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Last week, the South Carolina Statehouse played host to more than the usual legislators and lobbyists, as an estimated four thousand parents, teachers, and students descended on the Statehouse grounds for one of the largest rallies ever seen at the capitol.
It was no secret why they were there. Determined to see school choice legislation pass in this year’s General Assembly, a sea of people sporting blue “Another Voice for School Choice” hats swarmed the Senate and House office buildings to voice their support for real school choice before heading to the steps of the capitol for the rally itself.
Encouraged by supportive comments from Governor Mark Sanford, Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell, Rep. Tracy Edge, and the first African-American co-sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Curtis Brantley, parents dissatisfied with the educational alternatives currently being offered through the government have high hopes that school choice is right around the corner.
Pat Westfield, Greenville Chairperson for the Center for Advocacy and Change, shared her reason for attending. “We have shortchanged our children for far too long in this state. No child should have to be stuck in a failing school, and the fact that one out of three public schools in South Carolina is failing is simply unacceptable. We cannot continue to turn our back on a problem like that by pretending the answer comes from within the system that’s created a disaster of this magnitude,” she said.
Greenville resident Helen Kakouras agreed, saying, “Our education system is not providing an equitable education for all children in South Carolina. Parents need to be able to choose a school that will get the job done to their satisfaction. We get to choose all the other service providers in our lives, why not something as important as education for our children?”
They not alone in their sentiment.
South Carolina can claim three hundred and eighty-five failing schools, as well as the lowest graduation rate in the nation. Very often, failing schools are populated by students without the financial means to attend a private school or move to an area with better public schools. If school choice legislation were to pass, parents would have tax credits and educational scholarships available for them to choose the best school for their child to attend.
South Carolinians for Responsible Government organized the event and has been at the forefront in promoting comprehensive school choice as an education reform measure that will benefit not only students, but public and private schools as well.
Randy Page, the group’s president, stated that the school choice movement is diverse and growing – a fact our legislators have taken notice of. “This rally is a testament to the growth of support for real education reform in this state,” said Page. “These people mean business.”
Tuesday’s rally demonstrated that support for the measure is anything but homogeneous. Fully half of the crowd shouting through megaphones was African-American, a demographic that comprises a large percentage of the students being forced to attend failing schools. In addition, banner- waving delegations from Catholic schools, Christian schools, public schools, charter schools and Jewish schools all packed the steps of the Statehouse, intent on gaining the General Assembly’s attention.
Their plea for school choice was echoed by several citizens who made compelling arguments in favor of giving as many children as possible the opportunity to find an education that best suits the child’s individual needs. They included Lorraine Simmons, a grandmother who now is the primary care provider for six of her grandchildren; Hollie Bennett, a social worker and public school mother of three; and Rontrell Matthews, a 9th grade student whose moving testimony brought tears to the eyes of some attendees.
Matthews grew up struggling to achieve in public schools and spoke about being told he had behavioral problems and would never succeed in life. Determined to get into an environment where he could thrive, Matthews started working at a local Subway to pay his way into a private school. Now in high school at Capers Preparatory Christian Academy, Matthews is excelling in his own studies and serving as a teacher’s aid. “It’s not right though,” Matthews stated, “that it’s so difficult for me and others to receive such a good education. School choice is needed so that all children have an opportunity to realize their dreams.”
Whether more children like Rontrell Matthews will have the opportunity to realize their dreams is now in the hands of the South Carolina General Assembly. If South Carolina lawmakers choose not to pass school choice legislation, it won’t be because enough voices weren’t heard.
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Denver Merrill is affiliated with South Carolinians for Responsible Government
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