The truth in dealing with social issues and the complicated work of educating children is sometimes a little nuanced, not so blunt. The solutions certainly aren’t all black-and-white as you and Mark Sanford seem to think.

I think you miss the boat on truth. But you certainly are a blunt instrument of ideology.

We are a blunt instrument of the truth you prefer to gloss over or ignore.

Deal with it.

-FITS

I know you and Gov. Sanford have an extreme dislike for public education. But all these remarks about “educrats” being racist or whatever….and on and on and on, week after week…..I don’t think it makes the debate over public education and school choice any more intelligent or healty.

There are legitimate grounds for debate, but I think you are serving to undercut what reasonable debate could be had. Which isn’t to say that everyone on the other side is reasonable or even-handed all the time. But the attacks and name-calling and sketchy rhetoric coming from SCRG (not to mention SCRG’s dishonest campaign attack mailers) and FITSNews and others isn’t cool in the least.

Moreover, people have pointed to very practical, real-world problems with Put Parents in Charge and similar plans — and, of course, you touted PPIC as the governor’s spokesman. And there’s rarely any response to these very straightforward concerns, as if ideology trumps fact.

–For example, you’re talking about poor kids being cheated by Jim Rex and the other “educrats.” Yet, you touted a PPIC plan that guarantees not one cent to the poorest of the poor. They might benefit from “scholarship-granting organizations,” but they might not.
–There would be no provisions to ensure that poor, struggling students would actually get into the private schools of their “choice.” Numerous counties might have ZERO private schools willing to take some of the students with the greatest academic needs. Public schools, of course, are REQUIRED to take those students.
–Transportation would be a HUGE issue for many poor children, especially in poor rural counties.
–Yes, the “free market” might create new opportunities, and some of those might be positive. Any chance they’d be on par with the well-heeled school Mark Sanford’s kids attend? And does PPIC require any government oversight (accountability being one area the EdWeek report you recently cited gave SC very high marks)? Could folks start a school that has a curriculum of practically nothing, or of fraudelent science, or outright lies about history, or some anti-Western Muslim fundamentalist stance? Some in the GOP would say, Yes — that’s fine…..the parents are the “deciders,” the ultimate line of accountability. Of course, these are people from the same party that denounces the breakdown of the family and bemoans the fact that so many parents are irresponsible when it comes to their kids’ education. Something doesn’t square.

So, anyway, you can put Randy Page on the side of MLK and liken Jim Rex to a modern-day Bull Conner or whatever. But it’s total hogwash, and I think you are plenty intelligent enough to know it. Here’s a piece of an article about a black school administrator in York County. He seems pretty impressive. Then again, he’s a well paid public school educrat, so how could he possibly be competent and caring?

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http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/1074770.html

Booker leaves York a better place for kids

By Andrew Dys – The Herald

…..Russell Booker is respected in York. Russell Booker is loved in York.

“To me, in this area, in York, Russell Booker is our Barack Obama,” said York City Council member Charles Johnson. “This man is incredible. He is an exceptional man who has been a part of almost everything we have tried to do here in York. He is a man for all students and all people. He is inspiring.”

Booker, in three years running the schools, has increased people’s optimism. Students did better, and parents expected more.

He met with the NAACP and promised greater accessibility for black parents and achievement by black students, and then he delivered. He was in the school buildings often, shank-to-shank with teachers eating off cafeteria trays, hearing their concerns. Or reading to students.

He instituted programs including literacy coaches, and he demanded staff learn the latest, newest and best research and methods to reach all children…..

You take howie’s carpet-bugger money to attack public education with no rational logic. Just your twisted carpet-bugger motives.

And you make your racist comments along the way to emphasize your carpet-bugger points as if your motives are pure. We know the truth.

sic(k) willie, we have pointed this out over and over.

It’s the poverty, stupid, and the latent racism (from you and yours) and the host of social ills you and yours refuse to acknowledge.

And no one should forget the shameful “minimally adequate” standard that our republicrat legislature has spent Brazillions of dollars defending.

You falsely claim “lavish expense accounts.” Bullsham. Look at the Brazillions our republicrats have spent on the shameful “minimally adequate” standard.

Your voucher scam would only leave those who need help the most even further behind. You and howie know that.

So do the Legislators and voters in SC. That’s why vouchers are dead in SC.