State Treasurer Curtis Loftis recognizes Gayle Whitlock of FIVE Virtual Program as Educator of the Month
December 20, 2024
South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis has recognized Gayle Whitlock of Lexington Richland School District Five’s FIVE Virtual Program in Chapin as the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program’s Educator of the Month for December.
“The South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program continues to equip more teachers with the skills and resources they need to motivate their students to make informed financial decisions,” Treasurer Loftis said.
“I applaud the efforts of educators like Gayle Whitlock, who is inspiring her students with valuable lessons that will help them throughout their lives.”
Gayle Whitlock
Ms. Whitlock earned both a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice and a Master of Arts in Teaching in special education from the University of South Carolina. She also holds a National Board certification as an Exceptional Needs Specialist and a South Carolina certification as a special education teacher. In 2007, Whitlock began her teaching career as an advanced training instructor at the SC Criminal Justice Academy. In 2012, she moved to Lexington-Richland School District Five to serve as a middle school special education teacher and continues her innovative work through the district’s FIVE Virtual Program, where she now teaches high school students. Whitlock also holds FIVE’s current Teacher of the Year honors.
“Financial literacy is a vital life skill that all students need for their success,” Whitlock said. “Whether it’s balancing their checkbooks, budgeting their funds or calculating percentages, I enjoy passing these skills onto my students and know it will help them on their future path. And I am also grateful for the opportunity to share these lessons with my fellow teachers to increase their financial knowledge.”
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 have access to specialized training and financial literacy curriculum resources that 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. Future Scholar is self-supported and does not receive taxpayer funding.
