South Carolina Superintendent candidates share views

COLUMBIA --- The race for the state education superintendent appears to be one of the less glamorous in the array of offices up for election Nov. 2, but the position easily dwarfs other offices in scope and impact. The South Carolina Department of Education includes about 50,000 teachers, 700,000 students and operates with a $20 million budget.

Here is a look at how Democratic candidate Frank Holleman and Republican Mick Zais stand up as contenders:

Q: How would you be similar or different from outgoing Superintendent Jim Rex?

Holleman: I believe, like Jim Rex, that South Carolina should be at the forefront of public school reform in America. South Carolina has competed for $175 million in Race to the Top funding, with the support of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, all school districts, and business leaders. Mick Zais has opposed South Carolina even competing for this funding. I support Rex's emphasis on providing many different opportunities for students to achieve -- through magnet schools, single-gender classes, quality early-childhood programs, and Montessori schools, as examples.

Zais: Like Dr. Rex, I have experience as an educator and a leader of educators. Dr. Rex has emphasized reforming and supporting schools which are in crisis, something I experienced firsthand at Newberry College. I'm proud to say after 10 years and much hard work, Newberry College has been nationally recognized for its excellence. Unlike Dr. Rex, I have pledged not to run for any other political office. The last two state superintendents of education have used this position as a stepping stone for higher political office, actively campaigning when they should have been focused on the needs of the students.

Q: What is the top reform needed in the way education is funded?

Holleman: We need a comprehensive review of how we fund public education in South Carolina. Education funding needs to be stable, adequate and equitable. ... Mick Zais has stated that today the schools have enough money, and he supports private tuition tax credits that would take money away from our public schools. I believe we need to invest in public education and should reject vouchers and tax credits.

Zais: Funding should be based on the students served, not the programs operated. While holding schools and school districts publicly accountable for their results, the state must recognize the importance of local control in education. Teachers, principals and district superintendents should have the flexibility to meet the needs of their diverse student populations through innovative and creative solutions. Transforming the funding formula to being student-centered will decrease bureaucratic overhead, reduce waste in programs that don't meet student needs, increase equity between schools, strengthen local control and encourage innovation in our public schools.

Q: Should parents be given vouchers so their children can attend private school?

Holleman: I oppose vouchers and private tuition tax credits that would take money away from our public schools and raise the taxes of other taxpayers. ... Mick Zais supports two different varieties of private tuition tax credits that would undercut our public schools and blow a hole in the state budget. In this election, we have an opportunity to reject, once and for all, expensive, unaffordable and unaccountable private tuition tax credits and vouchers.

Zais: The relevant question to me is whether a plan that would give parents targeted tax breaks to send their children to private schools helps or hurts the children of South Carolina. In some areas of South Carolina, parents have access to a full menu of educational options: traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, home schooling, online/virtual schools, single-gender schools, Montessori-style schools, year-round schools, alternative schools for students with discipline problems and privately operated schools. I support all these options, and I believe parents should be able to choose the best educational environment for their child.