By FITSNews || South Carolina could be on the verge of eliminating an unpopular, inefficient and totally ineffective “accountability” agency as part of lawmakers’ efforts to identify “savings” in the upcoming state budget.
According to an exclusive report from The Voice, a proposal to eliminate funding for the Education Oversight Committee (EOC) was adopted unanimously Tuesday by a key state budget panel.
Created over a decade ago, the EOC is notorious for its costly tests, inaccurate results and inexcusable delays. Hated by teachers, the agency has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on expensive exams that fail to provide diagnostic data on student achievement – and fail to provide apples-to-apples comparisons on how our students are doing compared with students in other states.
Of course, as the “brainchild” of House Speaker Bobby Harrell, the Education Oversight Committee (EOC) has always enjoyed immunity from the consequences of its ineptitude.
Until now, apparently …
From The Voice:
Last fall, for the second year in a row, the EOC announced that school and district report cards would be released to parents late, weeks after the start of the subsequent school year. The Committee also adopted new scoring guidelines for the PASS test, standards that national experts have decried as significantly lower than other states’. In early 2010, members of the EOC initiated the process to further weaken the testing and reporting standards by decreasing the range of scores and sub-scores for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
In November, State Representative Bakari Sellers (D-Bamberg) publicly called for the phase-out of EOC, suggesting that its $1.6 million budget ought to be directed toward teacher salaries and classroom instruction. He told WACH Fox news that the EOC “has not delivered” on its promise of safeguarding high standards.
Critics have also questioned the objectivity of EOC reporting, noting that studies indicating growing student achievement gaps and falling test scores have been titled in a way that suggests public school performance is actually rising, rather than falling.
Amazingly, the budget proviso recommending that the EOC be scrapped was sponsored by Rep. Annette Young (RINO – Summerville).
Talk about a rare moment of clarity …
By Stumpy February 10, 2010 at 7:52 am
Now if they do away with any funding of the Hunley. Could direct money toward school buses.
By CNSYD February 10, 2010 at 8:03 am
Stumpy, the problem with the Hunley is that it is located in Charleston. Had it been located in Columbia, all sins would be forgiven.
By Todd February 10, 2010 at 9:16 am
Bakari Sellers: The money “…ought to be directed toward teacher salaries and classroom instruction.” Wonder why the 84,000 bureaucrats, administrators and consultants in the Rutledge Building on Senate Street never thought of that.
By 12 Mile Creek February 10, 2010 at 11:29 am
The EOC is a waste and should have been disbanded long ago. The legislature need not stop there. Let’s do away with First Steps, too. In both agencies, the top people are paid entirely too much and both duplicate functions that the State Department of Education already does. Now, with a new election for the Supt of Ed, things can change in the Rutledge Building and start over. Perfect time to make these changes.
Todd – where Bakari’s money needs to go is back to the taxpayers – not to the bureaucratic, bloated education system here in SC.
By Billy Bob February 10, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Put me in charge and I’ll get rid of about 50 useless agencies, boards and commissions! Why stop with this one?
By baker February 10, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Todd — Just for informational purposes: It’s fine to debate administrative expenditures in SC’s education system. But regarding the EOC, the people in the Rutledge Building never have and do not run that operation. Two different organizations.
By Liberty For Me February 10, 2010 at 3:45 pm
I heard they were going to set up a panel to study why the accountability agency wasn’t efficient.
By southernmapart February 10, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Monday night this week in Oconee County, Rep. Bill Sandifer was heard explaining that the House is looking at “doing away with the funding for three commissioners at the state employment commission.” He did not say that the House was looking at doing away with the positions, just the funding for the positions.
Hey! Don’t stop there.
By Fox Mulder February 10, 2010 at 8:38 pm
(Reuters) – Adding a $1 per pack tax to cigarettes could raise more than $9 billion a year for states, health advocates said on Wednesday, and a poll released with the study shows Americans would support such a tax.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6194SD20100210?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true