State Treasurer Curtis Loftis Recognizes Andrea McKnight of H.E. Corley Elementary as Educator of the Month

Midlands teacher enjoys bringing financial literacy to life for young students

Andrea McKnight of H.E. Corley Elementary School as the December Educator of the Month for the South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program, an initiative Treasurer Loftis established to expand the number of educators teaching personal finance education across the state.

"Helping our youngest students learn that basics of money – from needs versus wants to the importance of saving, these are vital building blocks they will use throughout their life," Treasurer Loftis said. "I congratulate long-time educator Andrea McKnight of Irmo for her commitment to sharing these important lessons in her classroom. And I remain grateful for all the master teachers who have taken the challenge to boost their knowledge and skills to better equip their students with financial literacy.”

The South Carolina Financial Literacy Master Teacher Program provides financial incentives to K-12 teachers who are experts in personal finance education and have a passion to share this knowledge with their peers. Since 2020, this ground-breaking program has provided specialized training and free personal finance curriculum resources that better enable them to promote financial literacy education in K-12 schools. It is sponsored by Future Scholar, South Carolina’s 529 College Savings Plan, and in partnership with SC Economics.

“Teaching personal finance lessons to elementary students has been an incredible experience, and I believe having this knowledge early in life and continuing to build upon it is important,” McKnight said. “I am thrilled for the opportunities my own daughters are experiencing in high school and college that will enable them to be more prepared to make better financial decisions. I wish I had the chance to become financially literate at a young age like my daughters.”

Andrea McKnight has more than 23 years of teaching experience and holds a Master’s degree plus 30 hours in Literacy. She is a National Board-certified teacher and previously taught first and second grades before transitioning into her current role as a reading interventionist. McKnight is married and mother of two daughters. In her free time, she enjoys boating on Lake Murray with family, traveling, gardening, and reading.