South Carolina runs the nation’s worst K-12 school system – and is the only state in the South that hasn’t authorized some form of private parental choice.
This monolithic, monopolistic government-run system – which continues to produce declining results (despite massive increases in funding) – is also the only government-run education establishment that operates its own school bus fleet.
And yeah … the results there have been every bit as disastrous.
Where are we going with all this? Well, top-down central planners in the S.C. General Assembly – “Republicans” who have repeatedly rejected parental choice reforms that would raise academic achievement and rescue tens of thousands of students from failing government schools – are at long last embracing the free market.
Sort of. According to the Associated Press, the left-leaning South Carolina Senate has authorized school districts across the state to start selling ads on district-owned buses. For now, the policy would be limited to activity buses – which transport students on field trips and to/ from sporting events – but you can see where this debate is headed.
What a sad commentary …
In the eyes of these “Republicans,” it’s perfectly fine to engage the free market as long as doing so funnels more money into the state’s failing, government-run monopoly. But God forbid lawmakers engage the free market on behalf of the tens of thousands of students who are being failed by this system year after year after year …
Pathetic.
Anyway, when this proposal goes back to the S.C. House we hope lawmakers will either scrap it entirely or insist that every dollar it raises be appropriated to education tax credits for South Carolina parents.
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40 comments
Sic Willie, are you late on this month’s mortgage payment or just trying to get ahead on next month’s? Will Howie send you a check for this roundabout article on the private school boondoggle?
Sic Willie, are you late on this month’s mortgage payment or just trying to get ahead on next month’s? Will Howie send you a check for this roundabout article on the private school boondoggle?
Scrap it entirely if it doesn’t go to tax credits to help pay for private schooling? Really? Why can’t the funds go to pay for bus repairs, fuel, bus driver pay? Why should public schools put ads on public buses to benefit private schools’ budgets and/or profit margins? That makes absolutely no sense.
I agree entirely. If you have the money to afford private school, you don’t need the tax break. The last thing we need is less money for the kids in public school. And this scholarship-sponsoring by corporations is pure BS. What business/corporation would do that. Hell, I had trouble finding the $$ to pay my City of Columbia business license this year.
You may be in the wrong business.
I’m beginning to wonder…
I agree. If the goal is to privatize the fleet, then it would make the most sense to have the ad revenue go to sustaining that fleet.
Scrap it entirely if it doesn’t go to tax credits to help pay for private schooling? Really? Why can’t the funds go to pay for bus repairs, fuel, bus driver pay? Why should public schools put ads on public buses to benefit private schools’ budgets and/or profit margins? That makes absolutely no sense.
I agree entirely. If you have the money to afford private school, you don’t need the tax break. The last thing we need is less money for the kids in public school. And this scholarship-sponsoring by corporations is pure BS. What business/corporation would do that. Hell, I had trouble finding the $$ to pay my City of Columbia business license this year.
You may be in the wrong business.
I’m beginning to wonder…
I agree. If the goal is to privatize the fleet, then it would make the most sense to have the ad revenue go to sustaining that fleet.
My understanding is that Pfizer has already provided some school districts with ad mock ups to go on the outside side panels and the rear door of their buses
Pfizer will be pushing their Lo/Ovral-28 birth control pill and the ever popular pecker upper pill Viagra
Some school district are being lobbied hard by manufacturer Okamoto of Japan. Okamoto manufactures the number one rated condom in the world, the Crown Skinless Skin. Most famous for there use in adult movies, Skinless Skin are Pink Tinted and famous for being ridiculously thin yet super strong. Okamoto states that the boys will love them because their super thin design give them a “bareback” feeling. Girls will love them because they are super thin and help her feel closer to her thumper
In the near future taxpayers can expect to pull up behind a school bus in their neighborhood and read:
Roll on a Okamoto, It feels like you have nothing on!!
“lobbied hard” funny.
The first thing I thought when reading this write up:
How long until Novartis starts buying up these gov’t run school bus billboards to run advertisements for “Ritalin”.?
LMAO!
I can imagine the advertising now:
A packed school bus filled with hyperactive, ill mannered kids on their way home after a miserable day of indoctrination in a jail like atmosphere…with a big, stark white sign painted on the bus, reading in red letters:
“This bus driver wishes your kid was on Ritalin; and we know you do too. All it takes is one visit to your doctor for well behaved kids that don’t bother anyone too much. The doctor will comply because we pay for their annual golf trips. Your friend-Novartis”
Unless the parents are taking the Ritalin.On adults,it acts like ‘speed’.You can achieve the same results by giving the,uh, excitable kids, coffee.
Wonder if that was the brand Will used with a certain governor? Oh maybe not…wasn’t there a certain std? Anybody know?
My understanding is that Pfizer has already provided some school districts with ad mock ups to go on the outside side panels and the rear door of their buses
Pfizer will be pushing their Lo/Ovral-28 birth control pill and the ever popular pecker upper pill Viagra
Some school district are being lobbied hard by manufacturer Okamoto of Japan. Okamoto manufactures the number one rated condom in the world, the Crown Skinless Skin. Most famous for there use in adult movies, Skinless Skin are Pink Tinted and famous for being ridiculously thin yet super strong. Okamoto states that the boys will love them because their super thin design give them a “bareback” feeling. Girls will love them because they are super thin and help her feel closer to her thumper
In the near future taxpayers can expect to pull up behind a school bus in their neighborhood and read:
Roll on a Okamoto, It feels like you have nothing on!!
“lobbied hard” funny.
The first thing I thought when reading this write up:
How long until Novartis starts buying up these gov’t run school bus billboards to run advertisements for “Ritalin”.?
LMAO!
I can imagine the advertising now:
A packed school bus filled with hyperactive, ill mannered kids on their way home after a miserable day of indoctrination in a jail like atmosphere…with a big, stark white sign painted on the bus, reading in red letters:
“This bus driver wishes your kid was on Ritalin; and we know you do too. All it takes is one visit to your doctor for well behaved kids that don’t bother anyone too much. The doctor will comply because we pay for their annual golf trips. Your friend-Novartis”
Unless the parents are taking the Ritalin.On adults,it acts like ‘speed’.You can achieve the same results by giving the,uh, excitable kids, coffee.
Wonder if that was the brand Will used with a certain governor? Oh maybe not…wasn’t there a certain std? Anybody know?
“… the only government-run education establishment that operates its own school bus fleet….”
From coast to coast there are school districts (i.e. government-run education establishments) that own and operate bus fleets.
In South Carolina, the state government owns and maintains almost all of the buses, while the local school districts hire and supervise the drivers.
Does this mean the system in South Carolina is well-run and should not be replaced by a voucher-type system? No. But, it is good to describe the current system in an accurate manner.
Your accurate narrative doesnt fit the storyline here.
I mean whowould describe the SC Legislaure,one of the most conservative in the country as “left wing?
That right there tells you the “accuracy of the upcoming Right Wing rant.
They’re getting ready to rename this state,South Massachusetts
You indicate that South Carolina has “… the only government-run education establishment that operates its own school bus fleet….”
From coast to coast there are school districts (i.e. government-run education establishments) that own and operate bus fleets.
In South Carolina, the state government owns and maintains almost all of the buses, while the local school districts hire and supervise the drivers.
Does this mean the system in South Carolina is well-run and should not be replaced by a voucher-type system? No. But, it is good to describe the current system in an accurate manner, which was not done in the above column.
Your accurate narrative doesnt fit the storyline here.
I mean whowould describe the SC Legislaure,one of the most conservative in the country as “left wing?
That right there tells you the “accuracy of the upcoming Right Wing rant.
They’re getting ready to rename this state,South Massachusetts
Why is the state in the school bus business? Every other state I’ve lived in school buses are the responsibility of the school district.
Why is the state in the school bus business? Every other state I’ve lived in school buses are the responsibility of the school district.
when I was a junior and senior in HS,I drove a school bus,as did my fellow classmates.
‘education tax credits’= ‘government schools’.buy some new cliches.
when I was a junior and senior in HS,I drove a school bus,as did my fellow classmates.
‘education tax credits’= ‘government schools’.buy some new cliches.
Why no, you can’t use public funds for private schools no matter how bad republicans hamstring school funding.
Won’t happen. Your Lilly white snowflakes will not get public funds to escape the darkies.
Pay for it out of your own pocket.
Why no, you can’t use public funds for private schools no matter how bad republicans hamstring school funding.
Won’t happen. Your Lilly white snowflakes will not get public funds to escape the darkies.
Pay for it out of your own pocket.
If I was an enterprising administrator at Hammond or Heathwood Hall I would buy advertising space on a few of these buses.
If I was an enterprising administrator at Hammond or Heathwood Hall I would buy advertising space on a few of these buses.
how would tens of thousands of students be rescued from crappy schools by a school choice law? my kids are in private and i live in a reasonably good district by SC standards. but there are many districts with no good choices, public, private, ecclesiastical or even wiccan. and where are the great schools with “tens of thousands” of vacant spaces? name one, just one decent school that has empty chairs. decent privates will not spring up in response to tax credits that give the poorest people in the country a few hundred dollars to spend. everybody thinks they know something about education because most of us went to school, but driving a car doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing under the hood. there is no easy solution for SC schools. it is possible that we could save some money, but that only means less economic activity. the problem SC has is that it is really really poor.
how would tens of thousands of students be rescued from crappy schools by a school choice law? my kids are in private and i live in a reasonably good district by SC standards. but there are many districts with no good choices, public, private, ecclesiastical or even wiccan. and where are the great schools with “tens of thousands” of vacant spaces? name one, just one decent school that has empty chairs. decent privates will not spring up in response to tax credits that give the poorest people in the country a few hundred dollars to spend. everybody thinks they know something about education because most of us went to school, but driving a car doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing under the hood. there is no easy solution for SC schools. it is possible that we could save some money, but that only means less economic activity. the problem SC has is that it is really really poor.
first of i live in south carolina and i really take this page as an insult. yes south carolina might have a few issues when it comes to education but south carolina also knows that any for the suggested ideas posted in this page will FAIL! lets see, south carolina dropped out of common core because it is horrible and FAILED! private bus systems FAIL because it causes unions which unions cause everything to FAIL. so all of your “liberal ideas” that you want to happen are just as bad and even worst compare to south carolina’s education system because they FAIL!
by the way that photo is copyrighted and you dont have permission to use it