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Thursday evening the 2016 Legislative Session came to a close. And although the dust is still settling, numerous advances were made this session to address the Abbeville lawsuit and ensure each student in South Carolina receives a quality education regardless of the zip code where they live.
What is already crystal clear is the impact many of you have had this session in driving education policies. Whether it was donating to our efforts, attending an event, engaging with your legislator or inviting a friend to join our movement, our work would not and could not be possible without you and your commitment. For this, I will always be appreciative.
As for this Session, the legislature made advances in:
- Attracting great teachers to our schools by enhancing compensation. This will make our teaching positions more competitive with neighboring states so that we can attract and reward top talent.
- Increasing school level accountability with a new Office of Transformation. This office will serve as an incubator for schools that are in need of help to deliver great results for students.
- Strengthening the teacher dismissal process. Now, with clear milestones, the process will be more transparent and fair for both the district and teachers.
Obviously, much work remains to be done and we will need your help to do it. Please be sure and follow us on Facebook and Twitter so that you may join us this summer at one of our many events around the Palmetto state.
I also wanted to let you know that over the summer, you will begin to notice StudentsFirstSC transitioning to join 50CAN in our joint mission to keep students the priority in education. Our efforts here in South Carolina to ensure each student has access to a quality education won’t change, and we are excited about the additional resources that 50CAN will offer us as we pursue our important goals on behalf of children in our state.