Foundations for Success
Statewide Planning Process to Reduce Exclusionary Discipline of Early Learners
2026
In 2026, IMPH is facilitating an action planning process with the state’s experts and individuals with lived experience to develop actionable, consensus-based strategies to reduce early age suspensions and expulsions.
Taskforce Chair
The Foundations for Success Taskforce is chaired by Michael H. Leach, MMFT. Michael H. Leach is a leader in child and family systems and the former Director of the South Carolina Department of Social Services, where he served for more than five years. During his tenure, South Carolina achieved significant reforms, including cutting the foster care population nearly in half, improving permanency outcomes, expanding kinship care from 3 percent to nearly 30 percent, reducing reliance on congregate care, and strengthening workforce stability.
Under Michael’s leadership, South Carolina strengthened child protective services, built Adult Protective Services capacity, expanded prevention and family support services, and increased TANF related supports and access to concrete assistance for families. He led continuity of services and funding through COVID 19 and multiple natural disasters, ensuring families, providers, and frontline staff maintained access to critical supports.
Before leading South Carolina’s child and family agency, Michael served as Deputy Commissioner of Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services and held senior roles across foster care, adoption, independent living, and continuous quality improvement. His career has focused on prevention, family stability, and systems that support children and families across early childhood, child welfare, behavioral health, and community based services.
Michael currently serves as Chief External Engagement Officer at Think of Us and has recently testified before the United States Congress and published articles across multiple media outlets on child welfare reform and prevention.
He brings a practical systems perspective to the Foundations for Success Task Force, informed by experience leading large scale public systems and cross sector collaboration.
ISSUE Overview
Underscoring the importance of this emerging public health concern, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its policy statement for the first time since 2013 in 2024 emphasizing that “suspending or expelling a student is one of the most severe punishments a school can impose on a student – and it can have lifelong, devastating consequences.”1
Reported in 2024, “South Carolina leads the nation in the number of preschool children, ages 2½ to 5 years old, who are suspended from school one or more times.”2 This extends to children with disabilities, who are more likely than their peers to be suspended or expelled.3 A recent article in the Post and Courier noted that, “no state removes students with disabilities from school for 10 days or fewer at a higher rate than South Carolina [at 15%].”3 This rate for the 2022-2023 school year was “nearly twice the national average.”3 Experts noted that those numbers are likely ”a substantial undercount due to widespread ’off the book’ suspensions in South Carolina.”3 According to legal proceedings, sometimes suspensions are not reported “to avoid the legal protections that kick in for students with disabilities once they’ve been kept out of the classroom for more than 10 cumulative days.”3
In 2024, the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children (JCLCC) reviewed data from the South Carolina Department of Education showing a marked increase in public preschool students (ages 3-5) suspended between 2021 and 2024 (an increase of 747 students) and an overall increase from 2017 to 2024 (an increase of 398 students).4,5
References
- American Academy of Pediatrics examines the impact of school expulsion and recommends ays to create supportive learning environments for all students. (2024, October 1). https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2024/american-academy-of-pediatrics-examines-the-impact-of-school-expulsion-and-recommends-ways-to-create-supportive-learning-environments-for-all-students/.
- Frazier, H. (2024, March 21). South Carolina leads the nation in preschool suspensions. Charleston City Paper. https://charlestoncitypaper.com/2024/03/15/south-carolina-leads-the-nation-in-preschool-suspensions/.
- Geduld, A. (2025, June 24). SC suspends students with disabilities at a higher rate than any other state, investigation finds. Post and Courier. https://www.postandcourier.com/news/sc-special-education-disabilities-students-suspension-idea-data/article_474bea01-72f3-458d-a190-fb96b0d368d8.html.
- Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children (JCLCC). (2024). Statewide Suspension Data for 3K/4K, 2016-17 to 2023-24. Retrieved from: https://www.sccommitteeonchildren.org/data.
- Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children. (n.d.). 2023 Data Reference Book. SC Committee on Children. Retrieved June 15, 2025, from https://www.sccommitteeonchildren.org/_files/ugd/587cb7_ad56685d9806442facc90f71aec8af65.pdfhttps://www.sccommitteeonchildren.org/_files/ugd/587cb7_ad56685d9806442facc90f71aec8af65.pdf.
Timeline
Taskforce Meeting Schedule:
February 26, 2026
March 26, 2026
April 30, 2026
May 21, 2026
June 25, 2026
Taskforce Members
| Megan Carolan, MPA Vice President of Policy Research, Institute for Child Success | Anita Ellison-Porter, MSW Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health State Coordinator/Program Manager, South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (Mental Health) |
| Debbie Elmore Director of Governmental Relations, South Carolina School Board Association | Sherri Evans, MA, CCC-SLP State Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator, South Carolina Department of Education |
| LaWanda Felder Executive Director, Palmetto State School Counselor Association | Lori-Ann Ferraro, PhD, CCC-SLP Associate Professor, Director of Clinical Education Vice President, Faculty Senate Principal Investigator, Project SPARKLE Department of Rehabilitation Sciences College of Health Professions Medical University of South Carolina |
| Steven Ferrufino Chief Transformation Officer, South Carolina Department of Social Services | Beth Franco Executive Director, Disability Rights South Carolina |
| Amber Gillum Deputy State Director, South Carolina Department of Social Services | Heather Smith Googe, PhD Research Associate Professor, University of South Carolina Director, South Carolina Child Care Inclusion Collaborative Yvonne and Schuyler Moore Child Development Research Center Policy Research Fellow, Institute for Child Success Principal Investigator: SC Child Care Inclusion Collaborative, SC Partnerships for Inclusion, SC Pyramid PIECES |
| Tammy Graham, Ed.D. Team Lead – Early Learning, South Carolina Department of Education | Alisha Green, Ed.D. Director, Instructional Supports – South Carolina Department of Education |
| Kelly Gregory Director, Public Education Projects and Partnerships The Riley Institute, Furman University | Cassandra Harris Assistant Director – Health Programs Branch, South Carolina Department of Public Health |
| L. Eden Hendrick, JD Executive Director, South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice | Amanda Hess Director of Advocacy, Disability Rights South Carolina |
| Amy Holbert Chief Executive Officer, Family Connection of South Carolina | Ramkumar Jayagopalan, MD Pediatrician, Carolina Pediatrics Vice President, South Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics |
| Patrick Kelly Director of Governmental Affairs, Palmetto State Teachers Association | Michael Leach, MMFT Chief External Engagement Officer, Think of Us Taskforce Chair |
| Crystal Levine President – Elect, South Carolina PTA | Jena Martin, M.Ed. Senior Director of SPED, Family Connection of South Carolina |
| Morgan Maxwell, JD, MSW Legislative Resource Attorney, Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children | Jessica McKinley President, South Carolina PTA |
| Amanda Moon, PhD Founder, SC FIRST | Quincie Moore, Ed.D. Executive Director, South Carolina Association of School Administrators |
| Regina Henderson Moore, DMin Executive Minister/Chief Executive Officer, South Carolina Christian Action Council | Macaulay Morrison, JD Assistant Director, Carolina Health Advocacy Medicolegal Partnership (CHAMPS) Clinic Joseph F. Rice School of Law, University of South Carolina |
| Angie Neal, MS, CCC-SLP South Carolina Speech-Language Hearing Association | Shayla Pettigrew 4K Manager, South Carolina First Steps |
| Jennifer Rainville, Esq. Education Policy Attorney, South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center | Claire S. Raj, JD Education Rights Clinic Professor, Education Rights Clinic Joseph F. Rice School of Law, University of South Carolina Associate Dean for Clinics and Externships Joseph F. Rice School of Law, University of South Carolina |
| Phil Redmond Director, Child & Family Well-Being The Duke Endowment | Kerrie Schnake, MA Chief Executive Officer, South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association |
| Ruth Schoonover President, South Carolina Association of School Social Workers Coordinator of Parenting and Social Work, Spartanburg School District 3 | Susan Thomsan Shi, PhD Board Liaison, South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health |
| Mackenzie Soniak, PsyD IECMH Clinical Director, South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association | Dee Steglin, PhD Fellow, Institute for Child Success |
| Martha Strickland, M.Ed. 4K Director, South Carolina First Steps | Kimberly Tissot President and Chief Executive Officer, Able South Carolina |
| Ann Vandervliet Executive Director, South Carolina First Steps | Danny Varat Chief Executive Officer, A Child’s Haven |
| Joy Venable Special Project Coordinator, Bradshaw Institute | Sue Williams, MBA Chief Executive Officer, Children’s Trust of South Carolina |
| Rebecca Williams-Agee MSW, MPA Statewide Coordinator, Handle with Care – South Carolina | Margie Williamson Executive Director, The Arc of South Carolina |
Contact
For more information, contact Taryn Farrell.