Special Message

The Office of Leadership Effectiveness is pleased to announce dates for emerging leader cohorts beginning in the summer of 2025. Our mission is to increase access to highly effective teaching and leadership for every student in South Carolina. Participants in our cohorts build their leadership capacity in the following focus areas: instructional support, leadership styles, and talent management.

Each cohort is limited based on space, and interested participants should register using the links below. Please share with the appropriate staff and note the format for each cohort. The intended audience fulfills roles as school counselors, school librarians, behavior interventionists, career specialists, and social workers. Cohorts are facilitated face-to-face at the SC Department of Education in West Columbia, SC.

LEAD Cohort 21 (June 2025 start date)

LEAD Cohort 22 (September 2025 start date)

For additional information, see our website or contact Keasha Grant, ksgrant@ed.sc.gov.

School Social Worker Of The Year 2024

Congratulations to Colin Bauer!

Colin has directly impacted the Spartanburg community since 2017. He began his tenure in Spartanburg 7 as an intern and became the lead social work and McKinney-Vento liaison. Colin services as the lead for 14 schools and has coordinated the social and emotional supports for students and staff.

Colin has worked to ensure implementation of evidence-based strategies in Spartanburg District 7, including the development of behavioral health policies, practices, and programming to improve academic performance. He has provided support and training in establishing MTSS as well. Through these efforts, he has worked closely with community resources to help expand resources and training for suicide awareness, protocol procedures, and counseling services in Spartanburg County.

Colin truly has a social work heart. He was in Peace Corps for two years. He worked at DSS in North Carolina prior to moving to the Spartanburg area. He constantly tries to make services available for students and families not only in his district, but throughout Spartanburg County.

Friend of Social Work Award

Hand in Hand Community Ministry has been a moving force in improving the lives of students and families experiencing homelessness. Mrs. France started the program when she realized so many families were living in poverty and were not having their basic needs met. They have partnered with school districts to provide clothes, food, crockpots, mattresses, and other essentials for those experiencing homelessness and poverty in motels and throughout the community. Hand in Hand delivers necessities to families while also housing a pantry at a local church. Hand in Hand has been a tremendous asset in providing support to schools and families.

NATIONAL SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK CENSUS – RISE UP AND BE COUNTED!

The School Social Work Association of America has partnered with a research team from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work to conduct a National Census of School Social Workers. If you are a school social worker, Rise Up & Be Counted by completing a short survey below.

WHY PARTICIPATE?

Current information/data makes advocacy for our profession powerful!
Having accurate information to share raises the visibility of our profession.
Research data aids in creating school social work parity with other school professionals.
Advocacy for more school social work positions and effective ratios is possible!

This is important for our profession and every School Social Worker matters! Please share this website with your School Social Work colleagues! Anyone who is a trained school social worker should participate regardless of their work title.

Participate TODAY and share the link with all of your School Social Work Colleagues! https://www.sswaa.org/national-census

Special Message

Hurricane Helene

School Social Worker Of The Year 2024

Friend of Social Work Award

Congratulations Kimberly Fleischer

Support Person Of The Year

NATIONAL SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK CENSUS – RISE UP AND BE COUNTED!

Photo Gallery