Sanford stands up for children - touts school choice

School choice supporters in S.C. were confident following Governor Sanford's State of the State speech. As many expected, the Governor re- emphasized his commitment to giving parents choice in education, saying, "I continue to believe passionately a parent ought to be able to decide what school works best for their child, and as a consequence believe in the need for choice in education and market based solutions to education."

Currently, education in S.C. is anything but market driven due to policies that force the vast majority of students to attend a certain school - an unfair practice that causes considerable concern for parents whose children must attend failing schools. According to the 2006 S.C. School Report Card, there are at least 194,000 children enrolled in failing schools across the state, a statistic that cannot be ignored.

Governor Sanford and many legislators acknowledge this problem and are advocating a policy that would give parents options to choose a school that provides the best possible education for their child. These options include other public schools, private schools, or home schooling.

Families around the state that support school choice were encouraged by the Governor's comments in the State of the State address. West Columbia resident Edward Earwood, voiced his approval, saying, "Our children deserve more than empty promises of a better education. The Governor is right in his approach that all families should have the ability to find a school that works best for their child. I hope the General Assembly will work with him this year to pass school choice legislation."

A coalition of grassroots organizations is working to educate and mobilize parents in support of school choice. South Carolinians for Responsible Government is one such group that has been instrumental in keeping school choice at the forefront in the General Assembly. Randy Page, president of SCRG, felt the Governor's words about school choice resonated with parents disillusioned by low achievement levels. "Everyone wants to improve education, public or otherwise. We agree with Governor Sanford that the best way to improve education is to impose market forces, make schools compete, and allow funding to follow the child," he said.

The S.C. Center for Grassroots and Community Alternatives is working within the African American community to educate families about the benefits of empowering parents. Thomas Simuel, the center's president, elaborated on the importance of parental choice, saying, "For African-Americans, this is an issue not only of economics, but of social justice as well. We need and deserve to have access to any number of schools, not simply the schools government officials tell us to attend."

Despite the controversy surrounding the topic of school choice, everyone agrees that something needs to be done to improve education in South Carolina. A large number of South Carolinians believe school choice can do exactly that, and they intend to make sure it gets a chance.

On Feb. 13, supporters will gather in Columbia for a School Choice Legislative Day and Rally on the State House grounds. Thousand of parents, educators, and students will echo Governor Sanford's call for educational options by demonstrating to the General Assembly the widespread and diverse support that school choice enjoys in S.C..

Denver Merrill

South Carolinians for Responsible Government