Public Education Partners

Public Education Partners Founded in 1985, our mission is to strengthen, support, and advance public education in Greenville County.

We champion teachers, equip families, and advance collaboration. Formerly The Alliance for Quality Education, Public Education Partners works exclusively to improve public education in Greenville County by engaging the community in supporting programs to increase student achievement and in advocating for excellence in K-12 education. A local education fund established in 1985, Public Education Partners helps teachers and students keep pace with the increasing demands of the 21st century.

A little time to connect. A little time to learn. And a chance to step away from the demands of the school day.We know t...
09/07/2026

A little time to connect. A little time to learn. And a chance to step away from the demands of the school day.

We know teachers are busy. That’s why PEP Talks on Tap is a one-hour networking and learning opportunity designed with educators in mind.

Join us this Thursday at Grateful Brew to kick off the series with PEP’s Catherine Schumacher. You’ll enjoy thoughtful conversation and a chance to connect with teachers from across Greenville County.

🍻 Come early and get a drink on us! Please bring a teacher friend and join us. We’d love to see you there!

Love first. Teach second. We were excited to join Greenville County Schools’ annual iTeach Future Educators Conference t...
09/05/2026

Love first. Teach second.

We were excited to join Greenville County Schools’ annual iTeach Future Educators Conference this week at Roper Mountain Science Center!

The conference brought together high school juniors and seniors who are considering a future in education for a chance to connect with educators, explore the profession, and get a glimpse at the future of teaching.

PEP Board Member JoKeitha Seabrook and PEP’s Taylor McLeer were there to greet students, answer questions, and share how Public Education Partners supports and champions educators across Greenville County. Enjoyed being with you all!

🗳 SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS: LET’S GET INFORMED.This November, Greenville County voters will decide six school board races,...
09/04/2026

🗳 SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS: LET’S GET INFORMED.

This November, Greenville County voters will decide six school board races, four of which are contested. On today’s episode of Simple Civics: Ed Talks, PEP President & CEO Catherine Schumacher and Greenville First Steps Executive Director and former school trustee Derek Lewis talk about this fall’s school board elections and what voters should know.

PEP has a longstanding commitment to providing nonpartisan information about candidates and public education issues to help our community make informed decisions.

🎧Listen in as we get to know the candidates: https://www.simplecivicsgreenvillecounty.org/episodes/edtalks-what-to-know-about-greenvilles-november-school-board-races

We’re excited to celebrate four recipients of 2026-2027 PEP Up! Your Classroom Grants at Rudolph Gordon School! These gr...
09/02/2026

We’re excited to celebrate four recipients of 2026-2027 PEP Up! Your Classroom Grants at Rudolph Gordon School! These grants give educators the resources they need to turn their ideas into meaningful learning experiences for students.

This year’s projects include:

🔢 Catherine Osborne, Kindergarten: New hands-on math manipulatives to help young learners build number sense, problem-solving skills and confidence through exploration and play.

📚 Carly Parker, Kindergarten: A collection of engaging children’s books to serve as mentor texts, strengthening reading, writing, vocabulary and language skills across the kindergarten team.

➗ Jenna Bryant, 7th Grade Math: Interactive math tools, including whiteboards, flexible seating and digital resources, designed to make math more engaging and create a classroom where students feel comfortable taking academic risks.

💜 Sarah Coffey, 6th Grade Counselor: A girls’ book club that combines reading with counselor-led conversations about friendship, confidence, resilience, identity and the challenges of adolescence.

Congratulations to Catherine, Carly, Jenna, and Sarah (shown with Principal Dr. Meredith Welch and PEP’s Taylor McLeer)! We’re proud to invest in your ideas.

📚✨ We were so excited to join the Cherrydale Elementary PTA for Bingo & Books Night this week! Families enjoyed a fun ev...
08/31/2026

📚✨ We were so excited to join the Cherrydale Elementary PTA for Bingo & Books Night this week! Families enjoyed a fun evening of free bingo, delicious pizza, and prizes while learning more about all the PTA has planned for the school year.

And, of course, we brought along our Little Book Stop with free books for families to take home! Thank you, Cherrydale Elementary PTA, for welcoming us! 📖

🌱 Niki Ferrell, a 4K teacher at Dunbar Child Development Center in Greer, has been awarded a PEP Up! Your Classroom Gran...
08/26/2026

🌱 Niki Ferrell, a 4K teacher at Dunbar Child Development Center in Greer, has been awarded a PEP Up! Your Classroom Grant to create a new school garden where her students can get their hands dirty (and their curiosity growing)!

With new raised garden beds, soil, and vegetable and flower seeds, about 160 students schoolwide will have the chance to explore science, ecosystems, life cycles and healthy eating.

And the learning won’t stop in the garden. Students will work together to care for their plants and may even partner with their cafeteria to turn their homegrown vegetables into something delicious.

Congratulations, Niki! We can’t wait to see what grows! 🌻

For Kristy Buchanan, PEP’s Teacher Fellows program changed the way she thought about advocacy. She learned that educator...
08/24/2026

For Kristy Buchanan, PEP’s Teacher Fellows program changed the way she thought about advocacy. She learned that educators don’t have to wait for someone else to speak up, and that one informed, engaged voice really can make a difference.

“Advocacy no longer feels intimidating; it feels like part of my responsibility as an educator,” she said.

Through this paid PEP fellowship, educators in Greenville County Schools build leadership and advocacy skills, connect with fellow teachers and community leaders, and gain a deeper understanding of how education policy is shaped.
If you’re ready to learn, lead and use your voice for public education, we’d love to have you apply: https://pepgc.org/what-we-do/champion-teachers/teacher-fellows/

📅 Applications are due Sept. 1!

Greenville has resources for parents. Lots of them. So why can finding help still feel so hard?Our latest Simple Civics:...
08/20/2026

Greenville has resources for parents. Lots of them. So why can finding help still feel so hard?

Our latest Simple Civics: Ed Talks episode digs into the difference between availability and access and what happens when the people trying to help families don’t always have an easy way to find the right resources.

Derek Lewis of Greenville First Steps talks with Dr. Tim Green of Openfields and Catherine Schumacher of Public Education Partners about new research, some surprising discoveries, and an idea taking shape called “No Wrong Doors.”

🎧 "Availability Isn’t Access: Helping the People Who Help Greenville’s Parents": Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

This summer, Tyler Pool (center) brought so much energy, initiative, and heart to PEP. She truly took ownership of our c...
08/18/2026

This summer, Tyler Pool (center) brought so much energy, initiative, and heart to PEP. She truly took ownership of our community engagement and outreach work, helping us connect with families and our broader Greenville community in meaningful ways.

As the daughter of educators, Tyler brought a personal passion for public education to everything she did, and it showed. We’re so grateful for the creativity, enthusiasm, and care she shared with our team this summer as part of the RISE program at the Riley Institute at Furman University.

Thank you, Tyler, for doing such great work for us and the Urban League of the Upstate! We can’t wait to see all the places your passion for education takes you next. 💜

Address

225 S Pleasantburg Drive, Ste E6
Greenville, SC
29607

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm

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