Charleston kids cant read good…

Self-described “public servants” envision basic reading skills as possibly important for some of tomorrow’s “high tech” jobs.

The Post and Courier’s ongoing coverage of widespread illiteracy (and under-literacy) in the Charleston public school district is very self-interested.

That’s because South Carolina’s most widely read daily newspaper may not be able to survive much longer.

Surprisingly, its not due to a reader migration from ink and paper to blogs and webpages.

The problem is the actual ability to potential subscribers to read the paper.

SC Education Reform News and Views

Editors at the Charleston Post and Courier blast Jim Rex for offering platitudes, not real reform of failing school systems:

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex describes some of the state’s initiatives today in a column on our Commentary page.

They include identifying and helping students at risk of dropping out, providing on-line learning and involving parents in developing an education plan for each child.

Notably, he doesn’t say what educators have said for too long — that systemic changes will take years, and that citizens should just be patient.

To the contrary, Dr. Rex says, “South Carolina’s on-time graduation rate … is among the most urgent problems facing our state in terms of both human potential and future prosperity.”

Our recent reports on reading problems in Charleston County schools cited the experience of Ridge Smith, who made it all the way to the ninth grade in Charleston County schools while reading at a third-grade level. Patience isn’t the answer to that kind of problem.

Ron Barnett of the Greenville News reports on the funding fight between high-dollar bureaucrats and classroom teachers:

Chronic illiteracy plagues SC Public Schools

Parents and community members throughout Charleston were shocked this week to learn that illiteracy and under-literacy run rampant in the Charleston County public school system.

From the P&C’s recent article by Diette Courrégé:

“Test scores show 20 percent of rising 9th-graders read at or below 4th-grade level.”

Among the disturbing data points:

–More than 20 percent of the Charleston’s rising ninth-graders read on a fourth-grade level or worse.

–Nearly half of the incoming freshmen at North Charleston High School read at a fourth-grade level or worse.

–Eleven percent of the incoming freshmen at Wando High School read at a fourth-grade level or worse.

The reporter further notes that one-in-seven adults in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties is functionally illiterate, defined as reading below an eighth-grade level. Up to 20,000 tri-county adults have less than a ninth-grade education, which is an alarming level, but makes sense in light of the South Carolina’s shoddy 55% on-time public high school graduation rate.

Functionally illiterate adults can’t understand a newspaper article, complete a job application, follow the directions on a prescription label or fill out a bank deposit slip.

P&C: Keep pushing school choice

School Choice will enhance educational opportunities for our state’s children.

An editorial published in the Charleston Post and Courier (5/18):

“Keep pushing school choice“

Last week, the S.C. Senate Education Committee effectively killed legislation that could have given some poor children stuck in long-struggling public schools a private-school alternative. The bill’s opponents may have again prevailed in the political arena, but they have only slowed the momentum for school choice in South Carolina.

Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, had long opposed including private schools in educational-choice programs. But citing the needs of low-income children in low-performing schools, he introduced that bill to deliver expanded choice through tax credits, for parents paying tuition and businesses providing scholarships.

Foes of his bill argue that private schools lack accountability because they aren’t bound by regulations governing public schools. They overlook the ultimate accountability that parents exert on private schools.

The bill’s foes also point out that many communities in our state lack private schools, which means that not every child now in a poorly performing public school would have the chance to transfer to a private school. By that flawed logic, we should deprive all children of that option as long as practical obstacles block any child from it.

As for funding objections, keep in mind that Sen. Ford’s bill provided tax credits, not direct state money. Keep in mind, too, that the proposal was designed to maximize assistance to low-income and disabled children, in part through tax credits for businesses that supply scholarships to families who otherwise couldn’t afford private-school tuition.

Tax credits and scholarships for private-school tuition wouldn’t solve all of our educational problems. They would, however, enhance educational opportunities for our state’s children. Increased choice within public schools would be welcome, too. But a bill to do that, backed by state Education Superintendent Jim Rex, apparently is stalled in the General Assembly, too.

Despite Sen. Ford’s inability to get his tax-credit bill passed this year, he deserves credit for bravely going against his party’s tide. He also deserves credit for his resolve to try it again next year. As Sen. Ford told an audience at a local church recently, “Eventually, we’re going to do it, and it’s going to help some kids.”

And if we can help more children get a better education, we’ll help our state to forge a better future.

Parents and papers push for School Choice in SC

Across South Carolina the message of empowered parents and student-specific instruction is spreading.

Hundreds recently packed three separate rooms at a Senate hearing in Columbia, demanding that lawmakers move beyond political rhetoric and adopt real policies of School Choice. Policy experts, private school educators, and parents have come together to rally for a system of educational tax credits that fosters parental engagement, reduces student achievement disparities and saves money.

In addition to the grass roots advocacy and personal testimonies, many dedicated to School Choice are now making the case on opinion pages of newspapers across the state of South Carolina. Here are a four recent examples…

On Sunday April 26th, the Charleston Post and Courier editorialized “Give school tax credits a try:”

Expanding school choice expands educational opportunities. So why limit school choice to the public education system?

The obvious answer: politics. The education establishment remains a powerful force influencing state legislatures — and Congress. It also remains steadfastly opposed to helping even small numbers of poor children transfer to private schools from public schools that are shortchanging them.

Against that familiar backdrop, an S.C. Senate education subcommittee held a hearing at the Statehouse Thursday to consider arguments for and against proposed legislation that would provide tax credits and scholarships for low-income and special-needs children to transfer from struggling public schools to private schools [more].

Why Bureaucrats hate School Choice

Public money? Children’s futures? It’s all just a game to government school monopolists!

School Choice is a simple concept.

Every child is unique. Each has their own learning strengthens and challenges. One-size-fits-all schools don’t work for all students.

Expanding access to a wide range of classrooms ensures children attend schools that suit them. It also rewards and encourages involved parenting, the real key to student achievement.

Public policies of school choice are wildly popular among parents. They also save public schools money.

Still, bureaucrats, unions, consultants, politicians and others who benefit from the sustained under-performance of South Carolina’s public school system are fanatically committed to fighting against choices for parents.

Parents who rally behind School Choice often wonder why their tax dollars are being spent to fight such a no-nonsense reform.

Two recent newspaper articles (one in Post and Courier, the other in the State) shed light on the “logic” of those who defend the status quo.

73,000 students trapped in failing SC schools

This school year 185 public schools across South Carolina were ranked as “failing.”

These types of under-performing schools were once called “F-schools” but they were later renamed “unsatisfactory.” Now, in the new politically correct edu-speak of Jim Rex, they are merely called “at-risk” by the State Department of Education.

No matter what you call them, these schools are primarily attended by low-income and minority children. In fact, 92% of the 73,722 students at failing schools come from low-income families and 77% are African-American.

Not only are these groups of students the most under-served in the public schools system, they are also the least likely to be able to make a real choice to attend a school other than their local public school. Their parents simply lack the money to move to a different attendance zone or enroll their children in private school. These kids are trapped (and the problem is not lack of government resources).

Haves and the have-nots in Charleston

Great letter to the editor in the Charleston Post and Courier:

I was pleased to see Robert Ford’s push for Tuition Tax Credits; however, when I read the March 25 story, it seemed focused on how this could be construed as posturing for a gubernatorial run instead of focusing on the current inequities in the system, and what a major step toward removing these inequities this legislation would be.

Critics of the bill say this will lead to re-segregation. Right now Charleston County schools are pretty segregated. They are divided into the haves and the have-nots. If you have enough money, you can send your children to private school or live in the right neighborhood. The only people who currently don’t have school choice are the people who can’t afford these options.

The proposed legislation will open up doors to the people who need it the most. It is phased in so that of the current students, only those whose families are below 200 percent of the poverty level qualify. It will also allow companies and individuals to immediately provide needy students with scholarships.

Failing schools are blaming parents in South Carolina

“Education choice,” a letter to the editor of the Charleston Post and Courier.

Please call your legislators and ask them to support the Education Opportunity Act S.520. I attended public schools, as have my four children. For over 16 years, I have endured the abuse and neglect of my children inside public schools. Schools continually accuse parents and children for their failures in a one-size-fits-all system.

Protectionism of teachers unions to safeguard government employment services under the veil of accountability to the taxpayer has been nothing but smoke and mirrors. The health of our children’s future opportunities is best decided by parental rights to make educational decisions over government monopolies that would treat our children like mere creatures of the state. Democracy calls for free-market competition of choice including education.

Failure is not a choice under the principles of economic sustainability. The rules of supply and demand require customer service, in conjunction with customer satisfaction. Public education has failed the basic market principle that diplomas count.

Presently, South Carolina ranks 49th in economic development based on our low graduation rate. Democracy only works when citizens actively participate. Those who want to stay in a failing system still have the choice under S.520, but the rest of us deserve a choice not to participate in a failing system.

E. M., Awendaw

Nation’s worst school principals will get bonuses (Charleston SC)

In the last year, public schools in South Carolina have endured $360 million in state budget cuts.

While many classroom teachers are fearing for their jobs, there are legions of consultants, bureaucrats and administrators who continue to cash-out from the $11,480 per child public school spending.

Just as the budget crisis worsens, parents are getting more bad news about public school performance. Unlike the budget crunch, which began in November of last year, low test scores, growing race- and wealth gaps, a 55% graduate rate and a surge in the number of failing public schools are a long term trend in South Carolina public schools.

In the latest round of bad news, parents were shocked to learn that according to a nationwide study, 11 of the country’s worst performing public schools are located in South Carolina. Of those 11 persistently failing schools, 4 are located in Charleston South Carolina.

Now it appears that principals at 2 of those schools will receive salary bonuses this year!