Local schools are celebrating American Education Week, and at Meadowbrook Elementary School, students and teachers dressed up as their favorite characters from a book Wednesday.

Some Aiken County parents and teachers voiced their concerns at a local restaurant amongst each other, Thursday night. This comes after two Aiken County teachers were charged with sexual misconduct at Leavelle McCampbell Middle School this fall. WJBF News Channel 6’s Fraendy Clervaud has more.

Two South Carolina high school teachers have won a national teaching award and its $25,000 prize. Katherine Henderson is an English teacher at West Ashley High School. Kenya native Robert Ondere teaches algebra at Lugoff-Elgin High School.

Local school leaders each made their own calls whether the President’s address would be showed at lunchtime, Tuesday. In Richmond County, the decision was left up to the teachers. WJBF News Channel 6’s Paige Tucker went to a school where most teachers showed the broadcast during class.

Aiken County students went back to school on Monday…to a few changes in the classroom. There are additional bottles of hand sanitizer around school, and there’s extra attention focused on hand-washing. District officials say one thing not ‘welcome back to school’ is the Swine Flu. WJBF News Channel Six’s Joy Howe has more.

This weekend, in Georgia, and next weekend, in South Carolina, parents are hoping to save some of their hard earned cash while buying things their kids need to go back to school. That’s because those weekends are sales tax free weekends for Georgia, and South Carolina, respectively. But, is a tax free weekend really a good idea this year? Let us know what you think in our web poll.

Governor Sonny Perdue is asking state workers, including teachers, to take furloughs. The furloughs would help cut $900 million out of the state budget. Local educators say this is taking a toll on education. Count on WJBF News Channel 6’s Fraendy Clervaud for more.

Richmond County School Superintendent Doctor Dana Bedden is facing to make deep cuts to his budget because school Board members voted against a tax increase. This year’s budget is now more than $1 milllon out of whack, and that’s not counting possible state cuts. But, board members say, in these tough times, it’s tough to ask taxpayers for more. WJBF News Channel 6’s George Eskola has the story.

Governor Mark Sanford fought hard to stop federal stimulus money from coming to South Carolina, but that cash may well have saved some jobs Tuesday night in Aiken County. The Aiken County School Board voted on and approved a $152 million budget for the 2009-2010 school year.

A new is budget approved for the Richmond County School System. Officials say it took a long time, but it’s finally here. Count on WJBF News Channel 6’s Fraendy Clervaud. He has the story.

South Carolina’s annual Teacher Expo to match teachers with school districts that have job openings looked a lot different this year. There were a lot more out-of-work teachers and a lot fewer school districts with job openings. WJBF News Channel 6’s SC Capitol reporter, Robert Kittle, has more.

South Carolina’s schools chief is meeting with educators in the state’s largest district to answer their questions. State Superintendent Jim Rex will meet Thursday with teachers and staff of Greenville County schools. The meeting is set to begin at 4:15 p.m. at J.L. Mann High School.

There are still teaching positions to be filled, according to an online teacher vacancy database maintained by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement (CERRA) in Rock Hill. And many of the more than 300 vacancies will be filled Monday, June 1, at the 21st annual South Carolina Teacher Expo co-hosted by CERRA  and the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA).

Some tough times ahead for the Richmond County School System as it gets ready to sign off on a budget that has some deep cuts. State law requires that the budget be balanced by June 1st. It has been a lengthy process with some hard decisions coming down from the Superintendent, and the Board of Education. Count on WJBF News Channel 6’s Renita Crawford for the story.

Governor Sonny Perdue, on Friday, announced the names of 112 new teachers who have earned the “Master Teacher” certification, a designation based on appreciable gains in student achievement.