The South Carolina Department of Education coordinates the State Teacher of the Year Program through the agency's Public Information Office. Each year, the State Superintendent of Education issues an invitation to the 86 school districts to participate in the state program. School district participation is optional. The process for selecting nominees to the state program varies from district to district. Many superintendents appoint a coordinator on the district staff.
Some districts involve their local parent-teacher organization or educational organization.
Some districts have selection panels consisting of local business and community leaders, district personnel from other school districts, or media representatives. The State Department of Education provides an application packet that may be used to guide the local selection process - and which must be used to submit a nominee to the state program. The South Carolina application packet and selection criteria are duplicates of those used in the National Teacher of the Year program. This year marks the thirty-sixth year of the South Carolina Teacher of the Year Program, a program designed to honor those who are representative of the State's many splendid teachers. The program has grown tremendously, with seventy-two districts participating in the 2001 program.