Spartanburg County Adult Education

District 7 schools and offices will be closed in observance of Independence Day on July 4th.

As we celebrate and enjoy time spent with loved ones, we honor the values that unite us as a community and nation. Together, let's continue to strive for a future where knowledge, understanding, and compassion prevail.

Wishing everyone a safe and joyous Independence Day!

Our next Referendum Community Info Meeting is coming up on Monday, July 15 at Drayton Mills Elementary School! Join us as Superintendent Jeff Stevens and District 7 leaders share information about the projects included in the August 20 referendum.

Please share our Facebook event to help spread the word in our community: https://www.facebook.com/share/pLKRd632Y6ZKTs6x/

More information about the upcoming referendum, including the full schedule of community info meetings, is available at http://spartanburg7.org/referendum2024

Our program is hiring part-time teachers for the 2024-2025 school year. Applicants must be certified to teach in South Carolina, and we have both morning and evening positions available. Retired teachers are welcome to apply!

Visit https://www.spartanburg7.org/jobopenings, click on "Open Job Listings" and search for Adult Education!

That's a wrap! Our 2023-2024 school year culminated in last night's graduation ceremony, but we still have one last group of grads to spotlight who finished last week. Just in time to walk across the stage! Congratulations to Bryson Bentley, Wilson Kelley, Ashley Lopez, Sheila Wheeler, and Ilda Sarmiento!

Office of Adult Education is closed today honoring the Juneteenth holiday.

Graduates - we will see you at 4:45 for rehearsal at the Spartanburg 7 Fine Arts Center. Family/friends - please make sure that you arrive and are seated no later than 6:45 pm so that you are able to see your graduate march in!

Congratulations Class of 2024 - let's do this!

Save these dates for Fall Registration! Please call us at (864)594-4428 if you have any questions!

Another amazing group of graduates that finished during our summer session! Big shout out and congratulations to Wendy James (Online Computer Programs), Brandon Hernandez (SCC - HVAC), Micha’el Carthen (SCC), Marci Munuia, Tatyana Diallo, Cesar Munoz. Not pictured: Rylan Lemmons, Landon Thacker, Mackenzie Hood, Arthur Beatty, Da’Shawn Charles-Wilson (SCC), Kayla Barrett.

Another amazing group of graduates that finished during our summer session! Big shout out and congratulations to Wendy James (Online Computer Programs), Brandon Hernandez (SCC HVAC), Micha'el Carthen (SCC), Marco Munuia, Tatyana Diallo (SCC), Cesar Munoz. Not Pictured: Rylan Lemmons, Landon Thacker, Mackenzie Hood, Arthur Beatty, Da'Shawn Charles-Wilson (SCC), Kayla Barrett.

School may be out for the summer, but we are still going strong! This recent group of graduates are seeking better employment, and some will be continuing their education. James McSwain (SCC - Information Technology)
Katie Kinne (SCC - Sonography)
Steven Gardner(SCC - Welding)
Ceronice Esterque
Mariam Rozvodovska

Not pictured:
Gabriel Harvey (SCC - Entrepreneur Certificate), Kelly Dinic (SCC - Mechatronics), Andrea Mashburn, Dyamond Gist, Ashley Wise, Eliana Myers

No classes today! Remember to take this day to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Enjoy your day off, everyone!

Don't forget! Our Summer session at the David Houston Center starts at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, May 20th for our morning students, and at 5:00 p.m. for our evening students. Classes conclude June 13th, just in time for graduation on June 18th. Let's finish the school year strong!

Make Summer plans with Adult Education! Summer registration begins this Monday at 8:30am! Give us a call for more information, (864) 594-4428!

Teacher Appreciation Week!

Mondays are hard! You know what makes them better?? Celebrating some graduates!

Congratulations to our most recent group!

Qiaoying Lou - former teacher in China who will be pursuing her teaching certificate here in South Carolina
Joseph Donnelly - Army enlistment
Christian Torres - Welding at Spartanburg Community College
Ricardo Hernandez
Cynthia Ridings
Not Pictured:
Bohdana Matthews - Accounting at Spartanburg Community College

The eclipse won't cast a shadow over these students...time to celebrate some graduates!! All of these students will be continuing their education at Spartanburg Community College. Check out below to see what is next for them!

Kenneth McSwain - Welding/Automotive Technician
Connie Larsen - Pharmacy Technician
Not pictured:
Josh Harvey - IT
Kennedy Mathews - Nursing
Yolanda Beal - Certified Nursing Assistant
Ashley Chaney - Phlebotomy
Cora Helms - Horticulture

was front and center this morning working with some of our recent graduates and some of our soon-to-be graduates. We love having them on campus whether it’s to administer the ACCUPLACER, assist students with filling out their applications, helping them fill out their FAFSA forms, or just answer simple questions about the programs that SCC has to offer. Mr. Mims and Mr. Caldwell are two of the best, and we are so thankful for our partnership!

Just thought we would share a lesson from class today at Middle Tyger Community Center!
Students learning circumference and diameter in preparation for their GED Math test.

Twin Day! Jeremie and Joel Muehlthaler both passed their GED today! They have only been in out program since December! These brothers have helped to tutor fellow students in their class and really are outstanding young men! Congratulations to both!

"My Next Move" Now that Ashton Payne is a graduate he plans to continue his education in Culinary Arts with the ultimate goal of owning his own food truck! He is originally from Texas-We can't wait to see what southwest flair he will cook!

Love seeing students tutor students. We have such a great atmosphere at Adult Ed -Not only do the teachers take pride in teaching but so do the students.

All Spartanburg County Schools will hold an e-learning day on Tuesday, January 9th. As a result, all Spartanburg County Adult Education classes are cancelled on Tuesday, January 9th. All of our students are encouraged to utilize their Aztec Software access for e-learning. We will see you back in class on Wednesday!

Come join us and become a grad like Eli Wright, Karrigan Tolleson, Josue Martinez, and Trey Bailey. Registration is January 8th
at 8:30 am for day class and then again 5pm for evening class at our David Houston Center! Click on link for website and more information.
https://www.spartanburg7.org/adulteducation

These two are starting their holidays off right! Congratulations to Precious Cathcart and Jermaine Sease who are now graduates! We look forward to seeing who is next! Classes will resume Jan. 8, 2024! Have a happy and safe Christmas break!

All of our students have a story and this one is about Alvaro Rubio Luna! He was told by his wife that he was not allowed to waste his free time while she was in cosmetology school here in Spartanburg. You see, Alvaro would drive her from their home in Newberry during the week so she could attend class. At first, he planned to visit with some old friends where he used to work in Spartanburg. Alvaro's wife quickly found him Spartanburg County Adult Education for ESL classes. Alvaro is bilingual in Spanish and English and needed to improve his confidence in his English speaking skills. He spoke with one of our teachers over the telephone and because of the teacher’s kindness and encouragement from his wife, he started attending with us in March of 2022. He progressed quickly with his English skills and was encouraged by his teacher and wife to enter the GED program. “No time needs to be wasted” he was thinking. He then found another world of opportunity. He worked hard and consistently, passing all three of the GED tests saving Reading, Language Arts for the last. As of November 30, he passed the RLA and is now a graduate. Now the question for Alvaro is what to do next, because no wasting time is allowed! He says, "Education is the best coin in this day and time. I am now going to enter college and study mechatronics."

Alvaro is a great testament to perseverance and commitment. He never voiced frustration and took one test at a time. We are so excited for Alvaro but we will miss him! He is such an encouragement and motivation for our students!

Yes this is our amazing Director! She has an awesome vision for Spartanburg County Adult Education and is such a wonderful team player with her staff and students!

Erin Black is transforming lives in every sense of the word, and success stories abound – like the newly single mom completing her diploma in just three months; or the young man who, finished his last GED test, and will begin work as an EMT. Mrs. Black, now in her 7th year as director of Spartanburg County Adult Education, a complementary program managed by D7 that serves students and adults in all Spartanburg County school districts, been so instrumental in the program's success.

Mrs. Black and her team enroll nearly 1,000 students each year, including 300 or more through the Spartanburg Detention Center. The program offers a variety of opportunities that include Diploma classes, GED classes, ESL classes, WorkKeys classes, and skills upgrade. The center's impact is powerful, both for the individuals served and for advancing our Spartanburg community.

Mrs. Black’s leadership has gained the attention of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA), the Chamber of Commerce's Spartanburg Young Professionals, the Upstate Workforce Investment Board's Youth Committee, the Northside Development Group, and the South Carolina Association of Adult Education Directors. She was named SCASA’s Adult Education Director of the Year in 2022 and her dedicated team of teachers also received SCASA honors for their successes and accomplishments.

Those entering the Spartanburg County Adult Education center may enter with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration, but they leave hopeful and encouraged about what they have accomplished. By prioritizing adult education, we give a promise of hope and opportunity to everyone with an aspiration to build a career for themselves, proving that it’s never too late to achieve your ambitions.

During National Principals Month, we say, thank you, Mrs. Black for extending D7’s mission "to inspire and equip" to both traditional students AND adults! We celebrate you and the important work you do to increase the educational attainment throughout Spartanburg County.