Proposal to overhaul SC’s K-12 schools system advances to full House
S.C. House Speaker Jay Lucas’ proposal to overhaul the state’s K-12 schools system is headed to the full House next week for debate and, in all likelihood, a vote.
By a 15-1 vote, the House Education and Public Works Committee adopted an amended version of the Darlington Republican’s reform proposal, including a provision to let some small, rural school districts avoid consolidation.
Lucas praised the committee’s action. “The bill has wide bi-partisan support and will provide a 21st century education to our students. They deserve nothing less.”
However, much to the chagrin of some representatives, the proposal still includes a new advisory panel to study education issues, from birth through college. Critics have said panel would duplicate the state Education Department, Education Oversight Committee and Commission on Higher Education.
Referring to House Bill 3759 as one of the “most important pieces of legislation” to come before the committee, chair Rita Allison, R-Spartanburg, lauded the proposal as an opportunity to “really move education forward” in South Carolina.
“For the first time in many years, winds all seem to be blowing in the same direction,” Allison said.
State Rep. Wendy Brawley, D-Richland, was the sole representative to vote against the proposal.
House members attempted to tweak the bill Wednesday, some hoping to curry favor with teachers who worry the bill does not address the teacher shortage or eliminate clutter they say takes too much classroom learning time away for students.
However, of 13 amendments debated Wednesday, only five were adopted.
One proposal adopted, by state Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken, would make local school boards more transparent. Another threw school districts with less than 1,000 students a lifeline, giving those systems a chance to avoid forced consolidation.
“Our overall goal is to make sure our children are educated and come out ready for jobs,” said state Rep. Tim McGinnis, R-Horry, who proposed the anti-merger change. “If a district is already accomplishing that ... it could be kind of a punitive measure to force them to consolidate.”
The education reform proposal stands a good chance of passing in the overwhelmingly Republican House, where GOP Speaker Lucas has significant clout.
It faces a slower process in the state Senate.
The Senate’s K-12 education subcommittee decided against making immediate changes Wednesday to its companion bill, S. 419.
Instead, senators agreed to debate changes next week. Among the proposed changes is eliminating the controversial “Zero to Twenty” advisory committee, which opponents argue would add another layer of bureaucracy.
Senate Education Committee chairman Greg Hembree, R-Horry, also proposed deleting most of the bill’s “Students Bill of Rights,” saying the “feel-good language” would not make substantial changes to a student’s learning.
State Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw, said he will propose amending the Senate bill to eliminate four state-mandated tests — three in science and one in social studies — that teachers complain take up too much time and cover the cost of any classes on teaching reading that teachers are required to take.
“To remove a little clutter from the classroom,” Sheheen said Wednesday. “That’s the goal.”
This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 5:18 PM.
