Together, the Charter Institute at Erskine and the South Carolina Public Charter School District serve 50,000 charter school students across South Carolina in traditional brick-and-mortar and virtual formats. In an effort to bolster support for these students, the authorizers formed a historic partnership, titled “Kids First”, which is committed to collectively prioritizing positive outcomes for students and families throughout South Carolina. The Kids First Conference provides a professional development conference for the boards and leadership of both districts’ combined 65 schools. 

Hosted by the Charter Institute at Erskine (Institute) and South Carolina Public Charter School District  (SCPCSD), the two-day conference gives teachers and school leaders a chance to hear inspirational speakers, legislative panels, and have a little fun.

“Our schools don’t have a lot of the weight and bureaucracy and regulations over the curriculum and the way it’s presented and provided through instruction in the classroom. Our instruction in the classroom is designed by the teacher, it’s more personalized and it meets each kid where they are,” says Superintendent for SCPCSD Chris Neeley.

“We believe it’s really important that you keep first things first. And you make sure that your teachers, your administrators, your school leaders and everybody understands that we’re in this business for one reason and one reason only, and that’s for children. And the education of the next generation of South Carolinians,” says CIE Superintendent Cameron Runyan.