Democrat Sen. Ford calls for school choice program
By Molly Parker
mparker@scbiznews.com
Published March 24, 2009
Calling school reform the new civil rights movement, Democrat S.C. Sen. Robert Ford joined several Republican colleagues on Tuesday to push the state to adopt a school choice program.
“I’m the one lonely black Democrat attending,” Ford said of the noon press conference at the Statehouse. “The rest are conservative Republicans who have been pushing vouchers for a long, long time.”
Several weeks ago, Ford, who represents Charleston County, filed bill S.520 to provide a tax credit for anyone who pays tuition to send a child to either a private school or to a public school other than the one the child is assigned to attend.
“It doesn’t make sense for elected officials to tell parents that we have to do something to improve the public schools, but, in the meantime, you’re going to have to keep little Johnnie at this failing school,” Ford said. “That doesn’t make no kind of sense to me.”
Ford said his legislation is intended to provide a tax credit of $3,500 per child for parents who choose to pay tuition for elementary and secondary school.
Grants and tuition assistance would be provided to low-income families whose children are attending failing public schools, Ford said.
Because this topic is so controversial in nature, Ford said he doubts lawmakers will reach an accord on it this year. Still, he urged action.
“For the sake of children, we’ve got to get to it fast,” he said. “Any elected official not supporting sending kids out of failing schools is really not concerned with kids.”
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Comments:
Added:
24 Mar 2009
First, "kids" are young goats. I think the Senator meant to say "students" or "youngsters". At least I hope so.
Second - "That doesn't make no kind of sense to me." And HE is leading the charge for better education ???????????? PLEASE...
BL
BellaLeen
Added:
24 Mar 2009
That is not really solving the issue of the number of failing schools. That is simply consolidating children into the better schools. Eventually they will be overcrowded and children will be forced back to failing schools. This is setting up a vicious cycle...
Kristin
Added:
24 Mar 2009
I would like to see the grades of the kids in these failing schools. I truly believe the kids make up the grade. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. If there are qualified teachers and the correct curiculum what's the cause? The kids and the homes. Moving a child out of a school because he or she is not doing well is not the answer. Are the parents involved? Giving more of my tax money for more of others peoples problems needs to stop. Parents need to start getting more involved. You made your children you pay for them!!!!
bobby
Added:
24 Mar 2009
We have a failing school system. For those of us who currently pay taxes for it and then pay private tuition in addition, this would be a welcome credit.
Ginger
Added:
24 Mar 2009
Senator Ford is correct. Allow tax credits or funding through scholarship organizations so that the means will be available for parents to choose schools that will meet their students' needs. The children's welfare is what is important, not the bureaucracy. It is unjust to require parents to send their children to failing schools.
Kathleen
Added:
24 Mar 2009
Well, what I would like to know is how many of our current legislators children are attending these so called "failing schools" or, do they also choose to send their children to private institutions. If the truth be known, I think you would find that over 70% of them attend private schools.
I for one did not move my child out of public school because he was failing but because he was the minority. I moved him to private school because of what he was "bringing home" ie the language, the "talk", the actions, etc., etc.
Parents do need to get more involved. It makes for a better system overall.
Nicee
Added:
24 Mar 2009
Thank you, Sen. Ford, for speaking the truth. Parents, not lesgislators, know what is best for their children. It is, and should be, parents who make educational decisions for their children. No one wants the child to succeed more than the parents. It is only right to have choices in education. You choose your college. Why not choose your elementary school or high school? Parents will make intelligent choices. Let them have the opportunity.
Margaret Poovey
Added:
24 Mar 2009
If schools have to compete for students to stay in business, then maybe they will have some incentive to improve. Parents pay for school with taxes and they should have a choice of where their funds should be applied for their childs best interest.
dan
Added:
24 Mar 2009
I would greatly appreciate being able to write off the tuition I pay for my daughters to go to a safe private school. At least I don't have to worry about weapons or drugs or harrassment.
Mark Goldstein
Added:
24 Mar 2009
I have long argued that support for school vouchers is a progressive position. Some of the earliest supporters of school voucher programs were great Democrats like Hubert Humphrey and Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Senator Ford is right. We are talking about a civil rights issue. All children, rich or poor, ought to have the opportunity for a decent education.
RD
Added:
24 Mar 2009
As long as it is not "VOUCHERS" !!!!
We would not have a "failing" school IF WE TAUGHT PHONICS and Retained a child until capable of mastering "Reading at grade level!
Think about it!
If a child can not read adequately at grade level WHY ADVANCE THAT CHILD to the next higher grade level which requires a more advanced capacity of reading????
A very disgusted School Board Trustee!
AnotherMan'sOpinion
Added:
25 Mar 2009
I was involved in a start up school which is to be closed at the years end.When we started the school each parent was obligated to spend 15 hour each per grading period working at the school in some manner. There were disipline rules in place, if the students did not do their assigned work, participate in class and maintain order, the faculty had the authority and responsibility to send the child home until the PARENTS were able to help the child get back to an acceptable level. Of course, this did not last but a few years until the bureaucracy determined that parents could not work at the school for fear of personal injury and legal ramification, and students could not be disiplined by sending them home. The school went down hill quickly when the parents were no longer allowed to participate. My 2 children got a very good foundation for their education during the early years, the teachers enjoyed teaching, and the parents became close while working along side each other. In my opinion parental involvment is the key to good education. Parents cannot turn their children over to the educational system without being involved in their childrens education themselves and get the results they expect regardless as to the BUILDING in which they are taught.
Dan
Added:
25 Mar 2009
The NEA and SC school bureaucrats will continue to groan that there is not enough money. They will blame the families that privately educate or home school for all the bad results. SC families are being given a raw deal. Despite new buildings, more teachers, and more administrators; SC government schools are failing to educate.
It is also high time that we pass a parental rights amendment to the US Constitution. We must protect the right and responsibility of parents to train our children. Those who wish to ratify the UN Convention on the rights of the Child will subjugate our US and SC laws to international law. Do you really want you relationship with your children to be based on the laws developed and enforced by the United Nations? Do you want the UN to tell you how to raise your child, what you can teach them, whether you can make them attend church with you………………
The only way to protect your children from the tyranny at the UN is to pass a parental rights amendment. I am proud that Gresham Barrett has joined with 50+ other representatives as a cosponsor of this legislation. God Bless him for not being afraid to stand up to the liberals that want to invade your relationship with your children.
David O
Added:
25 Mar 2009
1. If teachers would stop spreading lies and fear and disinformation among parents, Choice would already have been firmly established as the best and most meaningful reform currently on the table. Several teachers have approached me to 'inform' me on the dangers of choice. I told them its completely irresponsible, unprofessional and unacceptable that they should abuse their trust position with parents to advance their political views. All the more unconscionable is their self-serving position that completely disregards facts.
2. Choice would increase funding for education because parents would be personally involved inselecting the best school for their child and that would create a situation where they are encouraged to invest above and beyond what any tax credit would provide. Choice would also distribute growth demand in our suburban schools among a multitude of options, reversing the idiotic, manic pace of school construction and the bond referendum cash grab that is completely unconstitutional.
I refuse to rent my home from the government and no self respecting American with any appreciation for the work of our founding fathers should accept a situation where voters are asked to impose a tax on fellow citizens property by ballot. What hellish form of democracy have we invented?
Jesse Sewell
Added:
25 Mar 2009
Who will this tax credit really help? Is $3500 per child enough to make it possible for those really in need to afford to send that child to a private school that costs $10,000, $12,000, $18,000 in tuition? I don't think so.
So will this really become yet another tax break for the wealthy?
I Question
Added:
25 Mar 2009
How many failing schools are in nice neighborhoods or nice areas? Live in a bad area you have a failing school right? The kids make up the marks of their schools by passing or failing! Idea, want your kids to go to a better school? Find a better job, move to a better area!!! Another Civil rights movement huh! Just what we need LMAO,,,,,
Bobby
Added:
27 Mar 2009
I am glad to see Mr. Ford setup for vouchers, but this movement needs to go further. We need to revamp the school construction system totally and move back to neighborhood schools. With the movement toward sustainable communities and new urbanism we need to be thinking about new approaches to the school design within walking distance to residences and not busing school children miles form home. Make once again the school as the focal point to the community. The school needs to be a place of culture, education and community activities for all ages young and old.
Jim
Added:
28 Jan 2010
YES!! I am in full support of school choice whether by voucher or by tax credit. I teach in the SC public school system and think it is a wonderful school system, but my children are happy and thriving at a local Christian school where my husband teaches. I believe that getting a good education depends upon what works best for each individual child and his/her life and family circumstances. Public school systems and private schools should not be in competition with each other. They should be more focused on what is best for each child and his/her circumstances.
S Furr
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