State Superintendent of Education Choose 1
ELECTION INFORMATION: The Statewide Democratic and Republican Primary Elections will be held Tuesday, June 9, 2026. You may vote in either the Republican or the Democratic primary. Your address indicates you live in the district for this race.EARLY VOTING: If you prefer to vote prior to June 9, 2026, you can vote during a two-week early voting period Tuesday, May 26 through Friday, June 5. Early voting centers are open Monday to Friday, excluding holidays, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Early voting locations are specific to the county in which you are registered to vote. For your location, check your county Voter Registration and Elections website or SCVOTES.gov.ABSENTEE VOTING: You may be eligible to vote absentee by mail. For details on eligibility and how to submit your request, see this SC Election Commission Voting Absentee page: https://www.scvotes.gov/absentee-voting.*****************State of SC Superintendent of Education -- The state superintendent serves as secretary and administrative officer to the State Board of Education. The superintendent manages public school funds provided by the state and federal governments. This individual organizes staff and leads the State Department of Education, including all divisions and departments. This is a four-year elected term.NOTE:This candidate’s responses were not available before our publication deadline. Voters are welcome to encourage the candidate to share their views. Updated responses will be posted as they are received.
Biographical Information
Website
http://www.ellisforsc.com
Email Address
info@ellisforsc.com
What will be your top priority for action as Superintendent of Education?
My top priority for action as Superintendent of Education will be to restore credibility and faith in the office. The Superintendent of Education’s main function is to serve as an advocate for South Carolina’s students, teachers, and families. In recent years, education in South Carolina has become increasingly politicized. As Superintendent, I would ensure that every decision made benefits the students of South Carolina public schools, rather than serving any agenda.
What do you see as the most critical issues for public education in SC and how would you address them if you were elected?
South Carolina’s public schools face three key challenges: teacher retention, curriculum censorship, and school safety. Retaining teachers requires not only better pay but improved working conditions, including protected planning time. When teachers lose that time to cover classes, it increases burnout; they should be compensated for it. Curriculum censorship has also risen, limiting access to books and undermining local expertise. I would repeal Regulation 43-170 and restore decision-making to local librarians. School safety is also critical. I would work with the General Assembly to ensure safety measures are fully funded, and schools remain secure for students and staff.
What would you do as Superintendent of Education to improve accountability for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund program?
While I believe public funds belong in public schools, as Superintendent, it is my duty to implement the policies established by our General Assembly. I will continue to push the legislature to establish transparency and accountability measures for any learning space receiving state funds, as long as the ESTF program remains law. This would include, but is not limited to, standards for curriculum, testing regulations, and student achievement measurement.
Biographical Information
What will be your top priority for action as Superintendent of Education?
One of my top priorities as Superintendent of Education is making high quality pre-K available to every four-year-old in South Carolina. The research is undeniable. Children who enter kindergarten ready to read and learn outperform peers all the way through high school. South Carolina currently serves less than half of its eligible pre-K population. Investing in early childhood education is a proactive approach with the highest return on investment in all public education.
What do you see as the most critical issues for public education in SC and how would you address them if you were elected?
One of the most critical issues for public education in SC is the teacher exodus. The testing culture and pressure to teach to the test is stifling teacher creativity and negatively impacting our students' ability to think critically. As State Superintendent, I will work with the General Assembly to establish legislation to eliminate end of year, high stakes testing like SC Ready and transition to a growth model similar to Florida. This growth model will provide students, teachers, and families with data that identifies areas of strength and improvement. This means individualized learning plans for students that allow them to set and monitor their own goals. This data will also help teachers and families support student needs.
What would you do as Superintendent of Education to improve accountability for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund program?
Before we talk about improving the ESTF program, it's important to highlight that this program violates Article XI, Section 4 of our State Constitution. If the ESTF program is unchallenged or if it is challenged and ruled constitutional, then my plan as Superintendent is to improve accountability by strengthening oversight with stricter program monitoring of providers and participant spending which includes verification requirements once funds are distributed, and implementing periodic reviews/audits of the program to include testing results as outlined by the law.