Title 59, Education

Beginning with the school year 1986-87, the Commission on Higher Education, with the assistance of the State Board of Education, shall require all state-supported colleges and universities which offer graduate degrees in school administration to increase the entrance requirements…

All school administrators shall develop an on-going individual professional development plan with annual updates which is appropriate for their role or position. This plan shall support both their individual growth and organizational needs. Organizational needs must be defined by…

Funding authorized to be expended for assessments of prospective principals and for administrator leadership seminars must be expended for the new leadership assessment and for support of the school administrator professional development planning.

For the purposes of assisting, developing, and evaluating principals, the State Board of Education, through the State Department of Education, shall adopt criteria and statewide performance standards which shall serve as a foundation for all processes used for assisting, developi…

The General Assembly finds that the leadership of the principal is key to the success of a school, and support for ongoing, integrated professional development is integral to better schools and to the improvement of the actual work of teachers and school staff.

By January 1, 1999, the South Carolina Department of Education's Leadership Academy shall develop, in cooperation with school districts, district consortia, and state-supported institutions of higher education, continuous professional development programs which meet national stan…

In addition to other provisions required by law or by regulation of the State Board of Education, school administrators must contact law enforcement authorities immediately upon notice that a person is engaging or has engaged in activities on school property or at a school sancti…

The State Department of Education shall establish a Principals' Executive Institute (PEI) with the funds appropriated for that purpose. (1) A task force appointed by the State Superintendent of Education shall begin on or before July 1, 1999, to design this program so that the fi…

Beginning with school year 1999-2000, each school district, or consortium of school districts, shall provide school principals serving for the first time as the head building administrators with a formalized induction program in cooperation with the State Department of Education.…

No person who is a member of the board of trustees or a member of the immediate family of a member of the board of trustees of any school district shall be employed by the board as a teacher without the written approval of the board of trustees of the district and, when applicabl…

The State Board of Education, by rules and regulations, shall formulate and administer a system for the examination and certification of teachers.

(A) A person enrolled in a teacher education program in South Carolina must be advised by the college or university that his prior criminal record could prevent certification as a teacher in this State in accordance with State Board of Education guidelines. (B) Before beginning f…

All persons applying for certificates authorizing them to become teachers in the public schools of this State shall, in addition to other requirements and before receiving such certificate, be required to pass a satisfactory examination upon the provisions and principles of the C…

A full record of all teachers' certificates shall be kept in the State Department of Education showing the name, age, sex, color and date of certificate of each person and such other information as may be desired.

The board of examiners for teachers may charge a fee of fifty cents for every duplicate certificate. The proceeds from such fees shall be deposited with the State Treasurer to be used by the board of examiners to cover the expense and labor of issuing duplicate certificates promp…

The State Board of Education may, for just cause, either revoke or suspend the certificate of any person.

(1) incompetence; (2) wilful neglect of duty; (3) wilful violation of the rules and regulations of the State Board of Education; (4) unprofessional conduct; (5) drunkenness; (6) cruelty; (7) crime against the law of this State or the United States; (8) immorality; (9) any conduct…

No person's certificate may be either revoked or suspended unless written notice specifying the cause for either the revocation or suspension has been given to the person by the State Board of Education and a hearing has been afforded such person.

Whenever the State Board of Education either revokes or suspends a certificate of any person it shall immediately notify the chairman of the district board of trustees that employs such person of the revocation or suspension.

The revocation or suspension of the certificate of any person shall terminate the employment of such person until such time as a decision is reached concerning the charge against such person; however, such person shall be paid until the final disposition of the case by the State …

No board of school trustees shall hereafter employ any teacher who has not a certificate to teach in the free public schools of the State. This provision, however, shall not affect the employment of any teacher now teaching in any of the schools of the special school districts. T…

Within fifteen days after receipt of notice of revocation or suspension, such person may serve upon the chairman of the State Board of Education or the State Superintendent of Education a written request for either a public or private hearing before the board. The hearing shall b…

The State Board of Education, for the purposes of this article, shall have the power to subpoena witnesses, to administer oaths, and to examine witnesses and such parts of any books and records as relate to the issue or issues involved.

Any party to such proceedings may cause to be taken the deposition of witnesses within or without the State and either by commission or de bene esse. Such depositions shall be taken in accordance with and subject to the same provisions, conditions, and restrictions as apply to th…

Notices to be given by a party shall be served upon the opposite party prior to the filing thereof. All notices shall be served in person or by registered mail.

The county sheriffs and their respective deputies shall serve all subpoenas of the State Board of Education and shall receive the same fees as are now provided by law for like service. Each witness who appears in obedience to such subpoena shall receive for attendance the fees an…

(A) Upon application by the State Board of Education, the court of common pleas shall enforce by proper proceedings the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of books, papers, and records. The unexcused failure or refusal to attend and give testimony or produce…

The findings of fact by the State Board of Education are final and conclusive. A person aggrieved by the order of the State Board of Education, within thirty days, may appeal to the Administrative Law Court as provided in Sections 1-23-380(B) and 1-23-600(D), to review errors of …

If either the State Board of Education, the court of common pleas, the court of appeals, or the Supreme Court of South Carolina reverses the order of revocation or suspension, the person whose certificate had been either revoked or suspended by the state board shall be fully rein…

(A) The State Board of Education permanently shall revoke, refuse to issue, or renew a certificate without a hearing, if the holder of or applicant for the certificate pleads guilty, pleads nolo contendere, or is found guilty of the following crimes, whether or not a sentence is …

It shall be unlawful for any trustee of any public school or any superintendent or other official thereof to require any teacher to board or live at any teacherage or specified place. Each individual teacher shall have the right to choose his or her boarding place, and for so doi…

In addition to individuals certified for employment as school teachers pursuant to Article 3 of this chapter, a school district may hire individuals who have received a passport certificate issued by the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) and who m…

A person who has received a passport certificate issued by the ABCTE must not be hired by a school district in South Carolina without submitting to the State Department of Education, Office of Educator Certification at the time of application a Federal Bureau of Investigation fin…

A person who has received a passport certificate issued by the ABCTE, who has a minimum of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university or an institution with a teacher education program that has been approved by the State Board of Education for certific…

A person who has received a passport certificate issued by the ABCTE, possesses an alternative route certificate, and has been initially hired by a school district must be required, as a condition for professional certification, to successfully pass the South Carolina adopted ped…

The State Department of Education shall submit annually by March thirty-first to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly the total number of individuals employed in South Carolina with a passport certificate issued by ABCTE by district and nonprivileged information …

A person who has completed all requirements of this article and has been hired by a school district has the same responsibilities and rights as other teachers hired by the district.

In the event that a teacher takes the teacher's examination and becomes entitled to a pay increase as a result thereof such increase shall become effective and payable commencing with the semester following the date of examination.

(A) The boards of trustees of the several school districts annually before May first shall decide and notify, in writing through the superintendent, a teacher, whom the district employs concerning his employment for the ensuing year. If a board of trustees fails to provide notifi…

Certified personnel who have taught in a school district for at least one year and who are dismissed for economic reasons have priority for being rehired to fill any vacancy for which they are qualified which occurs within two years from the date of their dismissal. A school dist…

(A) A teacher who is reemployed by written notification pursuant to Section 59-25-410 shall before May eleventh notify the board of trustees in writing of his acceptance of the contract. Failure on the part of the teacher to notify the board of acceptance within the specified tim…

Any teacher may be dismissed at any time who shall fail, or who may be incompetent, to give instruction in accordance with the directions of the superintendent, or who shall otherwise manifest an evident unfitness for teaching; provided, however, that notice and an opportunity sh…

Whenever a superior, principal, where applicable, or supervisor charged with the supervision of a teacher finds it necessary to admonish a teacher for a reason that he believes may lead to, or be cited as a reason for, dismissal or cause the teacher not to be reemployed he shall:…

Teachers working less than thirty hours a week, but no less than fifteen hours a week, shall qualify for state health and dental insurance. The Public Employee Benefit Authority is directed to amend its "Plan of Benefits" regarding fringe benefits to conform to the provisions of …

Whenever a superintendent has reason to believe that cause exists for the dismissal of a teacher and when he is of the opinion that the immediate suspension of the teacher is necessary to protect the well-being of the children of the district or is necessary to remove substantial…

(A) A teacher may not be dismissed unless written notice specifying the cause of dismissal first is given to the teacher by the superintendent and the teacher is given an opportunity for an evidentiary hearing. The superintendent or his designee may meet with the teacher before i…