COLUMBIA, South Carolina, April 26 -- The South Carolina Department of Education issued the following news release on April 25, 2025: * * * Corey Bedenbaugh of Batesburg-Leesville Middle School Named 2026 South Carolina Teacher of the Year State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver announced Thursday that Corey Bedenbaugh, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Batesburg-Leesville Middle School, has been named the 2026 South Carolina Teacher of the Year. Bedenbaugh will serve as a sta more PR