Rex pushes measure to revamp education accountability
By Diette Courrégé
State schools Superintendent Jim Rex is putting the heat on lawmakers to pass a bill to overhaul the state's accountability system.
Superintendent Jim Rex
The bill already has the blessing of the House and the Senate's education committee, but it faces objections that would require two-thirds of the Senate to agree that the bill should be debated. Those hurdles, combined with a waning number of days before the legislative session ends June 5, have pushed Rex to get the word out.
"I feel strongly that this is a change that should've happened years ago but needs to happen now and not be dragged out for three or four more years," Rex said. "What we're trying to do is make it as clear as we can that this is something the state is ready for."
Rex e-mailed supporters and asked them to contact their senators, sent a message to teachers through an automated phone call and held a conference call with media Thursday. He said he hopes the bill's supporters get involved once they understand its predicament.
The bill would eliminate the state's Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test and replace it with a test that would give teachers more timely feedback, require a review of the state's accountability system every five years and restructure the annual school report cards so they are shorter.
Some lawmakers say state law doesn't need to be changed for ideas in the bill to become a reality. Sen. Kevin Bryant, R-Anderson, circulated a letter Thursday that said state law gives Rex authority to develop the state's assessment program.
Although some of the bill's proposed changes could be made by the state education board and the Education Oversight Committee, Rex said both of those bodies are appointed and politically divided. It would take years to get them to agree to major changes to the state's accountability system, he said. Other proposals included in the bill can happen only through legislation, such as eliminating academic plans for students who score below basic, changing state report cards and reducing testing at early grades.
Senate Education Committee members Nikki Setzler, D-West Columbia, and Wes Hayes, R-Rock Hill, said they think the bill has the support it needs. The issue is when the Senate will take up it up, which could be as early as next week. Setzler said Rex's efforts can only help give the bill more attention.
"The more their voices are heard, the better," Setzler said. "It needs to be considered, and it needs to be considered this year."
Yvonne Wenger contributed to this report. Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
carolinadude (anonymous) says...
Right on Tripsa! Educrats want less accountabilty not more. They don't want the public to know what a dismal failure that our government schools are. The post before yours by "Early" admits that teachers are spending their time "teaching the tests" which is cheating in an effort to artificially inflate their scores which portrays a deceptive image of success to the taxpayers when in fact governemt schools are collectively a dismal failure, and as you say, a huge waste of taxpayer dollars. So you're absolutely correct that we must have public and private SCHOOL CHOICE.
May 9, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
Why can you not answer simple questions about your desire for vouchers Carolinadude. That last time you touted your private schools I asked you some simple questions. You refused to answer any of them.
Here is your challenge for today. Go to your nearest private school and ask if they will admit your child for the coming school year. Tell them that your child has cerebral palsy. Let me know the answer.....
May 9, 2008 at 9:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
....and you should not be commenting about education much longer. That comment about "teaching the tests" is damn near the dumbest thing I have ever read.
I tell you what. I'm going to make private school affordable for you since you seem to be so dismayed. Give me $1000 dollars this coming year and I will give you a report card on four different occassions that tells you that your child is smart. No, I'm not certified to teach but neither is the MAJORITY of the teachers at your desired private schools.
May 9, 2008 at 9:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zoomru (anonymous) says...
YVONNE!!!!!!
A CONFERNCE CALL!!! SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GET IN THIS GUYS GRILL!! AND ASK ... LOUDLY!!!
1) WHEN ..SIR..ARE YOU GOING TO ABOLISH THE TEACHERS UNION?
2) WHAT DATE WILL THE "REX" voucher system be inacted?
3) When will we start seeing more teachers advertising on billboards for students than LAWYERS for CLients?
4) ARE YOU A COMMUNIST!!!!???
5) VOTERS want BILLS for ACTION.. not their WALLETS; SO SIR When do you plan to cut out all the ADMIN LAYER and HIRE more actual teachers that COMPETE for there jobs yearly!!!
DO YOU HAVE GUTS .."REX"!!!???
May 9, 2008 at 10:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
1) WHEN ..SIR..ARE YOU GOING TO ABOLISH THE TEACHERS UNION?
Misinformed.. The teachers do not have a union. The association might as well be the "He-Man woman haters club". I think Spanky and Alfafa had more political clout.
2) WHAT DATE WILL THE "REX" voucher system be inacted?
Uh, here is a guess: When the state legislature passes it into law.
3) When will we start seeing more teachers advertising on billboards for students than LAWYERS for CLients?
Never. There is too much money in crime.
4) ARE YOU A COMMUNIST!!!!???
Are you a schizophrenic?
5) VOTERS want BILLS for ACTION.. not their WALLETS; SO SIR When do you plan to cut out all the ADMIN LAYER and HIRE more actual teachers that COMPETE for there jobs yearly!!!
Did you look at Rex's proposals? Did you even read the article?
May 9, 2008 at 10:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
Early,
If they are teaching the test, they are teaching the content.
The answer to question number one is "A".
The answer to question number two is "A,C, and D".
The answer to question number three is "D".
This was teaching the test.
May 9, 2008 at 10:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zoomru (anonymous) says...
Thanks....ZOD
I'm still looking for my vallium!
A conference CALL!! Geez?? Get in front of some cameras!!
Maybe this is NOT news??
May 9, 2008 at 11:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ptmama73 (anonymous) says...
I have a child in private and a child in public. They both have to take the PACT test. I can say, from experience, that the public school DOES create its curriculum around the PACT test. Ask any teacher; if they are honest they will tell you that. The private school just does a "review" of what is on the test. No real difference.
May 9, 2008 at 2:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jsks (anonymous) says...
It's easy to assume public schools are horrible and underperforming and that we should disinvest our resources in them. Folks like Tripsa are prime examples of people who have never stepped foot into a classroom or spoke to an educator or school district administrator about the challenges they face. Tripsa's answer is to take his or her tax dollars and spend it on a private school. Well Tripsa, I am not sure if anyone has mentioned this to you, but you are not an island and unfortunately we all have a responsibility to add to the greater good. I don't know where you live, but from your comments, I would assume you have enough money to own a car and you drive on the roads of South Carolina right? Well, when I lived in Charleston, my house was centrally located in the downtown area and I didn't own a car which means I didn't really need to use the roads. According to your warped logic, I should have demanded some of my tax dollars back because I didn't use the road or I found the roads useless. Hmmm. Public education is a right and every child deserves the opportunity to enroll in a quality school. When Charleston residents such as Tripsa continue to look at education funding as a wasteful expenditure rather than a long term investment, the challenges that face the community will only get worse.
A proper education for ALL students will only benefit the local economy by adding tax revenues through increased earnings, spurring economic growth. It is not Charleston County School District problem, it is a community problem. Tripsa, I would urge you to visit the College of Charleston or the Citadel and ask the recent graduates what they are planning to do after graduation. Most graduates have to leave the area because there are no good places to work. That speaks directly to my argument regarding how the community values education. Unfortunately Tripsa, your comments do more harm than good, especially for the educator that is working his or her butt off on $35,000 a year, while paying back student loans, only to have someone like you tell them, the school they work for is worthless.
Oh and by the way, try to look up some academic statistics regarding private schools in the Charleston area. Good luck with that. And you talk about accountability and transparency?
May 9, 2008 at 3:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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