South Carolina’s top teacher race gets a rematch in 2026

South Carolina voters will pick between two education leaders this summer to challenge the current state superintendent. Sylvia Wright, a former classroom teacher, is running for the Democratic spot for the first time. Lisa Ellis, who already held the party’s nomination in 2022, returns with her own ideas. Both women agree that early learning opportunities and teacher support matter most. Wright points out that fewer than four in ten kindergartners show up ready to learn because public pre-K only serves families below a certain income. Ellis blames years of tight budgets since the 2008 financial crisis for weak support across all grades. Their solutions differ: Wright wants free college tuition for future teachers if they commit to five years in South Carolina schools. Ellis wants fewer paperwork demands so teachers can spend more time teaching instead of filling out forms.The debate also touches on how schools attract and keep good educators. Wright wants partnerships with universities to grow the local talent pool. Ellis wants the state to stop adding new tasks without extra money or time. Both say their classroom years give them real insight into what schools actually need. One issue both candidates highlight is how little the public sees about what teachers accomplish with limited resources. Ellis asks voters to picture what schools could do if budgets matched student needs. Wright promises to visit every district, listen to teachers, parents and students, then build a shared plan for improvement. The Democratic winner will face the Republican superintendent in November’s general election.