Organization ashamed of school board

Dear Editor,

This letter is addressed to the School District of Pickens County’s board of trustees.

It is a shame to have to write this letter.  We are aware that your action, inaction, and inability to function as a board has resulted in the accreditation report you recently received from AdvancEd. We are the manufacturers who started here, stayed here or relocated in Pickens County due to the qualities of life here, not the least of which is the School District. We are also the companies that employ the graduates of our schools, pay taxes and support the educational advances that continue to be made.

Pickens County has been, and still is, one of the best school districts in the entire state. Please do not destroy that. The report squarely points out problems that you, the board, have created. The same report praises the administration on all levels. We feel that you owe the people of this county more than you have given. Without us, and without further economic development, you will be forced to raise taxes beyond imagination.

History has shown that losing accreditation results in exodus of students, families, jobs and entire industries. You have been given the opportunity to fix your problems, before we lose the accreditation. We, the Manufacturers Caring for Pickens County, request your immediate attention to this problem. We join the rest of this great county and offer any help you may need to achieve these goals.

Tom O’Hanlan

                                                                                                                                                Chairman, MCPC

Is Governor Haley really against CCS?

Dear Editor,

Last night I watched Governor Nikki Haley’s State of the State address intently… and there was no mention of getting rid of Common Core Standards (CCS).

When asked recently at events, she has clearly stated she is against our present Common Core Standards. But no mention of that in her Education Plan or her State of the State address?

I am a huge fan of country singer Toby Keith. His song, “A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action” comes to mind when I hear Gov. Haley “say” she is against CCS. Last night would have been the perfect opportunity to make sure all the Legislators and citizens of South Carolina know she is against these standards … but what did we hear from her on these child-abusive standards? Crickets…

Her solution seems to be throwing more money at education. A recent chart put out by the Cato Institute shows clearly what the return on investment is when we throw cash at education. There is none … flat-lined test scores and literacy improvement, even though we are spending $11,372 per child in S.C. (See http://www.scrgfoundation.org/files/SCRGPublicSchoolLayout.pdf).

Please explain to me, Gov. Haley, how spending more money on education equals a better literacy rate? Are you doing that fuzzy math promoted by CCS? Common Core is designed to have students spend less time on classical literature and more time on boring, cold informational texts like the EPA manual … how is that going to inspire children to love to read?

It is time for Gov. Haley to have a reality check. Please contact her and tell her the problems you are seeing with Common Core Standards and tell her you want a little less talk and a lot more action.

Johnnelle Raines

Upstate Regional Leader SCPIE

Pickens