State Superintendent Molly Spearman endorses Republican Ellen Weaver to succeed her
Republican State Superintendent nominee Ellen Weaver picked up a major endorsement Tuesday when the woman she aspires to succeed announced her support for the school choice advocate.
State Superintendent Molly Spearman, who endorsed Weaver’s opponent in the Republican primary, said Tuesday she was backing Weaver in the general election over Democrat Lisa Ellis, a high school teacher and founder of grassroots teachers group SC for Ed.
“I have known Ellen Weaver for nearly a decade and have been impressed with her work ethic, willingness to reach out to others and listen, and strong desire to make meaningful change for the students and teachers of our state,” said Spearman, a Republican who has served as South Carolina’s top education official since 2015, but opted not to seek reelection.
The outgoing superintendent’s endorsement of Weaver, who has no teaching experience and only recently completed the coursework for a master’s degree from Bob Jones University, is a departure from her endorsement of Weaver’s opponent Kathy Maness in the primary.
At the time, Spearman said Maness, executive director of the Palmetto State Teachers Association, was “the only candidate running that has the necessary qualifications, experience and track record of advancing student-first policies.”
Spearman advisor Ryan Brown said Tuesday that her endorsement of Maness in the primary was no indictment of Weaver, whom she has long held in high regard, but spoke instead to her longstanding relationship with the leader of South Carolina’s largest teachers group.
Weaver’s lack of a master’s degree, which since 2018 has been a requirement for the job, also posed a concern for Spearman at the time, Brown said, which is why she didn’t endorse Weaver sooner.
In a statement Tuesday, Spearman made clear her support of Weaver had been contingent on the completion of her master’s degree, which she finished in an accelerated six-month timeline that critics have called into question.
“With the completion of a master’s degree in educational leadership, Ellen is fully qualified to serve, and I’m proud to support her campaign to become South Carolina’s next state superintendent of education,” Spearman said.
Brown said Spearman, a former music teacher and assistant principal who served four terms in the South Carolina House before being elected state schools chief in 2014, understood her endorsement of a non-educator might result in blowback from teachers who support Ellis.
While there is no substitute for classroom experience, he said, Weaver’s outreach since the June primary and willingness to meet with and take feedback from teachers had impressed Spearman.
“One of the things that really engaged Molly about Ellen was as soon as the (primary) election was over, Ellen picked up the phone and called her and said, ‘I want to learn,’” Brown said.
He said at Spearman’s recommendation Weaver, the former chairman of the state’s Education Oversight Committee, had spent the past few months meeting with key educators to gain their understanding, trust and support.
“To educators who may be disappointed or view Ellen in a negative light, she’s picked up the phone,” Brown said. “She’s been willing to meet with people, she’s taken feedback and criticism, and she’s a better candidate for it.”
Weaver, who serves as president of the Palmetto Promise Institute, a conservative think tank she co-founded with former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, said she was honored to receive Spearman’s endorsement.
“Under her leadership, Superintendent Spearman has advocated for higher pay for teachers, implemented a school safety vision to keep our students and teachers safe and led the way in ensuring that our more rural school districts are run efficiently and sharing services to create better opportunities for their students,” Weaver said.
Spearman’s endorsement comes a day after former Gov. Nikki Haley and Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace announced their support for Weaver at a fundraising event in Charleston. Former Republican State Superintendents Mick Zais and Barbara Nielsen also have endorsed Weaver, while former state schools chief Jim Rex, the last Democrat to win statewide office in South Carolina, is supporting Ellis.
Ellis, the student activities director at Blythewood High School, could not immediately respond to a request for comment because she was tied up in the classroom, her campaign spokeswoman said.
This story was originally published October 25, 2022 at 11:00 AM.