Some S.C. teachers upset by DeMint comments

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Some South Carolina teachers are condemning U.S. Senate candidate Jim DeMint's comments on barring some people from teaching in public schools, saying a teacher's effectiveness in the classroom is more important than his or her personal life.

DeMint, a Republican, said this week that openly gay people and unwed, pregnant women living with boyfriends should be barred from teaching in public schools. On Wednesday, DeMint apologized for his comments on expectant mothers.

DeMint is running against Democrat Inez Tenenbaum, the state education superintendent, for the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings.

"I know he probably misspoke," said Susan Brewer, an English teacher at Camden High and president of the Palmetto State Teachers Association. "At least, I hope so. It does worry me he said that, though."

"I don't know what Mr. DeMint thinks occurs in schools," said Sheila Gallagher, president of the South Carolina Education Assocation, another teacher advocacy group. "What occurs is ... the building of a child, a young person, and making them feel like they are worth something and can succeed."

Edward Hill, a third-grade teacher in the Richland 1 school district, said he found DeMint's comments "upsetting."

"I do not judge my colleagues on what they do after 5 p.m.," Hill said. "If a person is effective, that's what I want for my son or daughter."

Myrtle Beach High senior Lane Tinker said she has had teachers who may be gay or lesbian, but "it doesn't affect the way they teach at all," she said.

DeMint made the comment about unwed mothers at an editorial board meeting at the Aiken Standard while defending an earlier comment on barring gays and lesbians from teaching. DeMint told the newspaper that teachers must be held to a higher moral standard.

Some educators agreed.

"Anybody in public life should be held to a higher standard," said Conway High Principal Rick Maxey. "You should model honesty and integrity."

In South Carolina, public school teachers can lose their teaching certificates for many reasons, including "moral turpitude," but the term is not defined in the law, said Department of Education spokesman Jim Foster.

Les Sternberg, dean of the University of South Carolina's College of Education, said he has seen no research indicating homosexual teachers or those who are single, pregnant and living with boyfriends have a negative influence on students.

"The key is: Are they effective teachers? Not whether they're gay or lesbian, black, white, not whether they're single or pregnant," he said. "If there's a concern about moral degradation, where is the data that says it ever takes place?"