State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver shared the following statement regarding the passing of Dr. Barbara S. Nielsen, South Carolina's fourteenth State Superintendent of Education.
“Today South Carolina has lost an education champion, and I have lost a dear friend and mentor. Barbara believed fiercely in the God-given potential of every student and dedicated her life to equipping them to reach it. As a teacher, administrator, and State Superintendent, she was tough but fair, and she never lost faith in the hope found in a great education. Even in retirement, she never stopped fighting for students and teachers, most recently chairing SC’s Teacher Recruitment and Retention Taskforce in 2023. Her wit and wisdom will be greatly missed, but her shining legacy lives on forever in the lives of the students and state she served.” – State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver
Dr. Nielsen, the first woman elected to the position, served two four-year terms as State Superintendent from 1991 to 1999.
While in office, Dr. Nielsen coordinated the development and pushed for the passing of key legislation on education reform in the South Carolina General Assembly, the most notable of which is:
- South Carolina's 1998 landmark legislation, the Education Accountability Act (EAA)
- Legislation that established the first statewide full-day kindergarten program in South Carolina
- Legislation that allowed for the creation of charter schools in South Carolina.
Prior to serving as State Superintendent, Dr. Nielsen worked in education for thirty years as a teacher, an administrator, and an educational consultant. She graduated from the University of Dayton in Ohio and received a doctorate degree in educational administration and planning and a master's degree in guidance counseling from the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
