All Candidates Oppose Common Core by Varying Degrees and for Different Reasons
All eight Republican primary candidates for South Carolina Superintendent of Education attended a forum Monday night at the Greenville Hilton.
The candidates appeared before the Greenville County Republican Party Executive Committee and guests. The ballroom was filled to capacity.
Chairman Chad Groover selected Dr. Sid Cates, former Christian school principal and current member of Greenville County Council to moderate the forum.
The candidates were allowed an opening and closing statement and Cates asked all candidates the same questions. Cates prepared some of the questions and others came from attendees. There were no direct questions from the audience.
The Candidates included two men and six women. They were Sally Atwater, Gary Burgess, Meka Childs, Amy Cofield, Sheri Few, Don Jordan, Elizabeth Moffly and Molly Spearman.
All of the candidates stated that they opposed all or part of Common Core. Some wanted to delay drastic action to eliminate Common Core from South Carolina Schools. Only Sheri Few pledged to stop Common Core immediately if elected Superintendent.
Amy Cofield was first to respond to the question regarding Common Core.
“As State Superintendent of Education, I think our job is going to be the next four years is to review Common Core. Common Core is going to have to be changed by the State Legislature. As it appears now we are looking at a four year cycle. I hope that a quicker review will come and also standards enacted to prove the non-effectiveness, perhaps, of the Common Core standards in our schools. Common Core has come about not because of the Superintendent of Education. It has come about because of our state board”
Sheri Few was next to reply:
“My first order of business as State Superintendent of Education will be to call for a review and rewrite of the standards. I will replace them with a good classical education for ELA and Math. The biggest problem I see with the Common Core Standards is that the K-3 standards are developmentally inappropriate and are causing psychological damage to children. I could go on and on and you know that I have a depth of knowledge of problems with the Common Core Standards. That is the problem with this panel tonight. These candidates say that they are against Common Core, but they have no depth of knowledge with the problems and that is why they will not have the fortitude to do away with them. And I think you will see that when you hear their responses to this question.”
Don Jordan was brief:
“I think there are some good qualities in Common Core and I think there are some horrible, and if I had a moment I would tell you about it.”
Elizabeth Moffly attacked the cause of the problem:
“The Common Core came under the No Child Left Behind and the Flexibility Waver. This was not something we had to do. The State Board of Education, they were lazy, they outsourced our standards to a private-public partnership. I disagree with that. We can do something about that. There are five seats open on the board of education. I think we need to work on replacing those members of that board. (Loud applause).
Molly Spearman spoke next:
“The biggest part I see is not the standards, but the testing. I think it is good that Sen. Fair has proposed an amendment and the Senate is opening up the testing question.”
Sally Atwater wants teachers to decide:
“ I would also review the standards and I would support teachers looking into those standards. When I worked in Washington, I saw the encroachment of the Federal Government. We see it in Obamacare and now education. Our Constitution gives us the right to education and we need to continue to fight for it.”
Gary Burgess is plain spoken and to the point:
“The biggest problem with Common Core is that it violates the United States Constitution. Give me any kids anywhere and we will not teach the standards, we will teach a classical education and those kids will be able to pass any test we administer to them.”
Meka Childs has served as Deputy Superintendent of Education under Dr. Zais:
“Common Core represents federal overreach with incentives tied to it. We know that when the federal government gives incentives, they follow with controls. I will fight to protect the power of the state against federal overreach. I know how to write standards and I know what is necessary to lead our state board in rewriting standards to generate South Carolina Standards for South Carolina students.”
