An open system is vital to not only allowing a student to move from a school that is not working for them to one that does, but to providing diverse choices in our educational system that match the diversity of kids in South Carolina schools.
Unfortunately, H.3124 in its current form is fundamentally flawed in the way it creates the promise of open enrollment but won't deliver a choice to help kids who are trapped in failing schools.
Struggling schools: S.C. falls short... again
Twenty South Carolina school districts, including Richland 1 in Columbia, failed to make significant progress toward reaching federal achievement objectives during the 2006-07 academic year, the state Department of Education reported Tuesday... Wed, Oct. 31, 2007 read full article
Real School Choice... Never Part of the Plan
Wednesday, May 30 2007, Senators voted against Grooms' plan 23-13, then tabled Thomas' plan. Grooms told his colleagues after his bill was defeated that he was baffled by their actions.
"Nobody is talking about the kids who aren't getting it (in public schools)," he said, "and they're way too many of them." Thursday, May 31, 2007
School choice raises results
"Children whose parents take an active interest in their education are far more likely to succeed in school than children whose parents don't. School choice promotes parental involvement.
Do the math: Increasing school choice overall inevitably increases overall academic achievement."(read full article)
Virtual schools provide flexibility
"Gov. Mark Sanford recently signed legislation expanding the state's Virtual Schools Program, providing greater educational opportunity for public, private and home-schooled students in the state. Students will be able to take online courses that might not be offered at their home school." (Read full article)
