Palmetto State Teachers Association
2008 Legislative Agenda
1. Full Funding of Mandated Programs
Full Funding of the Education Finance Act
The General Assembly must establish education as the state’s top funding priority. The Base Student Cost should be appropriated based on legislative mandates and inflation costs and should include weightings for poverty and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). The cost of providing a sound educational program for all of the state’s children should not be funded using nonrecurring money.
Security of the EIA Penny for Innovation
The Education Improvement Act should be thoroughly examined and updated. Money from the EIA funds should NOT be used to supplant funding intended to be paid from the General Fund. To ensure that all sales tax revenues adequately fund the EIA programs, the sales tax exemptions must be examined and most of them eliminated.
State Must Fund the Fringe Benefits Program
Passing the costs of funding the fringe benefits program to the individual districts creates an unequal burden on the smaller, poorer districts and robs them of dollars that should be used to fund instruction. The legislature must appropriate funds to cover the costs of providing this employee benefit. High caliber health and dental insurance options, without increasing premiums and/or deductibles, should be provided to inservice and retired educators.
Full Funding of the Education Accountability Act
The passage of the Education Accountability Act was a milestone in improving the education system in South Carolina. Although the EAA contains many helpful strategies, this act requires more time and resources on the part of school districts. The General Assembly MUST fund the cost of the programs mandated by the EAA, i.e. summer school, professional development, technical assistance for low performing schools, and testing requirements.
Re-evaluate the Entire Statewide Testing Program
The General Assembly should re-evaluate the entire statewide testing program. The current statewide tests do not provide immediate diagnostic information needed to improve student achievement or provide information to help teachers plan to meet the needs of each student. The testing process is time consuming, and spending weeks on high-stakes testing is not in the best interest of children. Funding must be provided for testing programs that provides timely diagnostic feedback to teachers.
2. Recruitment, Retention, and Compensation of Professional Educators
Recruitment
As S.C. education continues to move forward, it is imperative that we make teaching an attractive career. Providing scholarships for outstanding students to go into education (the Teaching Fellows Program) and funding salary supplements for National Board certified teachers are ways to increase the number of qualified teachers in our state.
Retention
To maintain a cadre of quality teachers in the classroom, the cap on the increments of the state salary schedule should be raised from 22 to 28 years. Adding steps to the state minimum salary schedule recognizes the value and worth of our veteran teachers, encouraging them to stay in the profession. The TERI plan should continue as an option for teachers who wish to remain in the classroom past 28 years. Research shows we lose many of our new teachers within the first five years of teaching. The General Assembly must fully fund mentor training for districts and provide mentors to new teachers for their first two years in the profession.
Compensation
Professional jobs deserve professional compensation. Revise the state’s teacher salary schedule to compensate educators for acquiring advanced knowledge and skills, assuming additional responsibilities, demonstrating exemplary performance, and teaching in hard-to-staff schools and subject areas. Raising the salaries of our educators sends a positive message about the value that S.C. places on public education and classroom teachers.
Enhancing the Teaching Profession
Education is a profession, and educators are professionals. The entire licensing process, including preservice and inservice components must constantly be reviewed and upgraded. The state must ensure that quality educational leaders lead all schools, and that a properly trained and compensated educator teaches every class.
3. Tuition Tax Credits and Vouchers
PSTA does not support any legislation that will direct public funds to pay for private, religious, or home schooling. Tuition tax credit plans draw against our state’s general fund revenue resulting in unstable budgets for our public schools and other state agencies.
4. School Report Cards
The General Assembly must re-evaluate the criteria used for the school report card ratings.
5. School Choice
PSTA strongly supports public school choice including charter schools as a public school choice option.
6. School Governance
The legislature must provide for the election of all school board members in nonpartisan elections and for fiscal independence of these elected school boards so they may raise the local funds needed to comply with state and federal mandates.
7. Collective Bargaining
PSTA strongly opposes any legislation that would permit or allow teachers to enter into professional negotiations. PSTA strongly supports the preservation of South Carolina’s Right-to-work laws.