Sun News: Chance to change missed, but not gone

Posted on January 22, 2008 
Filed Under News

By Thad Viers

Everyone following the presidential race will agree that change seems to be the theme of everybody’s campaign. This same theme struck a cord with me when I heard that the new State Board of Education met a few weeks ago, knowing that we recently missed a golden opportunity to help promote change within our public schools.

As you may recall, former Horry County School Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait was selected to the State Board of Education over the objections of S.C. Reps. Tracy Edge, R-North Myrtle Beach, Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, Nelson Hardwick, R-Surfside Beach, Liston Barfield, R-Aynor, and myself. I want to commend my colleagues for taking a strong stand in support of a reform candidate rather than the status quo candidate who was thrust upon us.

With eighth-grade proficiency levels ranging from 16 percent to 26 percent in the core subjects, annually ranking at the bottom on college entrance scores, and a lowest-in-the-nation 53 percent graduation rate, it is obvious to me that education reform is needed in South Carolina. This position needed to be filled by an independent voice willing to administer, review and, if necessary, reform existing policies of the S.C. Department of Education.

That’s what the Board of Education appointment should be about – not a particular candidate’s position on school choice. But the process was hijacked by certain legislators and the media, who used school-choice scare tactics to elect somebody who, by all reports at the time, would likely work to maintain the status quo rather than actually reform the system. Consider:

Of primary concern to me about Postlewait’s appointment was her contract with the Beaufort County School District. While it’s technically legal for Postlewait to serve on the Board of Education and perform services for a district beholden to the Department of Education, it gives the appearance of a conflict. You have to ask yourself if we should, as a matter of policy, allow people whose livelihoods are tied directly to a system to make decisions about how that system is managed.

Additionally, there were serious concerns brought to my attention about Postlewait’s inability to serve for as much as one to two weeks every month (because of work constraints) and her tenure as Horry County Schools superintendent lacking transparency, with all district complaints handled through her office and not aired in public as they should be. At the time, neither of these instilled confidence in me that her appointment would bring necessary attention to this post.

These are among the primary reasons my peers in the House and I did not support Postlewait and instead advocated for somebody outside the education establishment be considered. As chairman of the Horry County delegation, I believed we needed to make appointments to state and local boards who were ready and willing to change the system when needed – not people tied to the system who will have a hard time being independent and reform-minded, if necessary.

Reports indicate that Postlewait has heard our concerns, has pledged to work hard and look practically on the measures we need to consider to improve our schools. I hope she does just that, and I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Those of us who wanted a reform-minded individual on the State Board will continue working hard to advance policies and funding revisions that will help improve public education, hopefully with her help.

Statistics:

Proficiency levels | http://ed.sc.gov/topics/assessment/scores/pact/2007/default.cfm

College entrance exams | www.collegeboard.com and www.act.org

Graduation rate | www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2007/06/12/index.html

S.C. Rep. Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, is chairman of the Horry County legislative delegation.

Sun News | 1/21/08