Keynote Speaker - Deion Jamison

Deion Jamison is the 2023 South Carolina Teacher of the Year. Before serving in this capacity, he taught 9th and 10th grade ELA at Legacy Early College in Greenville, SC, a charter school within the South Carolina Public Charter School District. He is the first Black male and charter school teacher to receive this honor.

He earned his undergraduate degree in Sociology from Clemson University and went on to teach middle school ELA in his former school district, Orangeburg County Schools. He would then go to earn his masters in education from Johns Hopkins University.

A conversation with dormmates about ACT scores changed his world, and thus, his passion for education was ignited. Recognizing the disparities that exist in education in both our state and nation, he committed to teaching not only as a career, but as a responsibility. Ascribing to the proverb, “to whom much is given, much is required,” he strives to be for his students what many of his peers did not have.

Deion’s commitment to education has been recognized by various groups, including the National Council of Teachers of English and Teach For America.

His greatest strength in teaching is recognizing and honoring the humanity and genius his students bring to the classroom. Before standards, objectives, and assessments, Deion believes in learning who his students and their families are and aims to provide his students with the agency to forge their own pathway and to help others along the way. He is most proud of cultivating brave and inclusive spaces for all students to thrive.