Tuesday, October 28, 2014
"Advance Carolina" Becomes 1st Special Needs Scholarship Provider
Exciting news for South Carolina students with exceptional needs!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January13th, 2014
Contact: Access Opportunity South Carolina (AOSC)
www.IndependentED.org
“ADVANCE CAROLINA” LISTED AS FIRST SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDER
This morning, Advance Carolina became the first organization authorized to issue scholarships as part of the state’s new school choice program. Advance Carolina is a Columbia-based charity supporting students with disabilities.
South Carolina’s new program, “Educational Credits for Exceptional Needs Children,” allows private taxpayers to fund grants for students with special learning needs who attend independent primary and secondary schools. Like dozens of parental choice programs in other states, the goal is to help all parents gain access to schools that meet the individual learning needs of their child.
Advance Carolina was created by leaders of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools (SCACS) to serve students with special educations needs at SCACS-affiliated schools .The non-profit also looks to serve exceptional needs students enrolling at other independent, non-sectarian private schools. Directors and staffers have decades of personal experience as Christian educators, and are eager to target help to students with the greatest academic, financial and familial need.
Both individual and corporate donors to Advance Carolina are eligible for state income tax credits. These contributors can to claim that dollar for dollar credit for up to 60 percent of their one-year tax liability. They are not allowed to designate specific student or school as beneficiary of the grant.
“Every morning, thousands of children across South Carolina head off to high quality, SCACS-affiliated schools,” explained Edward Earwood, the president of Advance Carolina.” Those schools are proud of their high standards, community engagement and sense of Christian mission. Many also offer highly specialized instruction for students facing special learning needs. The tax credit funded scholarships will help families seeking to enroll their children at SCACS’ and other independent schools who offer special programs for students with special needs. That will give parents –particularly those facing financial hardships– real choices.”
Advance Carolina is one of two aspiring SFOs to sign the “Access Opportunity Best Practices Pledge,” a voluntary pledge that includes a disclosure questionnaire about scholarship awarding practices. The other is the St. Thomas Aquinas SFO, which is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. Access Opportunity South Carolina (AOSC) partnered with a coalition of South Carolina private schools and respected scholarship providers around the country to develop the pledge and questionnaire. The best practice pledge includes a commitment by the signatory SFOs to hold their employees, volunteers, and contractors to the same high standards the ECENC already requires of their Board of Directors. That includes a strict prohibition against felons, bankruptcy filers and the parents of grant recipients. Access Opportunity also provides parents and the public with details of the tax credit funded scholarship program and participating schools at its IndependentED.org website.
“Holding to the Access Opportunity Pledge is just one more way we work to run an effective, efficient and ethical scholarship organization,” said Earwood. “It’s just common sense.”
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"Read to Succeed" Must Cross the Legislative Finish Line
The ability to read is a primary gateway to success in school and life-long learning. A child who does not master this fundamental skill faces daunting odds. Consider these sobering statistics from the Annie E. Casey Foundation:
· Children who are not reading proficiently in 3rd grade are 4 times more likely to not graduate high school.
· Below basic readers are almost 6 times more likely than proficient readers to not finish high school on time.
· Poor, Black, and Hispanic students who are struggling readers are about 8 times more likely than proficient readers to drop out of high school.
Why is this the case? Because from kindergarten through third grade, students are learning to read. Beginning in fourth grade a student is asked to use their reading skills in order to learn. If a student struggles to read when they enter fourth grade, not only are they already behind most of their peers but they are also at great risk of falling further and further off the pace.
Right here in South Carolina, the most recent National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) shows that 51% of low income 4th grade students and 40% of all 4th grade students cannot read at even a basic level. We face a truly monumental task.
But the good news is pioneering states like Florida have shown there is a proven path forward. And with the “Read to Succeed” legislation modeled on Florida’s success currently moving through the General Assembly, it’s clear that South Carolina legislators understand the urgency of the need.
Two bills — S. 516 and H. 3994, sponsored by Senator Harvey Peeler and Representative Andy Patrick respectively — have the potential to profoundly change the future for thousands of Palmetto State students. These bills put a laser focus on literacy, hands down the most critical skill our schools must teach. By putting priority on key policy components like improved teacher training, state and district reading plans, summer reading camps and reading readiness assessments, we can help students unlock the door to reading success.
Much attention has been placed on the third-grade retention portion of the policy as if that is all these bills contain. But that is only the last resort for struggling students. The true power of Florida’s successful model stems from the dynamic duo of support and accountability.
To retain third-graders who struggle to read but not provide them with a new and intensive literacy action plan would not help the underlying problem at all. Indeed, it’s pure folly to ask a student to simply repeat a grade and expect a different result. On the other hand, calling for early interventions and greater literacy support for students and teachers without drawing a hard line in the sand at the end of third-grade is an inefficient strategy, since as the Casey statistics illustrate, proficient third-grade reading is the non-negotiable end goal that will enable long-term student success. “Read to Succeed” strikes the right balance between these two critical elements of support and accountability.
Governor Nikki Haley has publicly championed the cause in her executive budget and the House has set aside $30 million to implement the policy. But while both the Senate and House have already passed their own versions of this legislation, a strong version of the bill still needs to cross the legislative finish line with both its accountability and interventions intact.
Similar, stand-alone reading bills have recently been passed by states like Mississippi with broad bipartisan support and South Carolina’s “Read to Succeed” should not be derailed by unrelated agendas. This just might be the most important legislation for our state in the last decade.
A strong, focused “Read to Succeed” policy will open up new worlds of learning for struggling readers in the Palmetto State. Let’s cross the legislative finish line together this year to give them that opportunity.
· Children who are not reading proficiently in 3rd grade are 4 times more likely to not graduate high school.
· Below basic readers are almost 6 times more likely than proficient readers to not finish high school on time.
· Poor, Black, and Hispanic students who are struggling readers are about 8 times more likely than proficient readers to drop out of high school.
Why is this the case? Because from kindergarten through third grade, students are learning to read. Beginning in fourth grade a student is asked to use their reading skills in order to learn. If a student struggles to read when they enter fourth grade, not only are they already behind most of their peers but they are also at great risk of falling further and further off the pace.
Right here in South Carolina, the most recent National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) shows that 51% of low income 4th grade students and 40% of all 4th grade students cannot read at even a basic level. We face a truly monumental task.
But the good news is pioneering states like Florida have shown there is a proven path forward. And with the “Read to Succeed” legislation modeled on Florida’s success currently moving through the General Assembly, it’s clear that South Carolina legislators understand the urgency of the need.
Two bills — S. 516 and H. 3994, sponsored by Senator Harvey Peeler and Representative Andy Patrick respectively — have the potential to profoundly change the future for thousands of Palmetto State students. These bills put a laser focus on literacy, hands down the most critical skill our schools must teach. By putting priority on key policy components like improved teacher training, state and district reading plans, summer reading camps and reading readiness assessments, we can help students unlock the door to reading success.
Much attention has been placed on the third-grade retention portion of the policy as if that is all these bills contain. But that is only the last resort for struggling students. The true power of Florida’s successful model stems from the dynamic duo of support and accountability.
To retain third-graders who struggle to read but not provide them with a new and intensive literacy action plan would not help the underlying problem at all. Indeed, it’s pure folly to ask a student to simply repeat a grade and expect a different result. On the other hand, calling for early interventions and greater literacy support for students and teachers without drawing a hard line in the sand at the end of third-grade is an inefficient strategy, since as the Casey statistics illustrate, proficient third-grade reading is the non-negotiable end goal that will enable long-term student success. “Read to Succeed” strikes the right balance between these two critical elements of support and accountability.
Governor Nikki Haley has publicly championed the cause in her executive budget and the House has set aside $30 million to implement the policy. But while both the Senate and House have already passed their own versions of this legislation, a strong version of the bill still needs to cross the legislative finish line with both its accountability and interventions intact.
Similar, stand-alone reading bills have recently been passed by states like Mississippi with broad bipartisan support and South Carolina’s “Read to Succeed” should not be derailed by unrelated agendas. This just might be the most important legislation for our state in the last decade.
A strong, focused “Read to Succeed” policy will open up new worlds of learning for struggling readers in the Palmetto State. Let’s cross the legislative finish line together this year to give them that opportunity.
The Solution to Our Energy Need is...South Carolina!
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Falling Unemployment – Road to Recovery or Dead End?
Today, Palmetto Policy Forum joined the Liberty Foundation of America to release the following look at unemployment numbers and labor participation across gender and race in South Carolina:
Last Friday, headlines heralded the news that America’s official unemployment rate had fallen below 6% for the first time since 2008. Surely, a sign that we’re on the path to recovery, right? A closer look says “not so fast.” After 5 years of unfettered progressive policy in Washington, the reality of the Left’s lofty rhetoric of greater fairness and compassion has been much closer to an all-out mugging of the very people they claim to be “helping.” In fact, a recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that a full 45% of Americans believe the unemployment rate is actually 9% or higher, a sure sign that perception trumps headlines. But a quick look at the real statistics after 5 years of President Obama’s progressive crusade against the rich shows America’s perceptions may be far closer to reflecting reality than the unemployment rate itself:
• According to UC Berkeley economist Emmanual Saez, 95% of the Obama “recovery” gains (in terms of real income growth) have accrued to much maligned “top 1%”.
• 1 in 6 Americans currently rely on food stamps (SNAP), an almost 50% increase since President Obama took office in January 2009.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of Americans who are working is the lowest it has been since the days of Jimmy Carter. As New York Times writer Binyamin Appelbaum aptly said, “We are basically ‘recovering from the recession’ by reducing the share of Americans who participate in the labor force. Hurrah!”
And South Carolina – despite strong overall population gains over the last decade – has been no exception to that trend. The following Palmetto Policy Forum report, produced in collaboration with the Liberty Foundation, starkly illustrates the disturbing truth. From 2008 to the most complete numbers we have in 2013, South Carolina’s labor participation has seen a uniform, steady decline across gender and race, aside from a 2012-2013 rebound among Hispanic workers.
Last Friday, headlines heralded the news that America’s official unemployment rate had fallen below 6% for the first time since 2008. Surely, a sign that we’re on the path to recovery, right? A closer look says “not so fast.” After 5 years of unfettered progressive policy in Washington, the reality of the Left’s lofty rhetoric of greater fairness and compassion has been much closer to an all-out mugging of the very people they claim to be “helping.” In fact, a recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that a full 45% of Americans believe the unemployment rate is actually 9% or higher, a sure sign that perception trumps headlines. But a quick look at the real statistics after 5 years of President Obama’s progressive crusade against the rich shows America’s perceptions may be far closer to reflecting reality than the unemployment rate itself:
• According to UC Berkeley economist Emmanual Saez, 95% of the Obama “recovery” gains (in terms of real income growth) have accrued to much maligned “top 1%”.
• 1 in 6 Americans currently rely on food stamps (SNAP), an almost 50% increase since President Obama took office in January 2009.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of Americans who are working is the lowest it has been since the days of Jimmy Carter. As New York Times writer Binyamin Appelbaum aptly said, “We are basically ‘recovering from the recession’ by reducing the share of Americans who participate in the labor force. Hurrah!”
And South Carolina – despite strong overall population gains over the last decade – has been no exception to that trend. The following Palmetto Policy Forum report, produced in collaboration with the Liberty Foundation, starkly illustrates the disturbing truth. From 2008 to the most complete numbers we have in 2013, South Carolina’s labor participation has seen a uniform, steady decline across gender and race, aside from a 2012-2013 rebound among Hispanic workers.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
ELECT OR APPOINT? SC To Decide Process for Adjutant General’s Selection
DID YOU KNOW? This fall, South Carolina voters will be asked to decide whether or not South Carolina should continue to be the only state in America that still elects it’s Adjutant General….a position that very few know much about. Earlier this year, the Spartanburg
Herald Journal did a good job laying out some key considerations:
The second amendment on the ballot would change the way the state selects its adjutant general. This is the only state in the union that elects its adjutant general. That poses some problems. Promotion to military rank and command is usually accomplished through merit, service and experience rather than the popular vote. Under South Carolina’s current system, a sergeant can run for adjutant general, and if he wins, he is automatically promoted to the rank of general. That not only creates difficulty in the chain of command, it puts the state’s adjutant general at a disadvantage in dealing with commanders from other states and from federal forces. The adjutant general is not only in charge of the national and state guard, he is also responsible for South Carolina’s Emergency Management Division and the Emergency Preparedness Division. The governor is the commander in chief, and in a time of emergency, the state looks to the governor for leadership, quick decisions and efficient action to implement those decisions. The governor will be better prepared to do so if the person who handles these emergency departments is someone of his or her own choosing who reports to the governor’s office. In order to act quickly and properly in an emergency, the governor needs to be familiar with emergency plans and procedures. Making the adjutant general an appointed position will put emergency planning under the governor’s control and make the state’s chief executive better equipped for the next hurricane or disaster.
The second amendment on the ballot would change the way the state selects its adjutant general. This is the only state in the union that elects its adjutant general. That poses some problems. Promotion to military rank and command is usually accomplished through merit, service and experience rather than the popular vote. Under South Carolina’s current system, a sergeant can run for adjutant general, and if he wins, he is automatically promoted to the rank of general. That not only creates difficulty in the chain of command, it puts the state’s adjutant general at a disadvantage in dealing with commanders from other states and from federal forces. The adjutant general is not only in charge of the national and state guard, he is also responsible for South Carolina’s Emergency Management Division and the Emergency Preparedness Division. The governor is the commander in chief, and in a time of emergency, the state looks to the governor for leadership, quick decisions and efficient action to implement those decisions. The governor will be better prepared to do so if the person who handles these emergency departments is someone of his or her own choosing who reports to the governor’s office. In order to act quickly and properly in an emergency, the governor needs to be familiar with emergency plans and procedures. Making the adjutant general an appointed position will put emergency planning under the governor’s control and make the state’s chief executive better equipped for the next hurricane or disaster.
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