Last week the governor met with leaders of the state Education Department, First Steps, the Education Oversight Committee and S.C. ETV as part of his ongoing meetings with state agencies as he prepares his executive budget for next year.
At last week meeting, a nationally certified teachers' program again came under Sanford scrutiny. He asked why the teachers who get a $7,500 bonus each year for the 10-year certification aren't required to work in poor or rural school districts. The questions are reminiscent of his executive budget released in the early days of the 2004 Legislative Session.
In January he recommended closing entry into the program certified by National Board for Professional Teaching Standards by setting a December deadline for certification. Last year South Carolina had 3,225 teachers in the program, third highest in the nation. The $24.2 million program could cost more as additional teachers enter the program.
The governor's question last week was succinct: "Are we going to put those resources into the places that are most needed?" Sanford said. "Why don't we make that change?" He was alluding to rural and poor school districts, where local expenditures for education are low. School Districts such as Jasper County say they can't compete with wealthier districts for the best teachers. Jasper County, for instance, uses the highest percentage of foreign-born teachers, of any of South Carolina's 85 school districts.
Sanford is certainly playing with a two-edged sword. On the one hand does the outcome on standardized tests; reading grades and dropout rates warrant the expenditure? Teachers say the program is beneficial to more than just their bank accounts.
An Arizona study just completed says that national certification for teachers have a positive effect on student achievement, according to the online journal Education Policy Analysis Archives. The study found that the students of national certified saw greater test-score gains, on average, than did those of teachers without certification.
South Carolina's teachers disagree with Sanford's proposal. Many say that requiring them to teach in rural disadvantaged school districts could discourage others to seek certification.
The Arizona study is one of a number of studies that are underway in a number of states. South Carolina's study, which is coordinated by the Center for Recruitment, Retention and Advancement at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, should be published in the final days of October or early November.
Before proceeding too far along his legislative agenda, the governor may want to consult the results of this study, especially if his plans call for forcing the state's nationally certified teachers to accept assignments in poor districts
South Carolinians have invested billions of dollars in the education of tomorrow's leaders. It would be a waste of money not to examine all programs, but it also would be an injustice to send the wrong message to teachers without examining the data.