When the "Put Parents in Charge Act" is resurrected in the future, residents of the Palmetto State should remember how this campaign was conducted. The concerted effort to shove PPIC down the throats of South Carolinians produced a considerable amount of balderdash, hooey and outright whoppers. Here are a few examples.  [May 6, 2005]

The original questions from the 8-page full-color newspaper insert were, of course, stated to make a point and to provide the opportunity to give conveniently simple answers by the supporters of the “Put Parents in Charge Act.”  As you can see, not only were their answers inaccurate and misleading, they simply asked the wrong questions – if the purpose of questioning is to improve education in South Carolina – as they claim.   [May 2, 2005]

Decisions on important issues should be based on accurate data rather than spurious claims that gain credibility only through repetition.  People make better choices if their choices are based on facts.  Here are four facts you should know and share with those in your community who believe dropout rates in South Carolina are the worst in the nation.  [April 29, 2005]

If public schools are to compete with private schools, we should be able to measure who’s getting better simply by looking at the test results – for each student, for each year.  We can tell if each student is getting better, if each school is getting better, and if “better” is happening from year to year.  However, the Governor's state-supported private schools -- proposed in his "Put Parents in Charge Act" -- don't have to take the tests.  Without test results, we can’t tell who’s getting better; thus, there’s no competition – because competition is about getting better.  And proving it.  Something the Governor will not let happen -- despite all his high words about the competition.  [April 22, 2005]

Back in 1964, SCISA’s stated purpose was to aid in the establishment of private elementary and secondary schools and to coordinate cooperative academic and sports activities.  The unstated purpose was to avoid the federally court-ordered racial desegregation of the public schools.  Since we were following a longstanding Southern tradition of being racists in denial, we simply denied race had anything to do with our motives.  We bristled with indignation when reporters referred to SCISA as an association of “segregated academies”.  We preferred to emphasize that we were simply putting parents in charge and giving them a choice of more educational opportunities for their children, as we went about naming the schools for Confederate figures.   [April 21, 2005]

How about publishing, with out-of-state dollars, a list of private schools, by local school district and county, who will take any and all students who want to leave the public schools?  On the list, how about including the names of the private schools and their addresses?  How about publishing a list of private schools that are willing to get involved in the “Put Parents in Charge Act” as part of their service to their communities?  And, if some private schools are not willing to take any and all students who want to leave the public schools, how about including the types of students each is willing to take?  Ladies and gentlemen, here is where the “B.S. versus C.S. test” separates the real B.S. from the rest.  There will never be such a list.  [April 18, 2005]

Our state's educational improvement efforts went off on a ridiculous detour this week. For four hours Wednesday, folks who ought to have their sleeves rolled up to complete the real educational reforms under way instead went back and forth arguing about a whim — the notion that giving a tax break to parents who send their children to private schools will somehow increase educational achievement in our state.  South Carolina still has the chance to keep doing education reform right. The legislative leaders who know this — and there are many who do, in both parties — need to act now.  [April 8 2005]

There has been a great deal of media, marketing and misinformation circulating about the Put Parents in Charge Act.  A number of organizations from outside our state along with the South Carolina Policy Council and South Carolinians for Responsible Government are actively involved in the promotion of the Act.  Successes in other states are often cited as reasons for its adoption in South Carolina.  It's time to begin examining the bill and its potential effects on families, public education, and the state as a whole -- and to take a look at those outside groups and experiences in other states.  [Updated March, 2005]