SC lawmakers just gave us a great way to help poor schools

The division of education money in South Carolina is inequitable and gives the impoverished very little opportunity to excel, therefore perpetuating the cycle of poverty and unemployability, and costing our state monumentally.

Many families have chosen to home school or send their children to charter schools or private schools, abandoning a diverse public education system for segregation and a superior education. No one can blame a parent for wanting the best for their children, and I am not demonizing them. But meanwhile the the poor counties are becoming more inferior and more impoverished. Teacher pay is disgraceful, and we should all feel that shame.

We need to increase teachers’ pay, offer incentives to teach in poor communities, pull out all the stops to bring make South Carolina’s public school system one of the best in the country. Give South Carolinians something to be proud of, and think about the educated professionals we could potentially bring to this country.

It’s time to shake this reputation that Southerners are less educated. For once, let’s do the right thing.

I would gladly give up any refund from SCE&G if it would be spent on high-quality public education, especially increasing teacher pay and benefits. Perhaps SCANA should match anyone willing to donate their refund and actually invest in this state in a positive way. Its reputation is one of callousness and plundering.

The State publishes a cross section of the letters we receive from South Carolinians in order to provide a forum for our community and also to allow our community to get a good look at itself, for good or bad. The letters represent the views of the letter writers, not necessarily of The State.