Archive
Consolidating tiny school districts will get dollars to kids
This article was first published on palmettopromise.org In his State of the State address last January, Governor Henry McMaster sounded the alarm about wasteful spending in education. Addressing the problem head on, McMaster stated his firm belief that tolerating administrative waste in our public school system is akin to picking the… Read More
Big, bold school choice in South Carolina
This article was first published on palmettopromise.org It’s a fact: South Carolina’s “Year of Education” won’t be complete without big, bold school choice. Many good ideas to fix broken governance models, consolidate funding and administration, and support teachers are on the table. But a lot of these ideas are… Read More
State funding needs to follow South Carolina students to school
This article was first published on palmettopromise.org When students go to school, they carry what’s necessary in their backpacks. But in South Carolina, too much of one important item doesn’t travel with students headed to a new school: education funding dollars. A new report from the Palmetto Promise Institute… Read More
Different Schools and Strokes… For Different Folks
This article was first published on palmettopromise.org As people are different, so are schools. So here, in categories uniquely our own, and at the expense of purely academic pigeon-holing, is one of the most exhaustive lists of school options available to South Carolinians you will ever see: Public Schools: Neighborhood. Read More
“Year of Education” Is Far From Complete
This article was first published on palmettopromise.org Education was once again on deck in Columbia this week as the House passed H.3759—The South Carolina Career Opportunity and Access for All Act—by a vote of 113-4. Championed by Speaker Jay Lucas and House Education Chair Rita Allison, the wide-ranging bill… Read More
The Palmetto State Is #1 In Student Debt Growth. What Can Be Done?
This article was first published on palmettopromise.org A December 2018 report by the credit monitoring service Experian revealed that student loan debt had reached an all-time high across the nation, with South Carolina the worst offender by far. The average national increase in student loan debt was 127.86%, while South… Read More
‘Spend smart, not more’ on South Carolina Schools
This article was first published on palmettopromise.org “They just can’t see the forest for the trees!” We’ve all felt that frustration. And debates in Columbia are no exception, especially when it comes to a complicated issue like education. Like most things in life, getting the policy details right starts… Read More
Giving Every South Carolina Student A Brighter Future
This article was first published on palmettopromise.org Education is top of the agenda in Columbia. The Governor and top lawmakers vowing that 2019 is the year we will see big reforms to South Carolina’s last in the nation education system. This week, National School Choice Week provided the perfect… Read More
The Help Our Pupils Excel (H.O.P.E.) Plan
This article was first published on palmettopromise.org South Carolina has a generational opportunity to create an education environment where every student has the chance to reach their full potential. But this means an education paradigm shift that welcomes bold reform, puts students (not systems and programs) at the center… Read More
Grading The School Report Cards: South Carolina Gets a C+
This article was first published on palmettopromise.org Official report cards for individual South Carolina schools have been around since 2001, but due to the challenges of merging state and federal accountability systems, this resource has not been available since 2014. That means for roughly the last three years parents… Read More