By FITSNews || Does your child attend a failing public school?
If you live in South Carolina – home to the worst system of public education in the entire nation – there’s a good chance that the answer to that question is “Yes.”
It’s part of a chronic problem that continues to go completely unaddressed by state lawmakers in Columbia, whose only “solution” for decades has been to pump billions of additional tax dollars into the same flawed, inefficient and top-heavy structure.
Yeah … that hasn’t worked.
Despite record funding increases, South Carolina’s overall graduation rate remains among the worst in the nation – which is consistent with our state’s declining SAT and ACT scores. South Carolina’s rural graduation rate also currently ranks dead last in the country. And despite claims of “stringent standards,” the only way the Palmetto State ever makes “progress” is when it dumbs down our excessively-costly state administered assessments.
According to a new report from our friends at The Voice, though, that “dumbing down” didn’t prevent 548 South Carolina public schools from failing to meet federally-mandated Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measurements.
From The Voice report (which includes a complete list of South Carolina’s failing schools) …
The incredible length of this list -and the number of schools which appear on it year-after-year- is a sad testimonial to the deep, structural, and long-term failures of public schooling in South Carolina. In the 2009-10 school year, tens of thousands children were trapped in these persistently failing government schools. All told, 360 (of 887) elementary and middle schools, and 188 (0f 202) high schools across South Carolina failed to meet AYP.
Sad, sad, sad … and what’s even sadder is the fact that State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex can’t seem to do anything about this ongoing disaster except to try and shift blame or attack people who are offering actual solutions.
Anyway, click on the link below to see if your child’s school is on the list …
WEB EXTRA
List of SC Failing Schools (The Voice)
By Hmmmmm February 3, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Well for over 50 years SC’s philosophy has been if it fails throw money at it… Ya think they would take a hint – more money wont fix whats broken.
Why not say – Hey if you cant fix it with what you have then close the doors and send the kids to another school that IS working. And fire all the teachers and Admins who are there because they certainly arent earning what they are being paid.
If the SC school system were a business would they STILL be in business after turning out such failed school systems?? No – the board would have fired the Pres and gotten new leadership and workers who CAN get the job done.
The reason the public school system is afraid of private schools is because they work. While I am not pro voucher – I am pro whatever works to educate the kids. If the public schools cant do it, the public school administrators and teachers CANT do it then why is it Private schools CAN?? Look at what makes those schools successful and emulate it beyond that go out of business.
I think public schools deserve cuts in funding until they can prove they can do the job.
By Old Bike Dude February 3, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Liars, damn liars, and then there are statisticians.
By Toyota Kawaski February 3, 2010 at 12:37 pm
(The Voice)…… of Howie “Voucher Clown Rich” that is
By Three Wheel Motion February 3, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Lets all use tax money to hire people to make a list of excuses!
Maybe SCEA, SCASA, SCSBA, and the EOC can choose from one of these:
- we don’t like NCLB, so we should ignore the results!
- we think we have high standards, so we should ignore the results!
- we suck, but we swear things are getting better!
- our kids are too dumb/poor/black/etc to learn so we need more money!
- school choice worked in other states, but South Carolina loves to be exceptional!
By CNSYD February 3, 2010 at 1:18 pm
You guys at FITS love lists like this but you never want to stare the demographics in the face. I looked at the list for Charleston County. I bet you dollars to dog turds that I could have hit 90+% of the schools just knowing where they are located. If it is a poor or rural area with a high percentage of non whites and the majority of students are on free breakfast and lunch, then the school will be on the list. I am sure your favored private schools would just love to take all these students in, right?
By Three Wheel Motion February 3, 2010 at 1:41 pm
CNSYD ,
Yes, the private schools DO take “those kids” in.
You can see some here: http://www.voiceforschoolchoice.com/2010/01/28/to-save-our-young-men/
By B Side February 3, 2010 at 1:51 pm
CNSYD,
You’re more right than you know. There ARE private schools that already focus exclusively on students from poor families, and several in Charleston County. Look at Eagle Military Academy, Meeting Street School and Capers Christian Academy. They all take in students who can’t pay anything. If parents had some help, you can bet these schools would take in more and more. Favored public schools? These are people scraping by to do what no one else is doing for these kids.
By Football Fan February 3, 2010 at 4:16 pm
I recently had to take my kids out of private school because I couldn’t afford it anymore. Charleston county has done everything they could to try trap my kids in one of these failing schools listed above including lying about the status of the school in regards to NCLB. Now that these crooks have the PASS, this entire list will be gone next year. The schools will be no better, but they will be able to say they are passing. The only ones that won’t figure a way out are the ones that can’t afford it.
By Liberty For Me February 3, 2010 at 4:23 pm
A lot of a child’s education comes from his parents…Someone has to break the cycle of stupidity…The government has proven to actually promote failure,so how does more of the same going to fix the problem.
I talked to Rex yesterday and he was saying how we cant afford,with the economy the way it is to have vouchers…HUH??.His explanation was that we could not afford to pay the public school teachers and keep the schools running if we are paying out vouchers…What a complete moronic statement (like we would have empty buses running and teachers in empty class rooms)…He also said that if they were in private schools the STATE would not be able to control what was taught and or if religion was involved…GEE isn’t that the point? What a duchebag…What a great governor he would be..
By Liberty For Me February 3, 2010 at 4:33 pm
CNSYD…Whats your point?? That black kids are not allowed in private schools?? Only the state can handle the minds of black children?
Why are you such a racist?..
The socialists always try to hide their racism.But the ones that cry wolf are always the ones inventing friction,resentment and division.They only use minorities to have a voting base.Someday soon that will change.
By CNSYD February 3, 2010 at 4:47 pm
LFM, you are right about the parents. I sometimes employ a painter who can not read. He “quit” school in about the 3rd grade. His common law wife “quit” school in the 9th grade. So how much do you think they participate in their daughter’s school work? To show you how poor their basic knowledge is, they once told me that their daughter’s doctor was lying to them about where he was from. When I asked how they knew, they said because he says he is from South Africa and he can’t be because he is white. If the daughter graduates from high school it will be a first for the immediate family.
By Jack February 3, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Look if you want vouchers for kids who are currently attending failing schools, I will support that until the school is no longer failing. I will not support vouchers for kids in Porter-Gaud, or Heathwood Hall.
If the voucher folks really cared about poor kids, I would be willing to listen; but that is not where the money is. They’re interested in vouchers for kids who are already in private schools. No one wants to trap kids in failing schools, so structure a voucher program that provides vouchers only to kids who would be required to attend a failing school and we can talk.
By Liberty For Me February 3, 2010 at 6:19 pm
“Jack” where do you get your info???..everybody pays taxes..everybody should have a choice for their kids.I don’t have money to send my kids to Heathwood..But I don’t resent people who do.
This country is about Liberty no class warfare.I think pubic schools should be run by private agencies..maybe that would solve your resentment..They would all be private and you could choose the one you like..Then capitalism comes into effect as the bad ones don’t get paid…
By Jack February 3, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Liberty,
As a parent who paid to have a kid in private school, I obviously have no resentment of people who attend private school. But I already pay for a public school system and I am not interested in helping somebody pay for their kid to go to private school just because they don’t like the public school I am paying for.
I do not currently have children in school, yet I am paying for a public school system anyway; and I am willing to do so, because I think public education is necessary. But don’t ask me to pay for a public school system and help you pay for your kid to go to private school.
I guess we could also talk if every person who does not have a kid in school also gets a voucher in the same amount as the private school parents. But then we would have no public schools.
By CNSYD February 3, 2010 at 8:05 pm
LFM, will private schools implement government mandated breakfast and lunch programs for kids from low income families? How will books and supplies be paid for? Who will provide transportation? What happens to afterschool programs? I am not pro or con. I just want to understand how it will work.
By Football Fan February 3, 2010 at 9:38 pm
Jack- Tuition tax credit that are phased out at a certain income level. Problem solved. If the $4000 tax credit would have been passed last year I would have been able to afford to keep my kids on private school. Now Charleston County, SC and Fed spend $8000 each to educate them. I’m not the only one either, private schools are hemorrhaging students. Tuition tax credits would have saved the state money but they will never admit that.
By Liberty For Me February 3, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Jack”.. Exactly the point, abolish the failing school program.Let programs compete for the money by achievement.Pretty simple you just have to let go of the drilled in dependency of government
By Liberty For Me February 3, 2010 at 11:58 pm
CNSYD…I think its pretty simple.You really would not have to change much.The state could keep the same buildings and buses..etc. Just get rid of the bureaucrats.You could use different vendors for different counties or every school could be different or you could send your child to a religious school.You could include supplies and everything within the voucher and still spend less than they do today.Basically you could set it up ala carte.Whatever you think is best for your child.
I think the main contributions brought by taking education away from government is adding incentive to be the best and letting parents have a lot more liberty to control their kids lives…
This would stop the circle of poverty and illiteracy among the poor…But then again,I really don’t think the powers that be want that..It does make for a large voting base.
By Liberty For Me February 4, 2010 at 12:01 am
“Jack” I still dont get your point..You would not pay twice.You would rather pay for a bad education than a good one?? or you dont want someone else to get the same education you had to pay extra for?
By really???? February 4, 2010 at 11:06 am
my elementary school is failing….tear. Good thing I went there a long time ago or else I would be dragging it down even further….or is it farther.
By CNSYD February 4, 2010 at 12:39 pm
LFM, I never said anything about black kids, you did. My observations over the last 20 years are of areas of the state where blacks are very few. The poor, uneducated that I periodically employ are all white. They have little or no education. No transportation. Their kids are on medicaid and get free breakfast and lunch at school. One family I know the child can read. The father can’t. The child has to read mail to him. They don’t have bank accounts or credit cards. Everything is cash, when it is available. They get food stamps but it is only an amount geared toward the kids. Suppose a child has to go to the doctor. Its free so that makes it easy right? No, because they have no transportation they must either walk or pay someone to drive them. Cabs are too expensive. Walking sounds easy. Well how many doctors have offices in rural, low income areas that are easy to walk to?
By Jack February 4, 2010 at 1:21 pm
We are not going to get rid of public schools, so I am paying twice. If we did not have public schools poor kids would never get an education. Public education has eliminated the class warfare that occurred until the late 19th and early 20th century in which poor white kids were educated to the level they needed to be effective mill workers or servants, poor black kids were not educated at all, and rich kids were prepared for college. That’s where the term prep school came from. Private schools prepared kids for college, public schools prepared kids for labor.
Not all public schools offer an inferior education. The public schools were I live are excellent and compare well with most of the private schools. If I had lived where I do now when my kid was in school, I may have used public education. Private school was my choice, but I did not expect anyone to help me pay for it. Broken schools need to be fixed and if vouchers will help, I am for vouchers to get kids out of broken public schools until they are fixed.
By Liberty For Me February 4, 2010 at 1:32 pm
CNYSD
I am sorry if I jumped to conclusions,but I am tired of the same old silly arguments about how we have to keep a big government..
But a better education is the way out of poverty period and there is no way the govenment has the will or ability to do this.
Changing the subject though,if that is your intention…There are many issues that come when you are talking about the poor.First off,because we live in a modern age does not mean you don’t do for yourself and family to survive.If there is no work were you are and you are too isolated then move.Second…Americans by far donate more for causes than any other people in the world,but again people have to do for themselves too. People start to resent being forced to help then watch the government in the name of helping the poor waste 75% of it in bureaucracy..If it really was for the poor instead of votes then we would not have a problem now…
If you really are wanting to know how to help the poor…Give us liberty to thrive.People like the Salvation army,goodwill,church…will take up the slack.
At the current rate we are just printing money to fund a cycle of poverty and our debt will cause the nation to implode.When this happens we will all be eating out of cans and living in tents….If we don’t start spending just what real money we have,you wont be worrying about others .You will be worrying about feeding yourself
By CNSYD February 4, 2010 at 2:58 pm
LFM, I would have thought that private groups would also help. However, being involved with some folk in dire situations I found out it ain’t easy. For example, Greenville has a group called SHARE. They will help with power and/or water bills, rent, etc. You have to get there early in the morning as they will only see so many people a day. You are issued a number and then you sit. Maybe by mid afternoon you get to see a counselor. They review your request and tell you if it will be considered. You do not leave with any money or with any assurance you will get assistance. IF they decide to help, they send the funds to the utility or landlord. You are not told directly what, if anything, happens. Now they are saying with the current situation they are out of funds. Lack of funding also happens with the other private agencies. If a person is on permanent disability they get roughly $650 a month from social security. Even if you get food stamps it would be virtually impossible to pay rent, water, power, etc. on $650 a month. So why don’t they just go to work? They can’t because they have been classified as disabled by the system. If they do work it is in the underground economy. Health care for these people is to show up at the emergency room. Regular doctors won’t take them since they can’t pay up front and have no insurance. The ER bills them knowing they will not get a dime. They recover the losses by overcharging you and I. So we pay it one way or the other.
By Jack February 4, 2010 at 3:05 pm
“But a better education is the way out of poverty period and there is no way the government has the will or ability to do this.’
I do not understand your point. The government has been providing better education for the vast majority of Americans for over 100 years. We have the educated population we have today because of public education. If you do not think the public education kids receive today is superior to the education a poor kid received 100 years ago then you need to go back to public school.
For most of the history of the world society has been composed of a small group of wealthy elite, a small middle class, and a large group of poor people, most of whom worked as servants or on subsistence farms. In those days you did what your father did. If he was a farmer you were a farmer, if he was a house servant, you were a house servant, if he was a sharecropper, you were a sharecropper. With the rise of the industrial revolution, the middle class began to expand but they were held back by their inability to obtain an education. So despite more money the son of a mill worker was still likely to be a mill worker. As a result, public schools expanded from the one room school house that did litte more than teach grammer school level reading and math to fill the need for higher levels of education, and to start sending the middle class to college. As the middle class grew in wealth they could now afford to pay taxes for better public schools and public universities for their children, and they did; and as a result today a kid can aspire to be anything he wants because he can get an education.
Private schools did not fulfill that need for hundreds of years and they will not do it now.
By Liberty For Me February 4, 2010 at 6:25 pm
“Jack”
You know the private auto industry in 1920 did not make anywhere near the car our government owned GM does today…That proves that government is the only one that can fulfill the need for cars in the world.
Funny how you changed your opposition from paying for someone having a private education to one of private schools can not fulfill educational needs..I could swear you said you sent your kids there..Why would you send them to a school with lower standards than government schools?? Let me guess..The government would run hospitals better than the free market,right?
This is the screwed up moronic logic that makes us one of the lowest educated societies in the world…You must have a degree from some liberal college.
By Liberty For Me February 4, 2010 at 6:45 pm
CNSYD…Again,the best answer is liberty.If high taxes and give aways solved the problem.Then poverty would not exist today.
Why did we not have these problems from 1776 to 1900??…People are all of a sudden more needy than before we had a big federal government??
I have a 9th grade education but yet I have made millions and raised a family.People can find excuses not to provide for themselves and their family.But they are excuses not legitimate reasons…even in these terrible economic times.
By Jack February 4, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Liberty,
I never said private schools could not fulfill the educational needs of the rich. I never even said that private schools could not provide a better education for the rich than public school provides for the poor. Private school certainly can provide for the educational needs of the rich very well, as they have for centuries. But they will not fulfill the educational needs of the poor and lower middle class, because as you say “they do not have the will or the ability.” That has also been the case for centuries.
“This is the screwed up moronic logic that makes us one of the lowest educated societies in the world…”
Every country in the world relies on public education for the vast majority of its children.
“You must have a degree from some liberal college.” Nope, BA in Business, MA in Accounting, and JD. All from public institutions.
Finally I did not change my tune, I still do not want to pay for someone to send their kid to private school. I am willing to pay for public schools because I believe they are necessary if we are to have an educated population. Private schools are not necessary, they are a luxury which, if you can afford it, you should partake. If you can’t afford it and you think it will hold your kid back; then sell you home and rent an apartment, buy a smaller car, eat less food, buy cheap clothes, and put your kids education first; or don’t and send him to public school.
By baker February 4, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Liberty for Me’s comment: Let me guess..The government would run hospitals better than the free market,right?
Indeed, I think that in many, many communities, the public hospitals are, in fact, superior to privately owned, corporate run hospitals…..at the very least, they provide a stronger base of services for the diverse needs of the public.
By Liberty For Me February 5, 2010 at 6:20 am
“Jack”
What the hell are you talking about?
“Private schools did not fulfill that need for hundreds of years and they will not do it now”…is your quote.Of course they would given the chance. Government schools are costing something like $14000 per student…My son goes to private school for $5,000 a year.They did not ask me for proof of income.I thought you were an accountant?
Somehow you are blind to the whole scenario…
If all the schools in the county were run by the same school the taxes would drop by almost 2/3.
Otherwise you are in favor of a class system..giving poor people substandard schools so that your kids can look smarter because you can afford a private school and are willing to pay 2/3 more taxes than necessary
I don’t see how this is hard to understand.
We are not talking about Harvard…we are talking about Grade school.
By the way…”public institutions” are liberal schools.That is the definition.
By Jimbo February 6, 2010 at 8:50 am
I have 3 kids and have tried the regular normal public school route. I highly recommend more charter schools. I also highly recommend the new online high school in Sc – Provost Academy.
Just don’t throw your kids into the public school machine without looking at all the alternatives out there.
Is your kid going to a public school leaving your house at 7:30 a.m. and returning home at 3:30 or 4:00p.m.? Do you think your kids are receiving anywhere near 8 hours of real education per day?
By CNSYD February 6, 2010 at 6:54 pm
LFM, I think many of the problems are what has occurred when we switched from an agricultural to a manufacturing society. The mill villages of the upstate owned the workers almost as much as slavery owned workers before the War Between the States. It was to their advantage to keep education down and unions out. Thus the succeeding generations had little to build upon. Once people hit rock bottom it is very difficult to pull yourself out with or without government help. Without basic education you are at the mercy of predators.
By Liberty For Me February 6, 2010 at 7:15 pm
CNYSD…Maybe,but you can not live in the past.You have to use the brains God gave you and go to where the jobs are or learn a skill…If hill billys stay in the mountains for genarations that is their choice.
I dont feel I have any responsiblity to feed them anymore than them me.
I have had plenty men work for me who did not have a high IQ..But they made up for it in skill or just hard work…There are no excuses.
But…even though I dont feel I should be forced to pay for anybody.I have no problem donating to or their being a funding for “real” disabled people who have no family.
By CNSYD February 6, 2010 at 8:21 pm
LFM, I agree. I see guys who lack education but who have labor skills. Unfortunately they have difficulty getting jobs when they can’t read and write. It blows my mind that in 2010 we have people like that but we do. I have seen them get stiffed on jobs because they don’t get a contraact writen and they trust they will get paid. They can’t get a mechanic’s lien because there is no contract. Among low skill workers there is a huge underground economy where they are paid in cash. They don’t understand that when they pay for things like rent in cash there is no paper trail. I tell them they need to get receipts. Slum lords don’t want to give out receipts. These people don’t understand that things like “rapid refunds” on income taxes are really a loan at very high interest rates. Those few who have cars go to “title loan” places when they are in need of fast cash and get ripped off. Banks won’t even talk to them. It is really, to me, amazing what they don’t know and/or understand.