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Our Victories

We can accomplish so much when we work together and speak up for our students, public schools, and communities.

For more than a century, The SCEA members have joined together with families and community leaders to advocate for our students and our public schools.

And along the way, we’ve accomplished quite a bit.

Take a look at what we can do together when we use our collective power to speak up for students and educators.

The 21st Century

2023

Pay Increases for Educators

Budget proviso 1.3 includes a $2500 increase to the minimum salary schedule, bringing starting educator salary to $42,500 in 2023! The budget also increases State Aid to Classrooms from $4,895 per pupil to $5,377 per pupil.
2023
Pregnant teacher interacting with students

Paid Parental Leave for School Employees

Unanimous passage of H.3908 provides six weeks of paid parental leave to a school employee who gives birth or is "primarily responsible for furnishing the care" of an adopted child; also provides two weeks of paid leave for a parent who did not give birth and two weeks of paid leave at the start of a foster placement.
2022

Duty-free lunch back on the menu

Unanimous passage of a 30 minute duty-free break for elementary & special education educators through S.946—the first state-guaranteed unencumbered time of any kind passed in decades!
2022
A picture of three teachers with the text "more than praise...we all deserve a raise."

Minimum educator salary, bus driver pay, and supply checks increased

The higher of two raise proposals adopted in budget proviso 1.3, increasing the minimum teacher starting salary $40,000. Increased Bus Driver salary by 3% in 2022 budget proviso 117.149. Increase of the Teacher Supply checks to $300 in budget proviso 1A.9. However, as not all educators and school staff were guaranteed a raise, the fight for the pay members deserve continues!
2022

Voucher schemes stopped in their tracks

Defeat of Private School Vouchers. Fought voucher schemes like S.935 and H.4879 all session long and won final defeat at the last hour through bipartisan agreement.
2022
Legislators, ProTruth coalition members, and The SCEA President and members stand up a the ProTruth Press Conference. They hold signs urging legislators not to pass legislation that limits the history our students can learn.

Defeat of anti-truth censorship bills

Defeat of anti-truth censorship bills H.5183, H.4325, H.4343, H.4392, H.4799, and H.4605 and anti-truth censorship amendments to S.945. Members of The SCEA and ProTruthSC coalition partners across the state united to fight for truth and honesty in education. After many battles, we ensured this legislation didn’t pass into law in any form.
Pete Stone
A collective group like The SCEA is a proven, trusted network to support you in the ability to step out there and say “This has to change,” and you won’t be stepping out alone.
Quote by: Pete Stone, Teacher
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Your Voice. Our Power. Their Future.

The SCEA is an affiliate of the largest professional association of educators in the country. As the leading advocate for the schools South Carolina students deserve, The SCEA works to promote quality public education and to support public school employees.