State of South Carolina

Office of the Governor

 

David M. Beasley

Governor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gary Karr

August 13, 1998 803/734-9840

 

GOVERNOR’S STATEMENT ON TEACHER STANDARDS

 

(Columbia) -- Governor David M. Beasley today issued the following statement on the state Board of Education’s endorsement of higher standards for teachers:

“I commend the action of Dr. Nielsen and the state board for endorsing a higher standard for teachers in South Carolina. We are working together to improve the quality of our schools, and this move will help improve the quality of teaching. We have many highly qualified teachers about to enter the classroom, and those soon-to-be teachers have nothing to fear by a higher standard because they will meet it easily. But we cannot talk about improving schools if we have a testing standard that gives a passing grade to teachers who score worse than 95 percent of their peers.

“During the last two years, we have raised teacher pay above the Southeastern average for the first time in our state’s history. We are reducing class sizes and putting clear, back-to-basic, rigorous academic standards into the classroom. Yesterday’s vote is another step in the right direction, and I urge the board to give it final approval next month.”

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