South Carolina Lawmakers Scheduled To Meet About New Education Reform

South Carolina’s public education rankings are some of the lowest in the nation.

The Post and Courier recently reported that during the 2017-2018 school year, not even one out of two students in grades three to eight scored “meet expectations” or higher on the state’s accountability test in math or ELA.

This is just one of the reasons why S.C. House Speaker, Jay Lucas, proposed a complete overhaul of the South Carolina school system and made it a top legislative priority.

Some of the changes that were included in the new legislation are pay raises for teachers, the elimination of four statewide tests, and a new “Zero to 20” committee which would monitor and recommend ways to modernize the state’s education system.

While many favor the proposed changes, there are some hesitations. Greenville County superintendent Burke Royster expressed his views on the legislation saying that the “Zero to 20” committee is just another unnecessary level of bureaucracy.

Last week, lawmakers reviewed the legislation and proposed thirteen different amendments of which only five were approved. This week, it will go before the full House, and with an overwhelmingly Republican House, the bill should have no problem receiving a positive vote to move forward in the review process.

After it passes through the House, it will go to the Senate where it is likely to meet more hesitation than in the House. Many Senators agree with Royster and are leaning towards eliminating the “Zero to 20” committee altogether.

To read more on the current state of education reform visit The State.