10 questions for state superintendent of education candidates

Elizabeth Moffly and Mick Zais will compete Tuesday in a runoff election that will determine the Republican Party's nominee for state superintendent of education. The winner faces Democrat Frank Holleman in the general election Nov. 2. Education reporter Diette Courrégé asked Zais and Moffly 10 questions on issues ranging from school funding to charter schools. Here are their responses.

Elizabeth Moffly

Q: What is the top issue facing South Carolina schools?

A: I have always said the top issue is high school graduation rates. The focus of my platform emphasizes that point and brings about a solution to this problem, utilizing multiple pathways to graduation and a stronger foundation in the basics -- 3 R's -- through a revision of the standards of learning.

Q: Why are you more qualified than your opponent to run the state's public schools?

A: My opponent has spent zero time working with the public schools. During my service on State Superintendent Jim Rex's Transition Leadership Team, Rex took my ideas to end the PACT test and establish the Office of School Choice, and those were adopted and enacted. And I'm a parent of four school-age children, substitute teacher, coach and guardian ad litem.

Q: Do you have a better, viable way to fund public schools? Was Act 388, which limits the amount that local officials can raise property taxes for schools and basic services, a bad idea?

A: I agree with Act 388. The 1 percent sales tax was not appropriated for secondary education, as was the intention; rather it went into the general fund. I will work to correct that problem and ensure that K-12 education gets its fair share.

Q: Do vouchers and tax credits that enable students to attend private schools help or hurt public schools?

A: It is my belief that competition is healthy, providing marketplace incentives, even in education. I believe parents should have total choice about their child's education. S.C. Code of Laws Title 59, Chapter 41 that provides public money (vouchers and tax credits) for private schools has been passed but not enacted.

Q: What change is most needed in the state's charter school laws?

A: Facility funding is the greatest obstacle. Charter schools are public schools that do not receive any facilities funding.

Q: Should teachers get extra money based on performance?

A: No, that sets up teachers-versus-students antagonism. One can't compare special-needs improvements with a gifted class. Accountability through standardization testing is risky. I believe teachers should have academic freedom, and not have to teach to the test. Reassess pay to recruit the best teachers to teach, so children will learn fundamentals of critical thinking, communication and citizenship.

q: Which one best describes the status of the state's public school system -- under-funded, adequately funded or over-funded -- and why?

A: Adequately funded. The educational budget for last year topped $9 billion. I will call for a legislative audit to reduce the size of this top-heavy administration. I would end the policy of growing nonessential educational services (such as the non-diagnostic, high-stakes testing) in order to stay within, or even reduce, the budget.

Q:. Is there any ongoing state Department of Education initiative that you plan to discontinue if elected?

A: Yes, the one-size-fits-all diploma; align credits for a seamless transition to higher education, saving over $500 million annually (high school students would take five fewer credits, which equals about one year of high school. I calculated the savings by multiplying the state's average cost per pupil by the number of freshmen in the state); revise S.C. Uniform Grading Scale to a 10-point scale to be nationally competitive; and restore quality to our mandated standards of learning so teachers can teach and children can learn the fundamental basics.

Q: Do you support the state's effort to secure $175 million in federal Race to the Top money? Why?

A: No. Throwing money at the problem is not the solution; cutting waste is. I believe that federal money that belongs to the state should not be associated with mandates. I believe we need to learn to live within our means and stop growing public services at the private sector's expense.

Q: What would you do as superintendent to improve South Carolina's graduation rate?

A: Enact platform points: Create multiple diplomas and other pathways to graduation. Change required high school graduation credits from 24 to align with the 19 required by the Commission on Higher Education. Make standards of learning age-, grade- and developmentally appropriate so ALL read by third-grade completion, with remedial help as needed, assuring they progress on a strong foundation in the three R's.

Elizabeth Moffly

Age: 49

Family: Husband, David; children, Andrew, 21; Bridget, 19; Patrick, 17; and Sarah, 14.

Residence: Awendaw

Occupation: Owner of Moffly Construction and Real Estate

Education: Attended Queens College in Charlotte and College of Charleston

Public offices: None

Mick Zais

Q:. What is the top issue facing South Carolina schools?

A: Every dollar that is spent on education must be accounted for and be directly connected to the classrooms of our state. We must increase the return on investment for the taxpayers. School spending should be posted online for the public to review.

Q: Why are you more qualified than your opponent to run the state's public schools?

A: I have a comprehensive understanding of education policy, proven leadership ability, and a record of success. I've been a teacher and a college president. I retired as a brigadier general after 31 years in the Army. I led the turnaround at Newberry College that made it a nationally recognized college.

Q: Do you have a better, viable way to fund public schools? Was Act 388, which limits the amount local officials can raise property taxes for schools and basic services, a bad idea?

A: Funding should be based on the students served, not the programs operated, and expenditures must be transparent to the public. I support comprehensive tax reform that will encourage job creation and investment in our state.

Q: Do vouchers and tax credits that enable students to attend private schools help or hurt public schools?

A: The more relevant question is, will vouchers or tax credits help or hurt the children of South Carolina? I believe parents should be able to choose the best educational environment that meets the needs of their child. I support a full menu of educational options.

Q: What change is most needed in the state's charter school laws?

A: Modify the funding formula. By moving to a funding system where the money follows the child, and not to specific programs, charter schools will be on a level playing field. Charter schools are public schools, but in some communities adversarial administrators and school boards have undermined them.

Q: Should teachers get extra money based on performance?

A: Teachers should be rewarded for exceptional academic gains for students, and there are schools in South Carolina that have adopted bonus schedules. The overall effects of performance pay will be to increase teacher quality, increase the retention rate of our best teachers, and encourage highly motivated individuals to become teachers.

Q: Which one best describes the status of the state's public school system -- under-funded, adequately funded or over-funded -- and why?

A: Adequately funded, but taxpayer money is not spent where it matters most, in the classroom. Only 44 cents of every dollar is spent on classroom expenditures (according to the 2008 Local Government Finance Report from the state Budget and Control Board). We can do far better. There is too much administrative overhead, too much bureaucracy, and school construction costs are ballooning out of control.

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Q: Is there any ongoing state Department of Education initiative that you plan to discontinue if elected?

A: Programs should be evaluated based on their impact on student learning. Teachers are to education what doctors are to medicine, the providers of the service for which the institution exists. If a program isn't helping the learning process between a teacher and a student, it should be eliminated.

Q: Do you support the state's effort to secure $175 million in federal Race to the Top money? Why?

A: No. This federal program would provide one-time money but require the state to make long-term commitments without stable funding. In addition, it furthers the intrusion of the federal government into our classrooms. Washington is often the source, not the answer, to our challenges in education.

Q: What would you do as superintendent to improve South Carolina's graduation rate?

A: I have a three-part action plan. We must focus on teaching reading in elementary school, provide multiple curricula for high school students, and provide parents a full menu of educational options so they can find the environment that best meets the needs of their student.

Mick Zais

Age: 63

Family: Wife, Susan; children, Bradley, 25, and Ashley, 23

Residence: Newberry

Occupation: President of Newberry College and retired Army brigadier general.

Education: Bachelor's degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington

Public offices: None