Warm Bodies Over Cold Machines (Jan. 24, 2011)

Monday, January 24, 2011

Horry County Schools

District Office

Conway, S. C.

Members of the Board:

Our legislature decided to play Robin Hood in 1977 with the Education Finance Act by taking a sizable amount of Horry County’s money to spread the wealth to other school districts.  Although painful, our schools did not feel a crushing blow until 2006 when the legislature passed Act 388 which removed school operating taxes from owner-occupied homes and replaced them with an additional one-cent sales tax.  A serious downturn in the economy has reduced sales tax revenue and the ability of our district to fund schools at levels deemed appropriate. Dollars are allocated to districts on a county’s assessed property values, yet we can’t tax homeowners for school support. These two conflicting statutes have put us into a no-win situation.  We can put an unfair burden on the business community and take their money through increased millage and play Robin Hood ourselves, cut to the bone what we have to offer our students, go into reserves and jeopardize our future, work to reform taxation laws, and/or opt for a combination of the above.  With a very uncertain economy, this all sounds like doom and gloom, but anyway we cut it, the near future is not going to be business as usual.  The public is sleeping and soon will be awakened to startling changes.  As such, I want everyone to understand my campaign for us to examine how we govern ourselves and what our priorities ought to be now.

First and foremost, this board’s emphasis on teaching and learning in the classroom is primary.  We ought to give our students the best teachers possible and let those teachers, with their creative energies, help develop minds and shape responsible citizens.  Although some basic materials and support are necessary, great things can happen, even with limited resources, if the teacher-student relationship remains paramount.

No resources should take precedence over human resources.  Warm bodies impact lives more than cold machines.  Many love their computers, laptops, and fancy gadgetry, yet proper development of the mind depends upon simple things, not the mastery of technology.  Give me nothing but students, a place to meet, and the barest of resources, and I am sure I can teach them history and the responsibility which comes with being an American citizen.  Although some sophisticated technology can and should assist us, our curriculum and assessment should not be technologically-driven. 

We need to assess our students, but we can do so by evaluating their skills and progress through personal observation.  I do not need standardized tests of any kind to help me understand a student.  By listening, investigating reading skills, examining written work, and working to understand motivation and influences on learning, I assess my students and use this information to try to help them. 

If budget cuts must come, we need to cut what least impacts our human resources.  Programs, practices, and materials which cost the most ought to be considered first, for every million dollars we spend takes twenty teachers out of the classroom.  The budget for MAP testing this year is over $450,000.  Early College is already over budget by $336,000 and Scholars Academy by $206,000.  Add in huge transportation costs for some of our programs, and the point is exacerbated.  Are these cost effective?   We must know the total costs of all major programs, practices, and materials and evaluate their relative successes with respect to our priority on teaching and learning in the classroom.

Finally, we need to return to traditional governance, the most used form of governance in this country since our founding, with shared management by the board and the superintendent.  Focusing on standing committees and the principle of public input, we should no longer rely on the superintendent to make all district policy and should replace one-person rule with democratic practice once again.  A more knowledgeable and powerful board will then have the opportunity to properly represent taxpaying citizens.

Sincerely,

Bobby Chandler

722 Pine Drive

Surfside Beach, S. C.