Let's Put Parents in Charge

50 years of growing federal involvement in education has not led to better outcomes for students.  A recent Daily Signal article lays out the disturbing trend:

"According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress long-term-trend assessment, 17-year-old students today perform no better in reading and  math than 17-year-olds did in the 1970s. According to the main NAEP assessment, often referred to as the nation’s “report card,” only 26 percent of 12th graders are proficient in math; just 38 percent of high school seniors are proficient in reading."

Right here in South Carolina, 51% of low income 4th grade students and 40% of all 4th grade students cannot read at even a basic level.

That is why the Forum is fighting to return education dollars and decision to parents.  And we will keep fighting until every parent in South Carolina has the choice of a high-quality education option for THEIR child, regardless of their income or zip code.

(Hat tip to the folk at The Daily Signal for laying out the facts in this infographic.)

Read to Succeed Must Cross the Legislative Finish Line

by Ellen Weaver

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.

Congress Can Help SC Economy Grow

The Greenville News
May 11, 2014

Trade has transformed South Carolina’s economy.

A powerhouse corridor stretching from manufacturers in the Upstate to our thriving Charleston port produced a record high $26.1 billion in merchandise exports last year, according to a new report from the state Department of Commerce. This export wave continues to build with recent billion-dollar investment announcements from Toray Industries and BMW.

But in order for our already-thriving export economy to reach its full potential, Congress needs to give the president the ability to open new markets to South Carolina goods. To do this, he’ll need the same Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) that lawmakers have granted to every administration since Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Trade has deep roots in our state. Since the country’s earliest days, South Carolina’s products, ports and people have made us a vital commercial hub. Today, this commitment to trade is paying more dividends than ever.

International trade supports roughly 545,000 state jobs, a number that has been growing in recent years. Between 2004 and 2011 — a period that includes the Great Recession — trade-based jobs in South Carolina grew more quickly than overall state employment.

Many of these jobs are the direct result of our flourishing export economy. South Carolina goods and services are sold in nearly 200 countries around the world.

Foreign investment is another way in which state workers have reaped the benefits of trade. A recent analysis by IBM-Plant Location International named South Carolina the national leader in attracting jobs through foreign investment. All told, foreign companies based in countries from Germany to Japan to Switzerland employ more than 100,000 South Carolinians.

Imports have also been an important driver of growth and job creation in the Palmetto State. At present, foreign-made raw materials, inputs and component products account for more than 60 percent of U.S. imports. By allowing firms to keep operating costs down, these affordable goods and services help state businesses remain globally competitive which, in turn, protects the jobs of workers here at home.

Foreign-made products also provide South Carolina families with lower prices and greater product choice for their hard-earned dollar. In fact, taken together, policies that reduce barriers to trade and increase foreign investment save the average South Carolina family of four an estimated $10,000 a year.

And yet, some in Congress are slowing new trade negotiations by refusing to renew Trade Promotion Authority. While there’s no one solution to ensure free and fair trade, TPA represents an import tool in America’s trade toolbox.

TPA has been essential to trade negotiations since the 1930s. The authority officially lapsed in 2007, and unless Congress passes legislation renewing TPA, America will be hard pressed to complete two major trade pacts currently in the works.

Among other things, TPA allows pending trade agreements to receive a straight up-or-down vote from Congress. This gives U.S. negotiators the ability to reassure potential trading partners that narrowly parochial interests can’t be added to derail a deal once the details have been hammered out.

At the same time, TPA protects Congress’ ability to shape trade pacts through mandatory consultations with the administration and ultimately to vote down any deal it doesn’t believe to be a net win for America’s national interests.

Which raises yet another key consideration: strong alliances formed through the exchange of goods are one of America’s best weapons to promote stability and our national interest. In a volatile and increasingly interconnected world, countries that trade are far more likely to negotiate than fight. Make no mistake: Hostile nations such as China and Russia have demonstrated that they are ready to fill any trade vacuum that we leave.

With two historic trade deals on the horizon, it’s time for Congress to pass a standalone renewal of TPA. America’s interests and future South Carolina jobs are on the line.

Ellen Weaver is president & CEO of Palmetto Policy Forum.

Private school choice will help, not hurt public education

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/08/3432989/weaver-private-school-choice-will.html?sp=/99/168/#story

Columbia, SC — I appreciated Cindi Scoppe’s column in support of Sen. Paul Thurmond’s efforts to streamline our process for dealing with ineffective teachers (“The cost of one bad teacher,” April 23). Teacher quality is the No. 1 in-school factor affecting student learning, and this is an important step toward our shared goal of strengthening public education in South Carolina.

What puzzles me is her argument that passing this reform is a way to beat back private-school choice. An Urban Institute study of Florida — which has some of the oldest and largest private-choice programs in the country — found that these programs contributed to increased performance in public schools, an idea borne out by the incredible gains that Florida’s most disadvantaged students have made in math and reading.

Opponents of private-school choice like to use the word “voucher” as a dog-whistle to indicate opposition to public education. But even that word is a relic. There are so many different kinds of education choice beyond vouchers: public charter schools and online education, public magnet schools, home schools — and yes, private schools, both religious and secular. Education savings accounts, tax credit scholarships … and who knows what will be the innovation of the future. The unifying theme? The idea that all parents should have the ability to choose a high-quality option for the unique needs of their child … and that a ZIP Code should not determine a student’s destiny.

I am a native South Carolinian and a graduate of public education. I have no nefarious “out-of-state agenda” to dismantle S.C. public schools. Rather, I hope we can have a reasonable, informed discussion about what “public education” actually means. Is it merely a system into which we pump more and more taxpayer dollars regardless of outcomes, or is it a well-educated student who is prepared for success as a productive citizen of our great state?

This is not some abstract battle of ideology, as opponents of private choice would have you believe. It’s about the very real future of our children: Will we continue to do the same thing and expect better results, or will we have a conversation informed by real data on proven policies that show the positive effects of more choices — both public and private — on public education?

Ellen Weaver
President & CEO
Palmetto Policy Forum

Published on May 8, 2014 in The State newspaper

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/05/08/3432989/weaver-private-school-choice-will.html?sp=/99/168/#storylink=cpy

Common Core: What's Next

Common Core debate could plant seeds for reform

The State
by Dr. Oran Smith

Columbia, SC — Only two years ago, a lopsided majority of Americans had never heard of Common Core State Standards, and those who had either thought they were straight from Beelzebub or the greatest thing since Jadeveon Clowney.

If a recent legislative hearing on the matter is any indication, that polarization still exists, and the warring camps are getting larger and louder.

One moment in that two-hour hearing was especially memorable. As a Common Core supporter was explaining how South Carolina came to be involved with the standards, she described the signing of a contract related to their implementation. The presenter paused when asked the date of the contract, and as if on cue, at least 10 opponents shouted “June 9, 2010.”

Here was a group of citizens who had done their homework — an impressive display of democracy, no matter what one thinks of Common Core.

Can we build on that?

After the hearing, I concluded that John Hill of the Alabama Policy Institute had it right when he wrote: “Although both sides of the Common Core debate make arguments worth consideration, both the potential benefits and pitfalls related to Common Core have been the subject of exaggeration and error.”

This is why Palmetto Policy Forum recently released a paper we believe cuts through the Common Core fog, outlining an eight-point plan to return unquestioned control of education standards to S.C. parents.

This heated debate begs the question: Are education standards the reason so many of our students are falling behind academically and graduating from high school unprepared for college, technical college or the workforce? The answer to that question is a resounding no. While Common Core presents a host of problems, the bold reforms to reverse our lagging education outcomes lie elsewhere.

Among these reforms are a laser-like focus on early reading and an end to social promotion for those falling further and further behind; more choices for parents that let taxpayer funds follow the child to any school public or private; full funding for good public charter schools; education governance that is democratically accountable to those it serves; teacher evaluations that treat teachers like professionals and reward excellence in the classroom; and alternative paths to certification that cut through red tape to get real-world experience off of the sidelines and into our classrooms.

In the struggle between most urgent and most important, fixing Common Core could very well be more urgent. But accountability to parents and the wide-ranging reforms our students need are more important.

What we need is to turn the passion stirred over Common Core into something much more significant.

Common Core has serious problems, and it is imperative that we address them. But there is no reason to re-enact the brinksmanship of “Dr. Strangelove.”

Let’s address Common Core and move on, focusing our energy on the fundamental challenges facing education in South Carolina. This is not a time for mutual destruction. The future of our children hangs in the balance.

Dr. Smith is senior fellow at Palmetto Policy Forum.

Guest Opinion: School Choice Unites & Empowers

By Ellen Weaver

The Greenville News
February 2, 2014

Liberal Democrat Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and conservative Republican Senator Ted Cruz. Newt Gingrich and Al Sharpton. What agenda could possibly unite these political odd couples?

Support for the rapidly expanding world of education options.

Each of these leaders is part of a bipartisan groundswell of advocates for evidence-based school choice programs, both public and private. Far more than “vouchers,” school choice in its truest form includes as many options as the needs of children are unique: high-quality traditional schools; public charters, magnet or virtual schools; open enrollment between traditional school districts; private school scholarship and tax credit programs; Education Savings Accounts; home schooling and more.

Based on a monopolistic model of learning designed for a heavily agrarian economy, the structure of our current public education system has remained largely unchanged since the 19th century. While this system still works for some, it is failing to equip far too many of our children with the basic skills they need in the fast-paced economy of the future.

The facts are unforgiving: America leads the world in education spending yet lags in academic achievement, falling behind more than a dozen other industrialized countries in math and literacy.

Our research shows that right here in South Carolina, fewer than half of our low-income students can read at “Basic or Better” levels by the end of 3rd grade, the pivotal point when they transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Over the last decade, our students with special needs have lost more ground in reading and math than students from any other state in the country. We are currently leaving far too many of our children behind and robbing them of opportunity to succeed in school and ultimately life.

The good news: the power to change all this is in our hands. Around the country, innovating states and bold policy leaders are showing the way as they empower more and more parents with customized choices for their child’s education. These choices take many forms, including strong, accountable public charter and online schools and private tax credit scholarships for students with special needs or who come from families which otherwise could not afford to access high-quality options. Or newer ideas like Education Savings Accounts that create maximum flexibility for parents to buy textbooks, hire a tutor, enroll their children in online classes, pay private school tuition, or even save for future college expenses.

What are the results where these options are being tried? Study after study has shown that expanded education choice has increased high school graduation and college attendance, boosted scores in critical core subjects like reading and math, and led to parents who are satisfied that their children are enjoying high-quality education in a safe environment.

Over the last decade, Florida became one of the lead policy innovators, enacting robust school choice programs, which have contributed to students most in need of a helping hand making the greatest strides in achievement. In fact, Florida’s low-income students now outscore the entire student population of South Carolina on 4th grade reading. And the Sunshine State’s minority students — once lagging well behind their peers in the Palmetto State — have leapfrogged ahead. All this while spending less money per student than we do in South Carolina.

But the best news: a rising tide lifts all boats. Students in traditional public schools are thriving as never before, debunking the myth that more school choices damage public education. The inescapable truth is that where education choice grows, education and student achievement flourish everywhere.

To quote former Gov. Jeb Bush who led Florida’s education transformation, it’s time for us to “fundamentally rethink how we define public education, paying for results wherever they occur rather than paying a single provider regardless of results.”

Despite our challenges, this is an exciting time for education in South Carolina. New conversations are happening between businesses, education leaders and local communities about how to create the education system of the future. And right here in the Palmetto State, parents have more options now than they have ever had, including a brand new tax credit scholarship program for our students with special needs.

But our work is far from done. School choice is changing lives across the country and provides a clear road map forward to address the education needs of South Carolina students.

We have just celebrated National School Choice Week. I hope you’ll join this growing, bipartisan movement of students, parents, educators and community leaders. Working together, we can empower parents with new choices and inspire students with the hope that their ZIP code does not determine their destiny.

Ellen Weaver is President & CEO of Palmetto Policy Forum. For more information go to www.palmettopolicy.org.