The South Carolina Department of Education headquarters in Lexington County (Provided by SC Department of Education)
As an educator, I remember the late nights all too well — the hours spent piecing together resources, searching online and crafting material.
Like so many educators, I wanted my lessons to engage every student and meet the expectations of rigorous state standards. It’s a Herculean effort.
This isn’t just my story. Across the country, countless teachers are doing the same, pouring their hearts into creating lessons from scratch.
Unfortunately, research from TNTP (formerly The New Teacher Project) shows that these well-intentioned, teacher-created resources align with grade-level standards only about 20% of the time, according to a 2018 report.
This is not because teachers aren’t working hard enough. It’s because we’re asking them to do too much with too little.
This status quo leaves students without consistent access to the quality instruction they deserve, and it’s exhausting for teachers. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
If we want to honor teachers’ time and position them to thrive in their classrooms, we must provide only the best instructional resources — tools that free them to teach, not force them to work long hours after school to fill gaps on their own.
Imagine asking a carpenter to build a house with a dull saw or bent nails. Even the most skilled craftsman would struggle to deliver quality work.
Teachers face a similar challenge when they’re handed outdated, incomplete, or unengaging materials and asked to “just make it work.”
By equipping teachers with quality, well-designed resources, we give them the tools to deliver meaningful instruction that meets the needs of all their students. These tools provide a reliable toolbox from which to work. These materials don’t stifle a teacher’s creativity. They enhance it.
But tools alone aren’t enough. Teachers also need meaningful professional support to help them succeed in the classroom.
In South Carolina, nearly 20,000 teachers have begun specialized training programs designed to deepen their understanding of how children learn to read, particularly in foundational skills like phonics.
These programs emphasize evidence-based strategies that equip teachers to teach essential skills such as decoding words, building fluency, and fostering comprehension. With this practical knowledge, teachers are better prepared to give every child the strong reading foundation they need to succeed.
When paired with high-quality classroom materials, this kind of professional learning has the power to truly transform instruction and help students thrive.
When we provide teachers with quality tools and meaningful professional support, we amplify their impact in the classroom. These efforts don’t just lighten their workload, they help retain passionate educators and improve outcomes for students.
Here in South Carolina, we’re making real progress.
Thanks to strong support from the General Assembly and the State Board of Education, the South Carolina Department of Education has adopted new instructional materials for English language arts, which are already being implemented in schools statewide.
We’re also in the process of reviewing math materials with the same level of care to ensure they meet state standards and provide teachers with the resources they need for student success.
These efforts are paying off. I recently spoke with a South Carolina teacher who shared how having access to new instructional materials freed her from hours of preparation.
“Now, I can focus on engaging my students instead of worrying about creating lessons from scratch,” she told me.
This is exactly the kind of impact we’re working to achieve.
When teachers have access to high-quality materials, they can spark curiosity, foster critical thinking, and promote the kind of lasting learning that sets students up for success — not just in school, but in life.
Let’s renew our commitment to supporting South Carolina’s teachers and students. By giving teachers the tools and training they need, we can ensure every child has access to an excellent education and the opportunity to reach their full potential.