Kathleen Parker sheds light on S.C. schools

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Wednesday March 04, 2009 · 8:13 PM PST

2009/03/04 · 20:13

In a column published Sunday in The State newspaper, Kathleen Parker shares her experience on a school visit to J.V. Martin Junior High School, the school mentioned by President Barack Obama.

We were heading to J.V. Martin Junior High School, the school made famous by Barack Obama’s visit during his presidential campaign. At his first news conference as president, Obama referred to the school as an example of why we need stimulus funds for school reconstruction. Obama learned about J.V. Martin, built in 1896, from Ferillo’s 2005 documentary, "Corridor of Shame," about crumbling schools along South Carolina’s I-95 corridor. Funded by community leaders and foundations, the film highlights problems that were presented as evidence in a lawsuit 36 school districts brought against the state for failing to provide "minimally adequate education" to all students. (The S.C. Supreme Court is expected to rule any day.) "All" is the operative word as plaintiffs claim unequal treatment. Their evidence is compelling.

I am glad to see, although upset it has taken so long, that corporate media have began seeing what a true disaster our schools have become because of lack of support at the state level.

Plaintiff districts are 88.4 percent minority, compared to the state average of 48.1 percent, according to the lawsuit. They are primarily poor, with 86 percent of students getting free or reduced-cost lunches. And 75 percent of students in the plaintiff districts scored unsatisfactory or below average on state achievement tests, compared to 17.4 percent of total students in the state. Moreover, teachers in plaintiff districts make less than similarly qualified teachers in other districts, and fewer have advanced degrees. Not surprisingly, it’s hard to recruit teachers to impoverished areas to teach disadvantaged students in collapsing schools without modern equipment.

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