Grassroots teachers group, SC for Ed, announces second march on State House
Upset after the state Senate passed an education bill they say did not go far enough to address their concerns, educators with the grassroots teacher group SC for Ed are planning another march on the State House.
The event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 24, according to the group’s social media accounts, and is a follow up demonstration to a 10,000-person march last year which urged lawmakers to heed their advice on how best to improve the teaching profession in South Carolina.
The group has reserved the north side of the State House grounds from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., according to the Department of Administration.
“Enough is enough. With the passage of S. 419 in the Senate, the decision not to substantially increase base student cost in the House budget, and the continued disregard for voices of teachers advocating for a reduction in testing, smaller class sizes, and the elimination of unfunded mandates, it is evident that action must occur,” SC for Ed posted on its Facebook page.
SC for Ed founder Lisa Ellis did not have an estimate of how many people would attend the rally this year, but said in a text message to The State, “We will be prepared to host a crowd in comparable size to last year’s event.”
The planned march is not a big surprise.
During SC for Ed’s lobby day in January, the group’s members warned they would hold another rally if the reforms they called for were not adopted by mid-March.
“We will continue to advocate on behalf of our students and ourselves. We will not cease this fight until the children of South Carolina receive the high quality education they deserve,” the group said in its post announcing the rally.
The Senate education bill, which passed this week and now is headed to the House for consideration, included some policy commitments aimed at helping teachers. Among them are a guaranteed 30-minute duty-free lunch period for elementary teachers, compensation for work above and beyond the work days outlined in their teacher contracts and an increase, by double, of the reimbursement amount teachers receive for classroom supplies they purchase themselves.
Legislators also lauded the Senate bill’s elimination of three state-mandated tests and its expansion of a free 4-year-old kindergarten for low-income students.
The state budget, heading for debate on the House floor, also includes pay raises for teachers and an increase in the amount of money the state sends school districts based on the number and types of students enrolled, commonly referred to as the base student cost.
The Senate legislation passed overwhelmingly this week, with just four senators voting against it.
Not all teachers are on board with holding an additional rally.
Michael Burgess, a teacher at River Bluff High School, who previously supported SC for Ed’s efforts, spoke out against the planned rally and said a majority of teachers have not been listened to by the group’s board.
“Any opposition or dissent from members is often met with a terse message to jump in line or otherwise distance yourself from SC for Ed,” Burgess said in an email to the State. “This walk out only serves as a clumsy effort to stay in the limelight. It is hubris run amok and the worst that disorganized labor has to offer.”
Ellis called the statement a mischaracterization of the SC for Ed’s purpose and that those involved in the group don’t have political aspirations.
“We are teachers who are trying to save our profession while advocating for a high quality education for all children in South Carolina,” Ellis said in a statement. “We are not willing to settle for okay. SC for Ed listens to all feedback and works to create the best environment for advocacy and engagement on educational issues. We do not make decisions lightly, and had teachers’ voices been heard, it would not be necessary for us to take this day of action.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 3:40 PM.
