South Carolina’s worst-in-the-nation public school system will not apply for national “green ribbon” status.
Thirty-three states (and the District of Columbia) are participating in the U.S. Department of Education program, which aims to “improve (schools) energy efficiency, create healthy environments for students and staff, and enhance their work to effectively prepare graduates for 21st century careers.”
Specifically, the program asks states to nominate schools that make progress toward achieving a “net zero environmental impact of facilities, net positive health impact on students and staff, and 100 percent environmentally literate graduates.”
Wait … environmentally-literate? No wonder South Carolina isn’t participating in this program … our public schools still haven’t got the regular literacy thing down.
Of course S.C. Superintendent of Education Mick Zais had a different rationale for opting out of this controversial program.
“A dollar spent ‘greening’ a school is a dollar not spent in the classroom improving educational outcomes for students,” Zais wrote in a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
Mick Zais: No Green Ribbons
Zais added that he believes the program is about “placating environmental lobbyists” and would add “burdensome” requirements to our state’s education system, which is clearly incapable of produce positive academic outcomes as it is.
We support Zais. 100 percent.
In fact, this boondoggle is yet another example of why the U.S. Department of Education should be abolished. Not only are they performing a non-core function of government – they’re doing the bidding of a bunch of anti-free market eco-radicals in the process.
Seriously … “Green Ribbon Schools? Does this mean that these kids will one day grow up to fill “Green Jobs?”
Oh right … those aren’t so much happening, are they?
Look, the goal of ridiculous programs like this one clearly isn’t to educate our children, it’s to indoctrinate them. Of course in South Carolina that’s not really possible seeing as the policy of the state is apparently to keep our population too dumb to realize how hopelessly screwed they are.
And how bad taxpayers are getting ripped off …
South Carolina lawmakers have been pumping increasing amounts of money into the state’s failed “one size fits all” system for years – including a record $11,754 per student this year (not counting bonds, investments and transfers). What has this massive, ever-escalating investment purchased?
Our SAT scores continue to decline and our graduation rate remains next-to-last in the nation. Also, a recent report found that more than one-third of the nation’s 100 worst public schools are located in South Carolina.
Unfortunately, a comprehensive parental choice plan that would have given tens of thousands of children a way out of these failing schools – not to mention applied some long-overdue market-based pressure on those schools – wasn’t even considered by state lawmakers this year.
Let’s hope that changes in 2012 …
***
By toyota kawaski December 6, 2011 at 11:26 am
BLAH BLAH Yesir Mr.Rich i know its been several weeks cents i have inked a “story” about edumikation but i just been busy trying to figure out how to please you,”dat boy” and my Shemale Wife? Yesir i still love you ands your checkbooks. BTW are my ass and back hairs filling in nicelee on yours DOME?
By hhuuhh?? December 6, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Yep, he must have just received a check from Howard.
By MattPB December 6, 2011 at 11:31 am
SC is one of 6 states that require the maximum 24 Carnegie units for graduation. Of course we’re going to have a lower graduation rate. We make it harder to graduate than 44 other states!
See stats:
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d01/dt153.asp
67% of the students in SC take the SAT. Only 13 states have higher percentages taking the test. Check them out and see why we are 49th. The states with the lower percentages have the higher scores.
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d10/tables/dt10_154.asp
By ceilidh09 December 6, 2011 at 11:56 am
so if you hate the public schools, and they are failing miserably, and you reject federal aid, and the state isn’t going to do anything to alleviate the problem, then how anything get better?
maybe shut the school down and force everyone to pay private school tuition, and you cannot afford private school, then go to work pickin’ cotton in the fields?
Zais is a total assclown.
By Latisha December 6, 2011 at 12:14 pm
“You want fries with that?”
By Bob Dalton December 6, 2011 at 12:15 pm
“Comprehensive parental choice plan.” lol. I bust a gut every time I read that drivel.
By Not So Much December 6, 2011 at 4:22 pm
Bad to teach our kids to respect the environment and all – they might start being responsible global citizens, and who needs that when there are unlimited natural resources still waiting to be plundered, and some areas on the planet that aren’t polluted yet.
We need to be the same fat, chain-smoking, litter throwing rednecks we have always been. It’s done us well these last 150 years or so hasn’t it?
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By SC Education December 6, 2011 at 8:13 pm
I agree with Dr.Zais.
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By BIN Newz Editorial Staff December 7, 2011 at 12:03 am
sic(k) willie, “you ignorant slut.”
It’s just that simple. You who continue to attack SC public education at the expense of Howard the Voucher Clown’s ongoing voucher scam are nothing but…
…”ignorant sluts.”
In the cute and humorous tone of the old SNL sketch.
You are “sluts” because you know the voucher scam would only leave those who need help the most ever further and farther behind.
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By Crooner December 7, 2011 at 11:56 am
Fits is in favor of abolishing public education, so having the Superintendent of Education turn down Federal money is a good idea to him. This is like Sanford trying not to take the stimulus money: a stupid politically-motivated position, particulary since our citizens contributed tax dollars that are now going to another state not run by idiots.
Fits also posted yeaterday that he is in favor of abolishing the income tax. That would leave our government with “use” taxes to fund services. Use taxes are by definition regressive.
So Fits wants to do away with public schools and force the poor to pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes.
Sounds like something we need Obama to stop.