New interactive website highlights Weaver’s failures and criticism from members of her own party
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Democratic Party today launched “Weaver Failed the Test,” a new interactive website exposing State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver’s troubling record and giving South Carolinians a closer look at the person responsible for overseeing their children’s education.
Available at weaverfailedthetest.com, the website comes as Weaver faces growing scrutiny over her management of South Carolina’s school voucher program. A September report revealed that only about one in ten of the 2,880 students initially enrolled in the program’s first year had usable test results, leaving state officials unable to determine whether the program was improving student outcomes.
“Ellen Weaver has spent four years lecturing South Carolina schools about accountability. Now it’s her turn to answer some questions,” said South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain. “Her department can’t even provide the information needed to tell us whether her voucher program is working, and Republicans who helped write the law are questioning whether they can trust her. South Carolina families deserve answers, and our children deserve a Superintendent who puts their education ahead of politics.”
Members of Weaver’s own party have also raised serious concerns. Republican Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told Weaver there was a “real trust problem” after her department distributed vouchers to homeschooling families despite lawmakers’ stated intent to exclude them. Republican Senate Education Chairman Greg Hembree called the department’s approach a “catastrophe,” while Republican Rep. Neal Collins described the lack of accountability in the voucher program as a “failure.”
Beyond the voucher controversy, the website examines other decisions that have drawn widespread criticism during Weaver’s term, including restrictions on AP African American Studies and the removal of books from school libraries. The site also resurfaces questions surrounding the accelerated master’s degree she obtained during her 2022 campaign in order to meet the legal qualifications for the office.
Additionally, the website introduces voters to Sylvia Wright, the Democratic nominee for State Superintendent of Education, contrasting Weaver’s political background with Wright’s more than two decades of experience as an educator and school administrator.
The website features an interactive quiz, a timeline of Weaver’s controversial decisions, and sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers who have questioned her judgment and leadership. Every claim is backed by publicly available reporting and records, giving South Carolinians the opportunity to examine Weaver’s record for themselves before Election Day.
