Ellen Weaver sworn in as SC Superintendent of Education

COLUMBIA, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - For the first time in nearly a decade, South Carolina has a new Superintendent of Education.

Ellen Weaver was sworn into office on Wednesday, replacing retiring superintendent Molly Spearman who has held the office since 2015.

Weaver, the GOP pick for the position, has vowed to raise teacher pay, get more parents involved in education and keep what she calls “political indoctrination” out of South Carolina classrooms. She supports school choice and voucher programs.

She released the following statement after taking her oath of office:

Weaver faced scrutiny in the primary election because she had not satisfied the requirement of holding a master’s degree before running for Superintendent of Education.

In October she received her master’s degree in educational leadership from Bob Jones University. A college accrediting agency announced they were looking into the policies and procedures for Weaver’s course, which was accelerated.