CEWL enjoys giving platforms to our members and education thought leaders so they can discuss the issues that matter most to them. Our panel discussions are designed to advocate for the policies and legislation we need to deliver the schools you and your students deserve.

Join Christa Franklin, Leigh Ann Freeman, Molly Kauffman, and MaryRita Watson for a conversation about supporting aspiring educators in South Carolina.

Nicholas Nostro is a 26 year veteran teacher who has held a variety of educational roles including elementary teacher, lead teacher, interventionist, and special education teacher. He will help guide us through the development of an individualized education plan.

Join us for a conversation with The SCEA President, Dena Crews. She talk about her formative experiences and what she hopes to accomplish during her tenure.

Join Dena Crews (The SCEA President), Dee Murph (The SCEA Member Advocate), and Al Nickles (The SCEA Attorney) for a conversation about the Educator Assistance Act. We will discuss the two days educators are supposed to have to prepare their classrooms, clarify confusion around recertification, and share insights around educator contracts.

Join us for a conversation with Melody Bolinger, Brandi Sturdevant, and Alana Ward, The SCEA's UniServ Directors. Learn how they support our members across the state of South Carolina.

Anthony Brisson (he/him) is has over 15 years of experience in the field of education as a former high school English teacher, adjunct college professor and education consultant. Anthony moved to Washington, D.C. because he wanted to have a direct impact on public education nationally to help advance equity in education, particularly for LGBTQ+ educators and students. Anthony has trained thousands of educators on various racial and social justice topics/issues: implicit bias, race class narrative, advancing racial justice, LGBTQ+ and intersectional identities, diversity, bullying & sexual harassment, cultural competence, and others. Anthony has a strong background in developing and maintaining relationships with national and governmental agencies, public speaking, training, and moderating panel discussions. Anthony currently manages over 50 trainers nationwide and serves as the lead for all LGBTQ+ issues for the National Education Association. Anthony oversees and manages 5 different training cadres, serves on multiple internal groups for curriculum design, and helps oversee LGBTQ+ partnerships and program implementation for NEA state and local affiliates.

Join author William Mayer for a conversation about his book, Are You a Kid Connector Today? Mayer believes that Kid Connectors go beyond just teaching content; they make lessons relevant to students' interests and connect them to real-life applications. They foster personal growth, creating a cooperative learning environment that emphasizes teamwork, discipline, and shared goals. Above all, Kid Connectors are dedicated to their students' success not only in the classroom or on the field but also in life after high school or college. Their greatest pride comes from seeing their students grow into successful adults, partners, parents, and leaders in their communities and professions. For a Kid Connector, this is the ultimate measure of success.

Join Mary Wood for a conversation about teaching in an era where censorship is threatening our freedom. Mary is an educator in Chapin, South Carolina, where she instructs juniors and seniors in Advanced Placement and upper-level English. Mary believes she can help to develop empathy in her students as they grow their understanding of unfamiliar cultures, belief systems, and ways of life. In the past year, Mary faced censorship in her classroom when students complained to school board members about a lesson on systemic racism, which resulted in the removal of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me from her students’ hands. What followed was a firestorm of calls for her termination from parents, legislators, and community members. Still, she continues to teach, pushing back against efforts to whitewash truth in literature.

Join us for a conversation with Tayler Simon (she/her), the owner of Liberation is Lit, a bookstore that aims to spark collective action for liberation and community building among readers and book lovers by promoting stories from intersectional experiences. Through Liberation is Lit, she also provides self-publishing book coaching to writers from historically marginalized identities. She has self-published three books, Phases: Poems, Writing Our Truths: A Guide to Self-Publishing for BIPOC Writers, and Love and Other Forms of Heartbreak. Tayler is passionate about promoting social liberation and bringing an anti-oppression lens to all industries, institutions, and fields, especially through the power of transformative stories.