Biden Campaign Press Release - Biden for President Announces Nearly 200 South Carolina Educators for Biden

Columbia, SC – Today, Biden for President announced South Carolina Educators for Biden, which includes a chorus of nearly 200 educators from across the state who are endorsing Joe Biden for President. Palmetto State educators are announcing their support for Vice President Biden, citing his long record of demonstrated support for public schools, teachers, and students.

Biden has released a robust education plan that would invest in every child at birth, provide a path to careers for middle and high school students, provide more resources to schools, and give educators the pay and respect they deserve.

Last year, thousands of South Carolina educators courageously marched to the state capitol to demand just that from state lawmakers. Since then they have united and organized behind local leaders who prioritize an education policy that comes from the classroom. This group will undoubtedly boost our campaign's grassroots efforts on the ground with nearly 30 days left until South Carolina's primary.

Biden for President also named former Governor and Secretary of Education Dick Riley, former State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum, and other education leaders as co-chairs of the campaign's South Carolina Educators for Biden effort.

"Joe and I are grateful for every leader who stands by us in this race, but as a teacher myself, I am especially proud of the many educators who have joined our campaign," said Dr. Jill Biden. "Joe understands that the best education policy doesn't come from politics —it comes from classrooms and the educators who do this work every day. He will honor our profession with the respect and dignity it deserves —and that includes appointing a Secretary of Education who has public classroom experience."

"I'm proud to stand with Joe Biden once again in the fight to improve our nation's education system and support our country's educators," said Dick Riley, former South Carolina Governor and former U.S. Secretary of Education. "He was an excellent partner in the Senate during my time in the Clinton Administration. I am confident a Joe Biden administration will not rest until every child, no matter their zip code or the color of their skin, has access to a high- quality education. Joe understands the necessity of making quality education accessible to everyone. With Joe as president and Dr. Jill Biden as first lady, teachers, and students will have two true education advocates in the White House."

"In his decades of public service, Joe Biden has always remained laser focused on providing students and educators the resources they need to succeed, said Inez Tenenbaum, Former State Superintendent of Education and Obama-Biden Administration Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. "As the husband of a teacher, he knows the challenges facing the education system and has a bold plan to address it."

South Carolina Educators for Biden Co-Chairs include:

• Dick Riley, Former Governor and Secretary of Education
• Inez Tenenbaum, Former State Superintendent of Education and Obama-Biden Administration Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Yolanda Anderson, Richland District One School Board Commissioner
• Dr. Teresa Holmes, Richland District Two School Board Member
• Michael Coachman, Marlboro School Board Member

The full list of South Carolina Educators for Biden includes:

• Susan Alexander, Summerville
• Donna Allen, North Myrtle Beach
• Iman Alston, North Charleston
• Katherine Baker, Myrtle Beach
• Mary Barber, Catawba
• Doris Barnes, Elloree
• Lethonia Barnes, Florence
• Rene Barnhardt, Myrtle Beach
• Judith Beazley, West Columbia
• Laureen Billingsley, Columbia
• Jennifer Bishop, Columbia
• Vivyette Black, Greenville
• James Bowden, Fort Mill
• Lakeshia Brown, Orangeburg
• Candace Bruder-Brasseur, Beaufort
• Elsie Butler, Greenville
• Angela Calhoun, Conway
• James Clark, Greenville
• Valeria Cleveland, Columbia
• Judith Cline, Daniel Island
• Carol Leigh Conwellgodfrey, Greer
• Linda Cook, North Charleston
• Patricia Corley, Columbia
• Ruby Cue, Myrtle Beach
• Janette Davenport, Batesburg
• Norma Davis, Charleston
• Debbie Davis, North Charleston
• Joanne Devito, Summerville
• Edna Dewitt, Conway
• Joan Diaz, Bluffton
• Laverne Diggs, Aiken
• Dana Earl-Bruno, North Myrtle Beach
• Mary Edwards, Greenville
• Jill Ellenburg, Charleston
• Lydia Elmore, Laurens
• Gloria Elmore, Orangeburg
• Rosa Epps, Gray Court
• Mary Everette, Hollywood
• Willie Everette, Sr., Hollywood
• Etta Ferguson, North Charleston
• Francis Fernandes, Wilmington
• Debi Filomarino, Summerville
• Kristen Fink, West Columbia
• William Fitzmaurice, Surfside Beach
• Laura Flint, Murrells Inlet
• Frances Floyd, Marion
• Leon Fludd, Orangeburg
• Bonnie Fogle, Saint Matthews
• Barry French, Conway
• Lynne French, Conway
• Veronica Fuller, Orangeburg
• Alexander Garcia, Easley
• Hermenia Gardner, Gaffney
• Carla Gaskill, Pawleys Island
• Frank Gaskill, Pawleys Island
• Michael Gavins, Darlington
• Lois Gethers, Charleston
• Leslie Gilreath, Summerville
• Willi Glee, Charleston
• Nancy Glenn, Columbia
• Brittany Glover, North Augusta
• Darlean Gordon, Greenville
• Kim Gray, Rock Hill
• Jalysa Green, Graniteville
• Zackery Green, North
• Maryellen Greene, Daniel Island
• Cathy Gugino, Little River
• John Haffner, Goose Creek
• Deborah Hailey, Orangeburg
• Priscilla Hall, Greenville
• Susan Hall, Little River
• Cynthia Hall, Columbia
• Althea Hallwhite, North Charleston
• Julie Hamilton, Moore
• James Hannon, Orangeburg
• Arthur Hansen, Hilton Head Island
• Nathaniel Harrison, Columbia
• Jerry Hartsfield, Columbia
• Allison Hendricks, Myrtle Beach
• Donna Hinton, Latta
• Kenneth Hoffman, Beaufort
• Linda Hoffman, Beaufort
• Cobin Holmes, Winnsboro
• Clare Hoole, Pawleys Island
• Erica Hunter, Laurens
• Allen Hurst, Rock Hill
• Terry Irick, Orangeburg
• Melody, Irvin, Bluffton
• Brandon Irvin, Hilton Head Island
• Carletta Isreal, Kingstree
• Janon Jackson, Beaufort
• Valerie Lynn Jackson, Beaufort
• Ronnie James, Coward
• Jeanette Jeffrey, Orangeburg
• Velma Jenkins, Rock Hill
• Patricia Jones, Moncks Corner
• Barbara Jones, Jenkinsville
• Lavern Keitt, Orangeburg
• Terry Kitts Rivera, Greer
• Eileen Klang, Galivants Ferry
• Dave Landeo, Mount Pleasant
• Robert Larmon, III, West Columbia
• Suzanne Lee, Columbia
• Mary Leiter, Myrtle Beach
• Lisa Lemen, Hilton Head Island
• Charles Little, Charleston
• David Lucas, Orangeburg
• Gwendolyn Manigault, North Charleston
• Karen Mann, Simpsonville
• Patricia Martin, Conway
• Ruth McAllister, Greer
• Tamisala McCrorey, Rock Hill
• Lucille McCruel, Rock Hill
• Ruby McKenzie, Greenville
• Kirby McZeke, Loris
• Mary Means, Spartanburg
• Mary Means, Spartanburg
• Gary Minck, Georgetown
• Mary Morabito, Pawleys Island
• Karin Morrow, Bluffton
• John Mosier, Summerville
• Melissa Myers, Summerville
• Ginger Nelson, Columbia
• Todd Nelson, Columbia
• Barbara Nesbitt, Charleston
• Teanne Oehler, Myrtle Beach
• Noreen Oreilly-Hancheck, Conway
• Jackelline Owens, Greenville
• Barbara Palmer, North Charleston
• Roberta Papineau, Mount Pleasant
• Donna Payne, Walterboro
• Kaye Pendley, Williams
• Hyacinth Phillips, Gaffney
• Harriett Phillips, Spartanburg
• Maryann Pineau, Lugoff
• Thomalind Polite, North Charleston
• Samella Porter, Bamberg
• Maryann Pracht, Hilton Head Island
• Andrew Pracht, Hilton Head Island
• Paul Pritchard, Mount Pleasant
• Rebecca Pritchard, Mount Pleasant
• Helen Proctor, Spartanburg
• Bridgette Quiller, Graniteville
• Cynthia Rainey, Lexington
• Randall Reed, Columbia
• Sada Reid, North Charleston
• Tiereney Richardson, Columbia
• Rosalind Robinson, Spartanburg
• Gloria Rosemond, Gaffney
• Christine Sanders, Charleston
• Janice Schuppert, Hilton Head Island
• Elayne Scott, St Helena Island
• Susan Abbe Shapiro, Indian Land
• Harry Shealy, Aiken
• Margaret Shealy, Aiken
• Steve Silver, Charleston
• Jacqeline Simpkins, Johnston
• Martha Sinclair, Columbia
• Evelyn Singleton, Orangeburg
• Dot Skipper, Marion
• William Smith St Helena Island
• Jasmine Smith, Johns Island
• Steven Smith, Gaffney
• Ernestine Smith, Quinby
• Deloris Smith, Orangeburg
• Mildred Smith, Rock Hill
• Gwendolyn Snider, Orangeburg
• Saint Julian Snider, Sr., Orangeburg
• Naomi Stanley, Gaffney
• Elena Strauman, Charleston
• Brittaney Sullivan, Goose Creek
• Beverly Sullivan, Pawleys Island
• Delois Swinger, Simpsonville
• Edgar Taylor, Laurens
• Hope Taylor, Rock Hill
• Tanya Teich, Mt Pleasant
• Duane Thomas, Bluffton
• Sheila Thompson, Greenville
• Melissa Joy Turbeville, Conway
• Mary Ulmer, Cameron
• Destiny Walker, Aiken
• Bertha Washington, Saint Stephen
• Oneathia Washington, North Charleston
• Elizabeth Washington, Vance
• Tawain Watts, Beaufort
• Elizabeth Wenner, Wadmalaw Island
• Paul Westin, Taylors
• Crandall White, Orangeburg
• Angela Williams, Gaffney
• Peggy Williams-Grimes, Allendale
• Kathleen Witkowski, Hilton Head Island
• Loretta Wooden, Columbia
• Sylvia Wright, Summerville
• Craig Young, Greenville

This list of educators add to the more than 160 current and former elected officials, community activists, and faith leaders in South Carolina now backing Joe Biden. Nationally, Biden for President has announced more than 1,100 endorsements from national, state and local leaders, including current and former U.S. senators and representatives, governors, state elected officials, community leaders, and national security professionals.