South Carolina

Massive South Carolina education overhaul bill moves forward

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, left, and his daughter Mary Rogers McMaster wait in line to cast their votes, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, in Columbia, S.C. Voters in 36 states will cast ballots in gubernatorial races on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford

COLUMBIA, S.C. — COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A massive bill overhauling education in South Carolina was sent to the House floor on Wednesday amid signs from some representatives and members of the Senate that it is far from a finished product.

The House Education Committee approved several changes to the bill urged by teachers, including deleting a study to see if teacher pay should no longer be directly linked to experience and eliminating a proposal to allow high performing schools to hire uncertified teachers.

[Education overhaul bill passes 1st hurdle in South Carolina]

Then for more than two hours committee members voted down several amendments offered by Democrats on reducing class sizes and slowing the possible consolidation of poorly performing districts.

Across the Statehouse, senators have their own concerns. The Senate is taking up the 84-page House bill in pieces, and a subcommittee that met Wednesday discussed eliminating one of the bill's most debated changes - a new Zero to Twenty committee to monitor all aspects of education from early childhood to workforce training.

Senate Education Chairman Greg Hembree also said he does not like a "student bill of rights" in the proposal that says all children deserve highly qualified teachers, good school leadership and an education system that makes their success the top priority. The Republican from Little River said it's impossible to prove the state has achieved those standards, and that language would invite lawsuits.

Critics say the Zero to Twenty Committee would add another layer of bureaucracy and would give the governor more control over education, less than a year after South Carolina voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have changed the education superintendent from an elected position to one appointed by the governor. Supporters said the committee is different because its role would be to provide one place to oversee all parts of the system to ensure South Carolina is educating students who can become productive workers.

Critics aren't convinced.

"It has the ear and the influence of the governor," said Rep. Wendy Brawley, a Democrat from Hopkins.

House Speaker Jay Lucas, who has made education reform his centerpiece issue in his fourth year as the body's leader, has promised plenty of debate on the issue. But Lucas, along with Gov. Henry McMaster, have also vowed to pass some kind of reform this year.

Even Democrats who lean toward supporting the bill, like Rep. Terry Alexander of Florence, said there are unanswered questions. After Republicans on the committee spoke out against a Democratic amendment reducing class sizes, saying the amendment didn't provide money to do that, Alexander said the bill still leaves a lot to be desired.

"We don't have a clue what this is going to cost taxpayers," Alexander said.