Latest news with #EllenWeaver
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More K-12 teachers in SC can earn bonuses in $5M pilot program
Teachers in Williamsburg County School District receive Excellence in Teaching Awards from the state Department of Education in May 2024. (Provided/SC Department of Education) COLUMBIA — Teachers in dozens of public schools across South Carolina are newly eligible for bonuses if their students show enough academic progress. The state Department of Education recently announced choosing 37 schools from among 118 that applied to participate in its pilot program. They will cumulatively receive $5 million. The size of teachers' potential bonus is unclear. District officials will distribute their allotment to teachers based on their students' test scores. The department hopes the program becomes a statewide model for rewarding excellent teachers and keeping them in the classroom. 'This initiative is about more than just pay — it's about rewarding the educators who are moving the needle on student growth in the foundational skills of reading and math,' state Superintendent Ellen Weaver said in a news release. 'When we recognize and support the very best teaching, we set a new horizon for what's possible for students in every corner of our state.' The latest experiment may accomplish through bonuses what legislators and state superintendents of both parties have attempted unsuccessfully for two decades: paying teachers statewide based on their effectiveness in the classroom. Teachers in South Carolina are paid by their academic degree and years of experience. Teacher advocacy groups have long argued it's impossible to fairly construct a pay-for-performance model recognizing that every class is different, and some students enter their classrooms years behind. Weaver first called for a statewide, voluntary incentive program in 2023. The Legislature provided $5 million for a pilot this school year. The state budget plan approved by the House earlier this month would fund another $5 million for the coming school year. The bonuses would be in addition to the House's $1,500 boost in state-paid minimums for teachers. A final spending plan is still months away. Weaver sees the number of applications as showing widespread support. In selecting which schools to include in the program, the agency gave priority to high-poverty schools with the highest teacher turnover, according to the education department. Participating schools could choose different ways for determining teachers' bouses. All involve measuring how much progress their students make in meeting grade-level expectations for math and reading. Roughly half of the 37 schools opted to use results on state-standardized math and reading tests taken by third- through eighth-grade students in the spring. Other schools created their own model for determining academic growth, which include scores on end-of-course tests taken by high schoolers. Eleven schools adopted the Excellence in Teaching Awards model, which has been funded in high-poverty schools with private donations since 2021. It involves comparing students' scores on district-level tests they take at the beginning and end of the school year. SC House budget plan raises teacher pay by $1,500 instead of $3,000 The awards were inspired by the four Meeting Street Schools, an innovative approach to neighborhood schools launched in Charleston by billionaire philanthropist Ben Navarro to prove all students can succeed. The donor-funded awards expanded to high-poverty public schools throughout Charleston County. Last school year, the state Department of Education expanded it with federal aid to schools in Allendale and Williamsburg counties, which remain under the agency's control. Those schools are becoming part of the state pilot. The money helps both teachers and students, said Josh Bell, president of Beemok Education, which manages the various education initiatives of Ben and Kelly Navarro. In the 28 schools that have given teachers bonuses using private funding since 2021, student test scores have improved and teachers have said they are more likely to stay in the classroom, he said. 'We deeply believe that teachers who work really hard and get these outcomes ought to be compensated for them,' Bell said. Last school year, rewarded teachers in Charleston County received, on average, a $5,000 bonus, while the largest single bonus was $31,000, according to Beemok Education. Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association, reiterated teachers' concerns that paying teachers for students' performance puts too much focus on a few tests rather than students' overall improvement. 'Do I think there needs to be a way of recognizing high-performing teachers? Absolutely,' East said. 'Do I think it should be based on test scores? Absolutely not.' An alternative to the test-based bonuses could be to offer incentives for teachers in hard-to-hire positions, said Patrick Kelly with the Palmetto State Teachers Association. Hawaii did something similar by offering $10,000 bonuses to special education teachers beginning in 2019, which helped the state put teachers in commonly hard-to-fill roles, he said. If education officials want to continue doing performance-based bonuses, Kelly suggested the state instead encourage districts to look at teachers' end-of-year evaluation, which grades their teaching abilities as a whole instead of simply how well their students perform on tests. Looking solely at whether a student is meeting or exceeding grade level can discount the work teachers do to help students who enter their classes while falling behind catch up, even if the students still don't get to where they should be for their grade level, Kelly said. 'If you're going to do (a bonus) on the basis of student performance, it cannot be done on test scores alone,' Kelly said.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
S.C. Dept. of Education to award $5 million to measure student growth
SOUTH CAROLINA (WJBF) – The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announced the new schools that will be participating in the Strategic Compensation Pilot Grants on Tuesday. In a press release on March 18, the SCDE said $5 million will be awarded to 37 school across 29 districts 'for their commitment to accelerating student growth in English Language Arts (ELA) and math.' Teachers at the participating schools can earn a one-time performance-based bonuses based on student academic growth data. Allendale-Fairfax High School and Saluda Middle School were among the schools included in the grant. ALSO ON WJBF: Georgia Power Foundation donates $250,000 to Augusta Tech Automotive Institute 'This initiative is about more than just pay—it's about rewarding the educators who are moving the needle on student growth in the foundational skills of reading and math,' said State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver. 'When we recognize and support the very best teaching, we set a new horizon for what's possible for students in every corner of our state.' According to the department, 118 schools applied for more than $22 million in funding. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pee Dee schools awarded part of $5M grant aimed at boosting student growth
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Several Pee Dee area schools will be awarded part of a $5 million grant for their commitment to accelerating student growth in English language arts and math, a South Carolina Department of Education news release said. 37 schools across 29 districts in the state are receiving a portion of the Strategic Compensation Pilot Grant for the first time. Seven of the schools come from the Pee Dee area, including: Darlington High School in Darlington County Hartsville Middle School in Darlington County Hannah-Pamplico Elementary School in Florence County School District Two Hannah-Pamplico Middle School in Florence County School District Two Johnsonville Elementary School in Florence County School District Five Johnsonville Middle School in Florence County School District Five Johnakin Middle School in Marion County School District (Marion 10) The purpose of the Strategic Compensation Pilot Grant is to reward educators for student success, the release explained. These grants acknowledge the real impact teachers make, shifting the focus from years served to measurable academic growth. 118 schools applied for more than $22 million in funding, showing that 'the demand for innovative strategic teacher compensation in South Carolina is undeniable,' the release said. While only 37 schools are receiving the award this year, the release said that these schools serve as a model for rewarding excellence and ensuring that high-performing educators stay in the classroom. 'Great teachers change lives,' Ellen Weaver, state superintendent of education said. 'Every day, South Carolina educators are proving that when we invest in teaching excellence, students thrive.' 'This initiative is about more than just pay,' she furthered. 'It's about rewarding the educators who are moving the needle on student growth in the foundational skills of reading and math. When we recognize and support the very best teaching, we set a new horizon for what's possible for students in every corner of our state.' Teachers at participating schools can earn a one-time performance-based bonus based on student academic growth data, with three different approaches to determining awards. According to the news release, these include: State Collaboration Model – Based on SC Ready growth data for grades 4-8. Excellence in Teaching Model – Tied to fall-to-spring interim assessment growth for grades Kindergarten through 8th grade. District-Designed Model – Custom compensation plans using quantitative student growth data. The average school award exceeds $120,000, with final allocations determined by student enrollment and classroom academic growth outcomes, the release said. * * * Jordan White is a Digital Producer at News13. She joined the News13 team in August 2024. Jordan, a Myrtle Beach native, graduated from St. James High School in Murrells Inlet and is a graduate of Coker University. Follow Jordan on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SC Senate passes K-12 voucher bill pulling from lottery profits
State Superintendent Ellen Weaver talks at a rally for National School Choice Week on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (Shaun Chornobroff/SC Daily Gazette) COLUMBIA — The Senate passed a bill Thursday that would create a program allowing certain K-12 students to use state lottery funds to pay tuition in private schools. After two weeks of debate, including friction among Republicans as some tried to remove all eligibility caps on the program, the Senate passed the bill 32-12 along party lines. The bill would revive private tuition payments halted by the state Supreme Court last September. Sen. Shane Martin, a former school board member in Spartanburg 6, was the only Republican to vote no. He did not say why. Republicans made the bill a top priority for the session, saying they wanted to renew payments to the parents of children accepted for the program's first year before the state's high court stopped them a month into the school year. Donations will keep every student in their private schools at least through the third quarter of this school year. As passed Thursday, the bill will allow up to 10,000 students whose parents earn up to 300% of the federal poverty level to receive about $7,500 to pay for private school tuition next school year. That money would come from lottery revenue, instead of pulling from the general fund, which the S.C. Supreme Court found violated the state constitution. Voters who approved SC's lottery never intended it to fund K-12 vouchers, Democrats argue The income cap would increase to 400% for 15,000 students in 2026-27. The funding those students receive would change depending on how much aid legislators send to public schools, with the scholarships equivalent to 90% of the per-pupil average. While students already enrolled in private schools would be eligible, they would have to wait until after public schools students had a chance to apply before picking up open spots. Initially, 15,000 students whose families were making up to 600% of the federal poverty level would be eligible by the 2027-2028 school year to receive the full per-pupil average the state funds, which this coming school year would be about $8,500. That would come after two years of lower caps. Unlike the law passed several years ago, students already enrolled in private school would also be able to receive the money. Students enrolled in a public school would have first grabs, though, after a change passed Thursday. That would let students whose families want to send them to private school but don't have the means to get first pick, said Sen. Michael Johnson, who proposed the change. 'I'm not stopping anyone in a private school from applying,' the Fort Mill Republican said. 'I'm saying, 'Hey, let's let the poorest kids have an opportunity to apply before the kids in private school.'' The final income cap of 600% of the poverty level, or $187,200 for a family of four, would allow nearly every student in the state to qualify, said Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey. 'I think that's the K-12 equivalent of free college,' the Edgefield Republican said. 'I don't want to bail out people who are already able to do that. I want to help people who are stuck.' That was the original intention of the law passed two years ago, Massey said. Legislators wanted to help poor children attending schools that didn't meet their needs be able to afford to go to whatever school they chose, he said. Massey successfully proposed changing the amount of money offered as well, arguing that the $6,000 legislators offered in the 2023 law was based on what a committee decided was reasonable based on private school tuition. The proposed $8,500 'is too much money,' Massey said, arguing that schools would raise tuition to match the state-funded scholarships. 'If you allow for a scholarship of $8,500, the schools are going to charge $8,500,' he said. Sen. Wes Climer pushed back against his own party leader's proposed changes, calling on his peers repeatedly to remove all limitations on who can use the money. 'Here's the bottom line: If you're against school choice, you are for this amendment,' the Rock Hill Republican said to fellow senators after Massey's first attempt to pass the changes. 'If you are for school choice, you are against this amendment.' Massey's initial proposal to change the bill Tuesday failed, with a mix of Republicans and Democrats voting it down. Senators picked up the pieces separately Thursday, adding back in Massey's decreases in the income cap and scholarship amount. Toward the end of Thursday's debate, Climer proposed a change that would get rid of all eligibility requirements in the bill, making the program universal. Senators voted down that plan. Democrats and Republicans alike disapproved on proposals from Climer and Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg, to expand eligibility. Sen. Darrell Jackson dubbed it the 'Shane Beamer' plan, referring to the fact that the University of South Carolina football coach who makes $6.4 million each year would be able to receive the funds to pay his children's tuition if he so wished. 'What I'm hearing is that the CEO who makes a million dollars a year would never really have school choice in South Carolina because the government isn't paying for it,' the Hopkins Democrat said. Republicans focused on the cost of the program as a whole. If the state instituted universal school choice, which would allow any child to receive money to attend private school, that could cost the state as much as $367 million each year, Hembree said. Climer and Kimbrell also proposed getting rid of the scholarships from the lottery fund and replacing them with a tax credit that would balance out by removing money from the education fund. While that proposal was thrown out as not being germane to the original bill, it caught the interest of some senators. Pulling from the lottery fund could pass constitutional muster, but a tax credit is 'bulletproof,' argued Davis. 'I don't know why we're so determined to do something in a more complicated way,' Davis said. As the Senate was debating the program, a rally on the Statehouse's front steps celebrated National School Choice Week. State Superintendent Ellen Weaver, a longtime proponent of education vouchers, held a sign reading, 'choice means hope.' 'Education choice and freedom is on the move in South Carolina,' Weaver said. 'Here in South Carolina, we are building the education system of the future.' Lt. Gov Pamela Evette praised the state for already having a number of choices for students already available, including public, private, charter and virtual schools. 'In South Carolina, we are blessed to have so many options for education,' said Evette, a mother of three. The ability to transfer to another school is a major deal for students who can benefit from smaller class sizes and more one-on-one attention, said Candance Carroll, a lobbyist for advocacy group Americans for Prosperity South Carolina. She included her own daughter, a 10-year-old who has autism, among them. 'I needed a school that could meet her unique needs,' Carroll said. 'That's when I understood the power of school choice.' Reporter Shaun Chornobroff contributed to this report.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NAACP lawsuit claims SC school districts violated Constitutional rights of students
FORT MILL, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The NAACP is bringing a lawsuit against two South Carolina school districts. The suit alleges public education officials in at least two school districts and the state superintendent violated several constitutional rights of students – including freedom of speech and due process. However, the defendants say they were just following state law by removing items in the curriculum dealing with race and gender. Gov. McMaster to deliver State of the State address Wednesday The law at the center of the case is a proviso – attached to the 2021 state budget – which stops school districts from using public funds 'for partisan' instruction. Under the definition, that includes material about racial and gender inequities or causes 'discomfort, guilt, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his race or sex.' Attorneys for the legal defense fund say the clause severely limits educators, silences Black voices, and is being used to ban books. They filed the civil rights lawsuit in federal court Monday. The suit names state Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver and two districts – Lexington-Richland 5 and Lexington District 3 – as defendants. Queen City News Chief Legal Analyst Khalif Rhodes says the timing of the case is important as President Donald Trump has expressed interest in dissolving the U.S. Department of Education. The Legal Defense Fund claims South Carolina is one of 20 states to adopt laws or policies restricting conversations in the classroom around age or gender since 2020. State education department officials called the complaint 'meritless' and said in a statement their 'commitment to teach both the tragedies and triumphs of America's journey remains unchanged.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
