Archives for category: South Carolina
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South Carolina: Republican Legislator Will Introduce Legislation to Remove Confederate Flag from State Capitol

By dianeravitch
June 20, 2015 //
9

It was always an insult to African-Americans to keep a Confederate flag flying over the South Carolina Capitol. They are citizens of the state; the Confederate flag is not their flag.

 

Now, after the massacre of nine African-Americans at a historic church in Charleston, a Republican legislator has said he will introduce a bill to remove the Confederate flag.

 

South Carolina State Representative Doug Brannon made news tonight by going where most other Republicans refuse to go. He said in unqualified terms that race was the reason for the shooting that took the lives of nine Black South Carolinians gathered for bible study in an historic Black Charleston church. Then he announced he would sponsor a bill in the next legislative session to remove the Confederate flag from the state house grounds.

 

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes talked by phone with the obviously emotional Rep. Brannon, first confirming his plan to introduce a bill to remove the flag, and then asking him why he had decided to sponsor the legislation, which is sure to be controversial in the state.

 

“I had a friend die Wednesday night for no reason other than he was a Black man,” said Brannon, with unmistakeable emotion in his voice.

 

Rep. Brannon referred to Reverend Clementa Pinckney, a former state senator, as “an incredible human being.”

 

It should not take a tragedy to persuade people to do what is right and decent.

 

 

Categories Race, South Carolina

Good for Colbert, But Why Should Public Schools Rely on Charity?

By dianeravitch
May 8, 2015 //
29

As I reported earlier, Stephen Colbrrt generously funded the request of every teacher in South Carolina through an organization called Donors Choose.

That was indeed laudable.

But it is not so good when schools, teachers, and children must rely on the charity of rich patrons.

Public education is a public responsibilty. When states fail to fund their schools and send their teachers out to beg for help, the state deserves a badge of shame.

Shame on South Carolina.

Categories Funding, South Carolina

Stephen Colbert Does Something Wonderful

By dianeravitch
May 8, 2015 //
15

Stephen Colbert funded every request for aid by teachers in South Carolina. It is one of the poorest states in the nation.

No competition. No race. No quid pro quo. No mandates.

Help where it is needed. A good person. A hero, now on our honor roll.

Categories Honor Roll, Poverty, South Carolina

Patrick Hayes: Who Cheated Teachers in Charleston, S.C., of the Salaries They Were Promised?

By dianeravitch
December 6, 2014 //
4

Patrick Hayes, who teaches in Charleston, S.C., did extensive research on the salaries that were promised and the actual salaries that teachers receive.

 

Although teachers were promised a raise, most will receive less money.

 

How can any school district expect to recruit great teachers when they don’t pay professional wages?

 

Patrick Hayes, by the way, started an organization called EdFirstSC, to advocate on behalf of students, teachers, and public schools.

Categories South Carolina, Teachers and Teaching

South Carolina: State Vouchers Allow Profits at Expense of Public Schools

By dianeravitch
July 21, 2014 //
8

There is more than one way to harm public education. Several states have passed legislation to allow tax credits for scholarships to private and religious schools. This reduces the money available to support public schools.

But it gets better! In South Carolina, smart investors can actually make a profit by making gifts to the tax credit (aka voucher) fund.

David Slade writes in the S.C. “Post and Courier” that “S.C. Tax Rule Creates a Way to Profit by Funding Private School Scholarships.”

He says that taxpayers can save up to $1.42 for every dollar they give to the tax credit program.

He writes that high-wealth donors benefit the most. One single donor in the last fiscal year gave $1.52 million and gained a profit between $100,000 and $638,000.

Privatization produces no academic gains for students but it is a really swell gain for canny investors.

Categories For-Profit, South Carolina, Vouchers

When Arne Duncan Brought His Snake Oil to Charleston

By dianeravitch
June 17, 2014 //
41

When Arne Duncan went to South Carolina, he probably expected to meet the usual compliant, uninformed business crowd. But Patrick Hayes of EdFirstSC was waiting to meet him, hear him, and ask questions. And Hayes is neither compliant nor uninformed.

Hayes writes:

Ever seen a weasel tap dance? Would you like to?

Well, here it is: me vs. Arne Duncan.

My first thought when I left was that I should’ve boxed him in more during the preamble. ( I was worried about losing the mic as it was).

Looking this over, I don’t think it would have done a bit of good.

The man is animatronic. Push the button and out come the talking points.

For context, here’s the setup (video cuts in midway):

“Your Dept found a 36% error rate for value-added.

Your Dept’s merit pay brief says:

TX, Nashville, and Chicago programs all showed no effect on student achievement.’

We can add NY, Denver and (more than likely) DC to that list.

Why are you spending our money on a policy that is unfair to teachers and has an extensive record of failure?”

Later in the session, Duncan’s talking points misfired. Asked about our move away from Common Core, he went on at length about how upsetting it was seeing SC go back to low standards and lying to parents.

Apparently, nobody told him that our standards were among the most rigorous in the nation, according to Fordham Institute, a conservative think tank that pushes rigor.

Like Duncan, they’re big believers in the fallacy that if we make school harder, we’ve made school better.

Patrick Hayes

Director
EdFirstSC
843-852-9094

Categories Common Core, Resistance, South Carolina, Teacher Evaluations
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