This is what I'm talking about:
http://www.islandpacket.com/...
State Sen. Vincent Sheheen, the likely Democratic candidate for governor, said Tuesday he will introduce legislation next week to raise the salaries of S.C. public school teachers to match the national average.
Sheheen’s proposal, made the day before Republican Gov. Nikki Haley introduces her education-reform plan, is in tandem with the Camden Democrat’s other major education-reform proposal, expanding the state’s optional 4-year-old kindergarten program to all 46 counties.
“There are two parts to improving education. One is access. The other is quality,” Sheheen said. “Having a great quality teacher in the classroom means you pay teachers well.”
The average S.C. teacher was paid $48,375 at the end of the 2013 school year, while the national average was $55,418, according to the state Department of Education.
State law requires the minimum salary paid S.C. teachers match the Southeastern average. But that standard is rarely met because lawmakers routinely suspend the law telling the Department of Education to get as close to the Southeastern average as possible. Sheheen’s bill would require that minimum salary match the national average. - The Island Packet, 1/7/14
I've always been a big supporter of paying teachers better and I'm happy to see Sheheen take the lead on this. But what about Sheheen's likely opponent, Governor Nikki Haley (R. SC)?
http://www.fitsnews.com/...
Anyway, because it’s an election year (and because her rival was preparing to announce his plans), Haley is at long last returning to the topic of education this week. According to The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper, Haley will unveil an education plan this week that centers around “more technology in the classroom and support for teachers” – especially schools in “poorer districts.”
Wow … iPads for kids who can’t read and yet another government teacher training program is going to turn around the worse state-run system of education in America?
Good luck with that, governor …
Nikki Haley used to be one of the most aggressive, articulate advocates for substantive education reforms in all of South Carolina. Sadly, she’s now completely morphed into yet another “Republican” mouthpiece for the Palmetto State’s failed status quo. - Fits News, 1/7/14
It'll be interesting to see what Haley proposes. While we're on the topic of Nikki Haley's the "jobs Governor" recently took another big hit in the press:
http://www.fitsnews.com/...
In the latest blow to befall the “Jobs Governor,” the Associated Press – usually a reliable mouthpiece for pro-Haley propaganda – has published a report calling into question some of the governor’s recent jobs announcements.
Buried within the AP article were several doozies … including a quote from Haley’s Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt in which he admits his agency doesn’t follow up on the billions of dollars it doles out each year to select companies (read more on this infinitely corrupt process here).
“Would it be helpful for us to be calling them every year for the next five years to see how many people they employ this year, as opposed to waiting for them to meet their contract? I don’t know that that would be a good use of state resources,” Hitt told the wire service.
But here’s the truly devastating line for Haley …
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley touts that more than 40,000 jobs have been announced during her tenure, but no one can say how many of those planned jobs have become reality. Many employers won’t fill those jobs for years. Some plans will simply fall through – and already have in at least three cases.
In other words, take all those taxpayer-subsidized announcements with an ocean of salt. - Fits News, 1/6/14
Ouch. Sucks to be Nikki Haley. If you would like to get involved or donate to Sheheen's campaign, you can do so here:
http://vincentsheheen.com/