The Good Ol’ Days Follow-Up:

Back to the Plantation in South Carolina

Gary West

February 1, 2006

 

This week, I received several email reactions to “Ahh -- the Good Ol’ Days” -- the article I sent out earlier in the week.  Several of the comments related to the content of the email to which the “Good Ol’ Days” article was attached as well as to the article itself.

 

Just so you’ll know, I reply to every email I receive about one of my articles.  The resulting conversations are interesting and spirited at times -- and I receive a fair share of comments from folks who have opinions different from mine.  That’s why our democracy is so great -- we can disagree and still talk with each other without fear of retaliation (as long as you’ve signed up for the Federal do-not-listen-in list or you’re not looking for it through Google…).  Many of my readers and I carry on conversations over long periods of time.  I enjoy all of them; they must enjoy them as well because we continue to talk.

 

Today, the South Carolina Senate passed, and sent back to the House for consideration, the Statewide Charter School District bill.  Today, also, the House gave favorable second reading to the School Start Date bill.  There are other bills in both chambers that will also erode “home rule” and will move all the public schools in the state under direct state control -- bypassing locally-elected boards of education.

 

Several of the comments and questions that came in from the “Good Ol’ Days” article related to these issues.  I’ve compiled several of my responses to those folks into this one email -- to share with all of you on my mailing list (and with those of you who find your way to my website).

 

My reason for doing so is to ask that you contact the members of your legislative delegation to let them know what you think about these issues -- whether or not you agree with my position.  These are important times for public education -- the taking of local control and the making of a state-run public school system are important issues. 

 

Please consider the following points and then act -- one way or another, let your elected Representative and Senator know what you think.  If you don’t, they’re gonna think they’re right…

 

About the Statewide Charter School Bill

“…let me clarify one point -- I’m concerned about the proposed STATEWIDE charter school district -- not the local charter schools that operate within individual local districts.  I certainly agree that charter schools have a place in public education; however, the statewide charter school district is a blatant attempt to charter schools without district input or approval.  I believe the statewide charter school district, as supported by Governor Sanford, is a backdoor to vouchers -- with new and existing private schools becoming state-approved charter schools, sapping off local district resources, and getting special dispensations from the accountability measures.”

 

“…there are still several bills in the House and the Senate to implement ‘Put Parents in Charge’ -- by name.  There is also at least one other voucher/tax credit bill in the House that explicitly allows private schools to test only the students who come to them via vouchers/credits -- using a nationally-normed test instead of PACT -- AND not testing students who do not get state funds.  That creates an unequal comparison again -- making it impossible for public schools to show they are good, better, or best.”

 

“The locally approved charter school system that we have now allows local control over the schools.  The new statewide charter school bill takes the local district out of the picture -- while taking dollars out of the local district.  It'll be tinkered with over the next couple of years to create the private school system the Governor tried to create with ‘Put Parents in Charge.’  That's my major concern.  You can look at the TERI bill – or the lottery or the EIA or any number of other bills – to see how the law can change even when it's already the law.”

 

About the School Start Date Bill

“The start of school should be a local board decision and should not be mandated from the Grand Strand.  Locally, there has been no outcry for a state-mandated start date.  There have been only a few folks who have even commented about it to our schools.  The letters to the editor of the local paper regarding school start date have almost all come from out of the district -- with most of those coming from the coastal areas.”

 

“I was disappointed to see that my Representative voted for the School Start Date bill today in the House.  That bill, and several others to be considered this year, will remove home rule related to public schools and will undermine the efforts of locally-elected trustees in their efforts to serve local district needs -- not just in my district, but across the state.”

 

“The School Start Date bill, the Statewide Charter School District bill, the Harrell bill, and others will, collectively, create a state-run school system in Greenwood, in Ninety Six, in Ware Shoals, and in every other district in the state.  In that system, local trustees will not be able to run the local schools.”

 

“In Greenwood, there has been no clamor in the community about the starting of schools.  There has been no large-scale concern about school start date.  That commotion has been fabricated by a few who are loud and persistent.”

 

“There has been no outcry from teachers about school start date -- and, even if there are some teachers who want school to start later or earlier, that’s not a teacher decision.  That’s a decision for elected trustees -- folks who are elected to represent everyone, not just the loud and persistent.”

 

“Our trustees do an excellent job in doing what is right.  Why would my representative vote for a bill that takes away that local control?  That seems to go dead against his conservative philosophy.”

 

“With the Governor’s focus on the charter school bill and the TERI bill, local districts will lose control of hiring as well as instructional programs.”

 

“These bills will create another bureaucracy to see that things are managed at the state level -- aside from the Legislature-created duplication of having the State Board of Education and the Education Oversight Committee.”

 

“The School Start Date bill is relatively small, in and of itself.  It’s another one of those bad decisions not based on “best practices and policies” that has been created as part of a bigger effort to continually discredit public schools.  The School Start Date bill says specifically:  ‘Public school trustees are not to be trusted.  Local people don’t know what they want.  So, it’s up to the Legislature to tell them what they need.’” 

 

“That doesn’t seem to fit the image of the Party-of-Less-Government.  Why is that?”

 

“It’s the South Carolina ‘plantation mentality,’ all over again.”

 

“I’ve asked my Representative to share with me the reasons he would support this bill instead of local rule.  I hope he can take the time to let me know. (And I will share with you what he shares with me…)”

 

“Our Legislators do an admirable job on our behalf -- most of the time.  I do appreciate their willingness to serve and their efforts in that regard.  I’d like to understand the parts of this that I’ve missed.”

 

[This next comment was to an educator who reacted to the article]:  “Our Legislature seems to react to the loudest of the malcontents -- despite their being a small group.  Although educators don't tend to be loud, if we make ourselves known consistently and conspicuously, we can make a difference.  Please contact the members of your legislative delegation and let them know what you expect of them.  If you don't let them know, they will think you don't care or that you agree with what others are already demanding of them.  As an educator, I believe our Legislators can be educated -- but not unless we educate them.”

 

Summary and Conclusion

The issue is not charter schools or school start dates.  The issue is local control and home rule.  The issue is who is best-suited for making decisions about the schools in your community.  The issue is about the mess that will result from state-run -- as opposed to local -- schools.

 

The charter schools bill will lead to schools that don’t have to prove their success through testing.  The charter schools bill will lead to tax dollars going to private schools -- just as “Put Parents in Charge” was supposed to do. 

 

The school start date bill will add to state control of local schools.  Simply by removing the elected board’s right to set a start date, the dominoes are aligned and will fall, one after the other, as each new piece of legislation is passed this year.

 

In closing, let me apologize for two things:  (1) This piece is not constructed and organized to the standards I usually set for my articles; and (2) this piece has not been documented to the standards I normally use for my articles.  But time is a factor here -- and I wanted the opportunity to offer you one viewpoint regarding the Legislative assault on the public schools -- one that you can consider along with your own viewpoint. 

 

With both viewpoints in mind, I hope you will contact your Representative and Senator to let them know what you think they should know about this issue.  These are important times -- important enough for you to act.

 

Thank you for allowing me to take this much of your time.  As always, I appreciate the fact that you read.

 

 

About the Author

Gary West has lived in South Carolina more than 30 years.  He has seen the economic conditions created by systematic segregation of South Carolina’s poor and rural citizens – the systematic exclusion from economic, social, and educational opportunities – the systematic condescension that leads to economic and social slavery.  Prior to 1865, the excuse was economics.  After 2005, the excuse is still economics.  All over again…

 

You can reach Mr. West at garywwest@earthlink.net.  

 

This article and others can be found online at http://home.earthlink.net/~garywwest/.  Permission is granted to share this article in electronic or printed format as long as you don’t change it or charge for it.  Read responsibly.