The SC Legislature’s latest attempt to circumvent voters and push for centralization of power comes in the form of an 84-page, Republican-led, omnibus, “education reform” bill- S.419.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES IN THE SENATE and recommend the following amendments to Senate Bill 419.

1. Require Legislative Audit Council cost analysis for Federal Compliance
2. Strike the entire Zero to Twenty Committee section of the bill
3. Strike the Competency-based Education section of the bill
4. Change State Board of Education to be elected by judicial circuit

CONTACT YOUR SENATOR USING THIS LINK

Don’t know who your Senator is? Use this link to quickly find out!

1. Require Legislative Audit Council cost analysis for Federal Compliance

USPIE endeavors to return local, parental and community control of education. This starts with eliminating all federal education mandates. This can be achieved by federal legislation and/or by states refusing federal funding. The latest national census report of federal funding for states showed South Carolina only receives 4.96 % of its education budget from federal sources, and yet the federal government controls South Carolina classrooms. The South Carolina Senate should require the Legislative Audit Council to conduct a cost analysis for compliance with Federal education mandates over time.

    2. Strike the entire Zero to Twenty Committee section of the bill

USPIE and its South Carolina chapter oppose Senate Bill 419 because it reinforces, and in many cases doubles down on the workforce development model for education driven by the federal government. This failed education model is predicated upon massive data collection of children from before birth into adulthood. The proposed Zero to Twenty Committee is designed to breakdown and share data silos in order to track children from before birth through adulthood. Creating another politically-appointed committee that is charged with data collection is the opposite of what the Legislature should be doing to improve education.  The entire section creating the Zero to Twenty Committee should be stricken from the bill.

    3. Strike the Competency-based Education section of the bill

Common Core was only a forerunner to Competency-based Education (CBE), the latest national/global education fad. CBE was added to the House version, H. 3759, this week. CBE embeds online, formative assessments in everyday learning, undermining children’s privacy and eliminating a parent’s opportunity to opt out of testing. The entirely computer-based CBE curriculum eliminates the need for a teacher; teachers are mere facilitators/babysitters.

    4. Change State Board of Education to be elected by judicial circuit

In order to restore local, parental, and community control of education, there has to be more direct accountability to parents, teachers and taxpayers of South Carolina for education policy decisions.  A fundamental step toward restoring local control, and accountability to education stakeholders is to elect the State Board of Education by judicial circuit.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SENATOR and recommend the following amendments to Senate Bill 419.

1. Require Legislative Audit Council cost analysis for Federal Compliance
2. Strike the entire Zero to Twenty Committee section of the bill
3. Strike the Competency-based Education section of the bill
4. Change State Board of Education to be elected by judicial circuit

CONTACT YOUR SENATOR

Don’t know who your Senator is? Use this link to quickly find out!

If you have any questions about contacting your legislator, please email or call USPIE ACTION Communications Director April Few: (803) 421-9851  //  afew@uspie.org

THANK YOU!