State Treasurer Curtis Loftis Recognizes Shannon Rister of W.A. Perry Middle School as Educator of the Month

Ms. Shannon Rister of W.A. Perry Middle School, September Educator of the Month

South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis has recognized W.A. Perry Middle School’s Shannon Rister as the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program’s Educator of the Month for September.

“Without financial skills and a knowledge of good consumer behaviors, our students could face such life challenges as poor credit, overwhelming debt and inadequate savings,” said Treasurer Loftis. “Ms. Rister’s dedication and commitment to teaching personal finance in the classroom will not only influence her students’ long-term financial habits but will also enhance their future quality of life.”

Rister currently teaches computer technology at W.A. Perry Middle School, where she was named the W.A. Perry Teacher of the Year for 2019-2020. In addition to teaching, she also serves as a new teacher mentor and technology facilitator. Rister holds an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from South Carolina State University and master’s degrees in education from both Cambridge College and Lesley University.

“Because students are not being consistently introduced to formal instruction on money matters through a classroom curriculum, they often have to rely on learning about money through socialization, such as observing and listening to their caregivers and peers,” Rister explained. “Becoming a Financial Literacy Master Teacher has provided me with an opportunity to train other educators on the importance of financial literacy and how to incorporate it into the classroom curriculum so that students have wider access to accurate financial information.”

The South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program provides incentives to K-12 teachers who are experts in the area of financial literacy and have a desire to teach professional development workshops to other educators in their schools and districts. Through the program, participating teachers will have access to specialized training and financial literacy curriculum resources that will better enable them to promote financial literacy education in K-12 schools.

Sponsored by Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, and in partnership with SC Economics, this statewide financial literacy initiative aims to increase teacher support and involvement in incorporating personal finance education into the curriculum.

About Future Scholar
Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, is administered through the State Treasurer’s Office. For more information, visit FutureScholar.com or follow @SCStateTreasurer on Facebook. No state funds are used to market Future Scholar or the SC Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program.