For the second time this year, South Carolina has missed out on federal grants that reward states for coming up with innovative efforts to fix failing schools and bridge achievement gaps between white and black students.
The “Race to the Top” grant winners were announced on Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Education.
The Palmetto state has plenty of failing schools and a massive achievement gap, obviously … just no innovation. In fact, we saw this “failure to innovate” on display earlier this month when the state’s two major gubernatorial candidates, Nikki Haley and Vincent Sheheen, unveiled decidedly underwhelming education “plans” (here’s Haley’s … and here’s Sheheen’s).
Anyway, this $4.3 billion pot of “stimulus” money was set aside for states that targeted teacher accountability and – to some extent – expanded school choice. Unfortunately, South Carolina has continued to offer only one solution to its chronic academic woes: “Mo’ Money,” an approach that has failed demonstrably.
Back in March, Tennessee and Delaware were awarded $500 million and $100 million, respectively.
This time, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. will be splitting an estimated $3.4 billion.
One final $350 million grant is available for states that create tougher standards – another area where South Carolina is struggling.
By ceilidh10 August 24, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Vote for Holleman!
By stateemployee August 24, 2010 at 1:53 pm
When are people going to learn that this is the payback for actions by Just-Say-No regardless of the issue DeMint, as well as GOP House reps like WIlson . No way is the Obama admin going to do anything to reward our state when DeMint remains the do-nothing senator. Once again we see our tax dollars going to other states because of our head in the sand legislators waving the tea party flag in the faces of all, yet coming home empty with our tax dollars going elsewhere. Strom should be turning over in his grave, he was a good republican who stood for principles when he needed to, but was sure to get what our state deserved from the gov.
By Ed Insider August 24, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Why vote for Holleman? He is being endorsed by all the educrats in the state. Is that not one of the reasons we lost this grant? What new is he offering………NOTHING!
By eggaday August 24, 2010 at 3:29 pm
state employee, you are onto IT. our elected elite don’t give a rat’s *ss about any of us. the sooner you know it, the better you can try to protect yourself.
it’s an us against them mentality and it’s pretty dangerous
By Kobayashi Maru August 24, 2010 at 7:55 pm
“Anyway, this $4.3 billion pot of “stimulus” money was set aside for states that targeted teacher accountability and – to some extent – expanded school choice.”
So, I guess you’re saying that maybe SC would have had a better shot at this grant money if Sanford hadn’t vetoed a public school choice and open enrollment bill three years ago that the legislature failed to override. And yes, Nikki Haley voted to sustain the Governor’s veto. A good example of how the voucher proponents have had a negative impact on SC.
By fitsnews August 24, 2010 at 8:13 pm
KM-
The “open enrollment” bill vetoed by Sanford three years ago was a sham that would have done absolutely nothing to expand parental choice in SC. For starters, the legislation would have permitted districts to manipulate capacity numbers in order to deny choice on the basis of target schools being “too full.”
More importantly, if you live in the majority of SC rural counties then choosing between public schools is like picking between the noose and the electric chair.
The bill was “choice in name only,” which is why Sanford vetoed it.
-FITS
By Gene Simmons August 24, 2010 at 8:44 pm
all states that Obama carried. imagine that.
By Athena August 24, 2010 at 10:25 pm
Hey, Gene Simmons…newsflash! Obama didn’t carry Georgia or Tennessee.
By brakeman August 24, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Sanford’s legacy and that of the willie followers… SC loses out on 147 million in fed money because we are 100 million behind in funging higher ed. Only seven states failed to qualify.
SC standards are some of the toughest in the country.
By Jerry August 24, 2010 at 11:49 pm
I wanted to reply this posting but find myself saying to myself what I have said since I was in grammar school. There is no education in SC. Only when I went out of state to get a college education did I discover what education was and is. Where is all the money spent for education going….certainly not on improvements. I bet it is hitting a lot of people’s pockets on contracts, labor cost for construction and still we are at the bottom of the barrell…..WHY?????
By Step to the Right August 25, 2010 at 10:03 am
When enough parents start to give a damn about their children they will vote for change and demand competent teachers, safe and academically effective schools and no longer allow the nutty lib agenda to continue the “jobs program for underachieving adults” that currently describes our public education disgrace. Until then, those who can afford to flee the disaster will keep paying for independent education that is not run by the teacher’s unions and bought and sold by 99% of ALL elected officials.
Can a child manage to get through our public school system today and become a productive citizen? Yes! But only those children who have remarkable family love and caring at home will manage this feat; all the others can kiss any hope for success good-bye. Our most recent round of dismal statistics makes this all too clear!
All the hate and rhetoric about “not giving tax money to private schools” is another brilliant tactic designed to keep the ruling class in power and make sure all the little people are desperate and unable to escape the prison of government programs that do not work. Both parties are guilty and no one in SC politics has any plan that is reasonable or workable to change anything in our schools. We have no leadership on this topic and even the changes brought by Riley years ago have run their course and were basically driven by spending more money and more oversight of the bureaucrats.
The system we have now cannot be fixed. Choice or vouchers or even giving every teacher a million dollar salary will not change the system we have into one that will focus on students and their individual needs. It is a jobs program that is too big to fail as long as the teacher’s unions run the show and parents do not care enough to demand real change.
By WorkingTommyC August 25, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Why should the states have to jump through hoops to get money?
Education is none of the Federal government’s business and the Dept. of Education has overseen a continuing fall in achievement since their inception and interference with state and local education systems.
Are we not adults within the states? Can we not make our own decisions and fund them with our own resources?
As the Federal government continues to run the economy into the ground, we will likely turn into much more responsible citizens at the state and local levels–out of sheer necessity.
Play time is over. It’s time to get down to the business of governing ourselves and telling the Fed to shove it unless they can show where in the Constitution their actions are allowed under enumerated powers.
By Anonymous August 26, 2010 at 2:41 pm
South Carolina provides a fine education. Its degrees grace future leaders and roll models like Alvin Greene.
By Karen Bracken June 28, 2011 at 1:12 pm
You better wake up. That one time money comes with a dear price. If you take he money from the federal government You must educate your kids the way the federal government tells you to. Read the curriculum for Race To The Top. History is taught from Reconstruction Era on…..nothing about our founding fathers or Constitution. They are indoctrinating our kids to hate America, Capitalism and be world citizens. This is to make them more pliable and more willing to hand their lives over to the government. I give SC a lot of credit for refusing to participate in this program. What needs to be done is we need to fold up the federal Dept of Education and put the education of our children back in the hands of the states. When education was implemented by the states kids were well educated. The only thing our government cares about is creating a nation of dumb people that will be easily lead into their own demise.