Dr. Matthew Ferguson is the Deputy Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer at the South Carolina Department of Education. With extensive experience in educational leadership, he has previously served as the Executive Director of the SC Education Oversight Committee and held various school and district administrative positions in a rural school district. Ferguson’s academic qualifications include a law degree, an Ed.S. in educational leadership, a master’s in literacy, and a bachelor’s in political science and English education. He recently completed an Ed.D. in education systems improvement, focusing on the impact of South Carolina reading policies on teacher knowledge. As a Fulbright Scholar, Ferguson studied in Bali, Indonesia, broadening his international perspective on education. A first-generation college student, he is deeply committed to ensuring college and career readiness is accessible to all students. He resides in Hartsville, South Carolina, with his wife, Kylie, and their four children: Harper, Ford, Virginia, and Eleanor.
