Accuracy in Media for School Tax Credit Meeting

For those of us in favor of accurate headlines and reporting, let's change the P & C's

• Public Invited to Meeting on Proposed School Tax Credit Legislation May 4 to
  

• "Anti-School-Tax Credit Rally Planned by NAACP at Joe Darby's Church May 4."

Be prepared if you attend representing the other side. You're not likely to be heard.

Speak Up on SC School Choice Bills

Want your voice to be heard by those considering school choice bills? [see School Choice To Be Vetted by Senators on the P & C's website]

The senate committee " will take testimony from 9 to 11 a.m. [Thursday] on two bills. The first would offer tax credits and create a scholarship fund to help parents pay for private school tuition. The second would require local public school districts to offer additional instructional choices to parents."

Our local NAACP heroes were armed with quotable quotes for our intrepid reporter:

"Dot Scott [. . .] said [Senator] Ford is not considering all the facts as he advocates for his bill, including the fact that private schools are not obligated to accept all children. The Rev. Joe Darby [. . .] said the futures of a lot of children are at stake."

Here's how you too can be heard. Email any of the following with your opinions:
Robert Hayes, Jr. : set@scsenate.org
Luke Rankin : LR@scsenate.org
Michael Fair: FAIRM@scsenate.org
Harvey Peeler, Jr. : MED@scsenate.org
Larry Grooms: STR@scsenate.org
Thomas Davis: TomDavis@scsenate.org
John Matthews, Jr. : JWM@scsenate.org
Phil Leventis: PL@scsenate.org
Gerald Malloy: MALLOYG@scsenate.org
Joel Lourie: JBL@scsenate.org

No doubt they would appreciate hearing from those who actually have children in the system!

Online School Enthusiasm Reflects Discontent

Homeschool? How about online charter schools? Not for the faint of heart or those without time to supervise their children's education, state-approved online charter schools fill the gap for homeschooling parents unsure about their ability in every subject their children need to study--and everyone should be! Parents unhappy about their children's daily experiences in poorly disciplined schools and high school dropouts should also take notice.

Today's P & C article touts the benefits [see Online Charter Schools a Big Hit] and the initial enthusiasm for this recent development in South Carolina's public education. The website [sccharter.com] presents some interesting choices for diverse students.

As with the voucher idea, online charters make possible an end run around the CCSD schools and Superintendent McGinley for those with children in school right now, not at some pie-in-the-sky later date when the schools are "fixed."

Vouchers are Quick Fix for Captives

I might agree with the editorial staff of the Post and Courier even twice a day, like a stopped clock, or on some days, like today, when the lead editorial is titled, Give Vouchers a Fair Chance.

The P & C's editorial writer observes the Washington, D.C., experiment in vouchers and finds it effective. He or she also points out President Obama's words supporting the use of vouchers. Apparently to counterbalance such clarity, the editors also print an anti-voucher rant by Linda Ketner, who will never have children in any public school system, much less CCSD's, but who does intend to run for Congress again. [See Voucher Dangers]

According to Ketner, "Public school is the only way to level the playing field. If the public school system is broken, then let's fix it."

Let's get this straight, Linda. Public school is the one thing NOT leveling the playing field in CCSD right now.

Even if we knew right now, today, how to fix the system (and that's a big "if"), how long would "fixing" it take? One year? Hardly. Two? Ten? Twenty? You don't know?

What about the students who are enrolled right now and will enter kindergarten in the fall?

For all of the pitfalls, at least vouchers address the problems of real students captive in problem schools right now.