Governor's education plan has too many loose ends

e-mail this story discuss this issue in our forums Guest column • Kristi Arledge: Add resistance training to your workout (02/08/05) • Doug Limbaugh: Governor's education plan has too many loose ends (02/08/05) • Sheila Jackson: Christian-themed calendars violated First Amendment (02/07/05) • : Men must learn duty, honor and responsibility (02/06/05) • Bob Faith: Our state should build on its 2004 jobs successes (02/05/05) More details Dr. Doug Limbaugh is principal of Gettys Middle School in Easley. He has been involved in education in Pickens County Schools for 35 year, 32 as a school principal at the elementary and middle school levels.

Recent reports in The New York Times (Nov. 23, 2004) cite a study done by the U.S. Department of Education indicating that charter schools established to date in five states are not up to par with the public schools from which they draw students. How does Gov. Sanford propose to make sure those in South Carolina are any different from others across the nation? Will they be measured with the same standards as the other public schools and will the same accountability tools used for public schools be used to measure their success or failure?

Gov. Sanford stated that the money allowed for tax credits for "Putting Parents in Charge" and putting their children in private or charter schools would leave the schools with more money for the rest of the children. School districts are funded on a per pupil basis (weighted pupil units) so if a child is not in the public school, the district does not get money for that child.

The governor also stated that when students leave the public school system, the teachers are left with fewer students to teach and therefore can give them more individual attention. When my pupil count goes down, for whatever reason, my school loses teachers. That is not the real world of public education, governor. When schools lose students, they lose teachers and money with which to operate.

Gov. Sanford also fails to tell the public that the schools have never been fully funded based on the amount the Legislature itself determined to be adequate to educate a child in South Carolina. Nor does he mention that parents have a responsibility to share in the education of their children.

My wife and I did not depend on teachers or principals to motivate our two children to learn in school. They knew our expectations and both are now college graduates and responsible tax-paying citizens of South Carolina. Raising the expectations of our parents for their children is the piece of the puzzle that is still missing. Let's see the governor legislate that into being.

The governor's plan has too many loose ends and issues for which he has not provided solutions. I submit that his State of the State address left much to be desired, as does his plan for education.

Local folks need to start asking their legislators how they stand on some of the issues and see if their representatives are truly representing them when they go to Columbia. We have much at stake and few dollars with which to make mistakes.

Public education was established by our forefathers and has helped make the United States a great nation. Let's be sure we are making changes that will make education for all students better, not render it useless for many.