Dr. Monica Elkins-Scott, a native of Columbia, South Carolina, is a proud graduate of Columbia High School in Richland District One. She pursued higher education with distinction, earning a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and Family and Consumer Sciences, a Master’s in Divergent Learning, and Educational Specialist and Doctorate degrees in Educational Leadership.
After dedicating more than 30 years to education, Dr. Elkins-Scott retired in 2020. Her extensive career included roles as a kindergarten, first-, and fourth-grade teacher, a high school teacher specializing in Family and Consumer Sciences (Home Economics), and an administrator at both the elementary and high school levels. Most recently, she served as principal of an elementary school in a neighboring district. She has also been an adjunct professor in the Education Departments of USC Upstate and Columbia College.
Dr. Elkins-Scott’s leadership extends beyond the classroom. In 2024, she was recognized as National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) School Board Member of the Year. Then in 2022, she was elected to serve as the Region 8 Director for the South Carolina School Boards Association (SCSBA) to represent Richland School District Two and Richland School District One. She has served on the South Carolina Education Association (SCEA) board and as vice president of the Richland County Education Association.
Her contributions to education and the community are significant. She has served on various boards and committees, including the South Carolina School Board Association (SCSBA), South Carolina Association for School Administrators (SCASA), South Carolina Alliance of Black Educators (SCABSE), and Carolina Women for Change and Empowerment Board. She is an active member of the SCEA and National Education Association (NEA) - Retired, as well as Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Eastern Star, the NAACP (life member), and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post #4262. Additionally, she is a charter member of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) in Newberry and Women Connecting Women.
Dr. Elkins-Scott also serves as a court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem and a volunteer with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s Youth Arbitration Program. Her past community work includes roles on the Minority Recruitment Committee for Richland District Two, Richland Two Charter School Board, and Richland County First Steps Board.
In 2015, Dr. Elkins-Scott was selected by the NEA to join Local Progress’s inaugural School Board Cohort. This cohort, launched during Local Progress’s annual convening in Los Angeles, California, brought together two school board members from each state who share a commitment to equitable education, a strong economy, and effective governance.
Dr. Elkins-Scott began serving on the board in 2012 and has completed Level 6 training - the highest - in the SCSBA Boardmanship Institute.
