
Blog · July 17, 2024
Schoolkids raising their hands in classroom

This piece by Lisa Buie was originally published on the NextSteps by Step Up for Students. It quotes a Palmetto Promise Institute statement. The latest: With about a month left before the new school year begins, nearly 3,000 South Carolina students and their families still face uncertainty as they wait for the South Carolina Supreme Court

Carolinas Academic Leadership Network Welcomes Founding Director

Education
Blog · July 16, 2024

Carolinas Academic Leadership Network (CALN) proudly announces the appointment of Bryce Fiedler as its first Director. Fiedler, formerly a Senior Policy Analyst with the South Carolina Policy Council, brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to educational excellence and parental empowerment. CALN, a collaborative initiative between the John Locke Foundation (Locke) in North

Livestream Report: Which School Districts Provide Real-Time Access to the Public’s Business?

Education
Blog · July 11, 2024

In the 2023-24 legislative session, Senator and Education Committee Chair Greg Hembree (R-Horry) introduced S.134, a bill that would require South Carolina school boards to livestream their meetings or make them otherwise electronically accessible in real-time.[1] The bill passed the Senate unanimously in early 2023 but unfortunately died in the House, after waiting an entire

Palmetto Promise Named Finalist for National Award – Cast Your Vote!

Education
Blog · July 1, 2024

The Palmetto Promise team is pleased to announce that we have been named a finalist for a national Communications Excellence award for the work we did spreading the word about South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Accounts! Out of 63 State Policy Network (SPN) affiliates, we were selected as one of three finalists for the Communications Excellence:

Palmetto Promise Hosts Successful School Board Training Event

Education
Blog · June 26, 2024

Palmetto Promise Institute hosted a successful training event for school board members, candidates, and community leaders on Saturday, June 22, in partnership with the Carolinas Academic Leadership Network. The room was packed with attendees from across the state, all passionate about improving our education system and bringing innovative solutions to the table. Our speakers covered

Education Reforms You May Have Missed in the 2023-24 Legislative Session

Education
Blog · June 5, 2024
People wearing backpacks

The 125th South Carolina General Assembly has made quite the impact in our state, from repealing CON to enacting our state’s first education scholarship account (ESA) program. Here at Palmetto Promise, we’ve talked a lot about the ESA bill and the tremendous impact it has for families across the state. More families than ever before