Harry Harris of Sumter sent in a piece too long to be a letter, but it did not get selected as an op-ed. So here’s the next best thing — I’m putting his piece on my blog.
Obviously, I was interested because he was grading a debate in which I took part. Here’s his assessment:
GRADING THE EDUCATION CANDIDATES
After watching the ETV debate between the candidates
for State Superintendent of Education, my mind switched to my days of
being in school and teaching students. I just had to give them a
grade. I want to make it clear what those grades mean by explaining the
criteria used.I rate Karen Floyd’s effort a D plus after adding and
subtracting the key points covered. Her presentation rated an A-. She
is well rehearsed and makes a good first impression. The main detractor
was her uncomfortable demeanor when pressed to give straight answers to
some clear questions.On substance, I grant a C, based on a broad look at
issues and preparation for debating them. She had a noticeable
fall-off in content after a good start. The content of her proposals
and answers were, however, mostly based on business-model ideology and
risky, costly proposals. She offered nothing but "competition" and
outsourcing as solutions for students left-behind in struggling
schools. Her comments about public schools were framed with
negativity, and selectively repeated ad nauseam the two areas where
South Carolina lags furthest behind – SAT scores and dropout rate.Her failing areas were clarity and trustworthiness.
In addition to evasive answers that sounded much like a lawyer who is
familiar with the weaknesses of her case, she sometimes forced the
questioners to ask what she really meant by some of her statements.
She left an impression that she is not willing to say in public what
she really thinks or intends to do. Her evasiveness on voucher
questions leaves a deep uneasiness that she may still believe what she
touted to Republican Party and business groups in her pre-primary
rounds but is unwilling to honestly admit it. Are we to believe she
made no promises to outside-the-state voucher proponents who have given
over half of the non-borrowed money for her campaign? How honest can
one be and ignore top ratings given the state on curriculum standards,
teacher standards, national testing results (NAEP), SAT and ACT score
improvements. F on trustworthiness!Dr. Rex earned a B+ from me. His presentation was a
B level effort. His remarks seemed less refined – and somewhat less
rehearsed. He handled the tougher issues and questions without
grasping for wiggle-words and seemed quite straightforward. It did not
seem to bother him to explain that current political conditions – a
certain Governor – caused rethinking and modification of his views on
electing the State Superintendent. He didn’t even wince at being
called a bureaucrat.On substance, the ideas he included in his answers
and remarks gained a B plus after subtracting for what he did not
include. (I’m a hard grader.) While citing his innovative efforts in
building-up the teaching profession in South Carolina through the
Teacher Cadets and alternative certification, he failed to adequately
point out the damage done to the profession and the demoralization of
working educators brought about by the Sanford/Floyd philosophy.
Though he outlined the need for change and innovation informed by
experience, he did not include a reminder of the damage, morale drain,
and test score decline under Ms. Floyd’s supporter, Barbara Nielson.
Nor did he adequately highlight the reversal of that decline under Inez
Tennenbaum who led reform without attacking her own troops. His reform
plans seem grounded in experience and sound fiscal judgment.In clarity and substance, Dr. Rex stood out. Is
there any doubt where he stands on vouchers? He was clear about the
kinds of choice he thinks show promise. He did not filibuster or evade
tough questions. He was honest and forthright about where he wants to
lead – and about needing to comprehensively address the difficult
issues – whether taxes, funding, or the failure of some schools. He
seems trustworthy and clear.Solid A.
I was forced to subtract some extra points from Jim
Rex’s overall score for being too uncritical of Ms. Floyd’s
assertions. Her remark about a position paper she "wrote" would have
drawn a quick F in my classroom. After reading the paper referenced on
her website months ago, I found a strangely similar paper at the
Manhattan Institute website. Footnotes have since been added to "her"
paper on her website. They cite the Manhatten Institute, The Heritage
Foundation, The Center for Education Reform, The Home School Legal
Defense Association, and Jay P. Greene – a chief writer for the
Manhatten Institute. Each is an opponent of public schools and a
voucher proponent. Good scholarship, Ms. Floyd.He also did not mention the large loans taken out by
the Floyd campaign – over $181,000 just this quarter. This gives her
lots of money to have a large campaign voice, but who will pay back
this money after the campaign? I suspect it will be largely those
out-of-state sham companies that are her largest contributors to date –
the ones to whom she owes nothing – right? Dr. Rex was a true
gentleman as he stated. It cost him 5 points on my scale.The debate panelists ran a good debate. They asked
good questions, and gave good opportunity to respond, but did not allow
empty or evasive responses. A -.Harry Harris
Sumter
Perhaps after I call his attention to this star billing, Mr. Harris will just come straight here with his offerings the next time my buddy Mike Fitts turns him down for print.
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Brad…
Is this not just piling on? Certainly you could have printed a letter just as flattering to Karen…but of course that would not fit “the script”.
You asked in a different thread, why good people don’t get involved. This is why. The average citizen knows that no matter what they do, the elites in power (and like it or not that includes you)…will trump them. I know that nothing I can say can affect you. You and that Scoppe person have made up your mind and everything from the letter you just posted, to your editorials, to the FRONT PAGE article about the woman that married Karen’s dad shows that you and yours are contemptuous of our thoughts, and that you will do anything in your power to prevail in your arguments.
Your favorite candidates such as Theodore and Barber are running terribly negative campaigns that run voters from the polls, and the process. But you say why why why are good people not involved. You demonize people with legitimate differences in political philosophy from yours and wonder why why why are more people not more active.
You have been given a TREMENDOUS opportunity to work for good. But you work for your interest and treat your opportunity as if it were your own political weapon. You can be nonpartisan, as you call it, because you print your own “party line” every day. In effect, why should u be a dem or rep…when u can be a Brad.
I apologize if I have been too personal …as I do not mean offense. But I don’t like having the largest media in the state oppose me at every turn, and demonize me as well.
PS
Randy E…I will not be responding to your note as 1. This is Brad’s blog and I have posted too much tonight, and 2. I do not wish to argue continuously as I have seen u argue with others. I disagree with your conclusions…respectfully, and I wish you success with you ideas.
Theodore and Barber are my favorite candidates? Uh-oh. We’re all in trouble. I’d better go back to my dream…
Seriously, I’d say two of my favorite candidates in this election are Bill Cotty and Anton Gunn. Sadly, they’re running against each other.
Chrisw, go ahead and “cut and run”. Throw in some unsubstantiated prevocative phrases like “educrats” and “terrible schools” but don’t stick around to face criticism of your defenseless positions. Ironic that you complain about The State being contemptuous of our thoughts but you show the same contempt attacking SC schools and educators.
Brad, you get an F from me for publishing this horribly one-sided biased letter to the editor coming from his vantage as a longterm member of the educ. establishment. Pretty weak performance on your part.
What exactly are the qualifications of Harry Harris that make his opinion worthy anyway?
His line about how successful Inez Tennenbaum was in her tenure pretty much tarnishes the rest of his “report card”.
Inez didn’t do anything but self-promote and cover up anything that might have been construed as bad news (until the last six months when it didn’t matter any more).
How perceptive of you to point to “teacher resistance to reform” as the real concern that must be addressed to drag SC public schools from the depths of degredation. Let me assure you sir that in my 26 years as a public school teacher I have rarely had 10 unencumbered minutes in which to eat my lunch, much less plot resistance to the gazillion reform measures that I have been called upon to implement over the years. Merit pay sounds like a good idea, but how would it be applied to the thousands of public school teachers who teach non-academic subjects or students whose disabilities are such that they are unable to be assessed by PACT, HSAP, etc.? Every teacher I know spends counless uncompensated hours and funds trying to educate students who come to us hungry, dirty, sleepy, armed, high, drunk, dangerous, pitiful, and illiterate from households that place little value on their children as human beings. I have worked for prinicpals who were barely literate and could not have begun to read the third grade level PACT, much less discern which of their teachers should be fired for not being effective. I have spent 8 hours today on lesson plans, and again am overwhelmed by the futility of my efforts.
Anon – I was with you until you said “Every teacher I know”. You surely must know some of the unmotivated burnouts in your profession. That being said, teachers are vastly underpaid and there is almost nothing that cannot be measured for some form of success or improvement. For those teaching the mentally impaired, those metrics would be much different than those teaching an AP Math course. You must realize the status quo isnt going to help you in any way, so why not support reforms and ideas from a non-insider?
You go Dave! Only one current superintendent in the whole state has declared support for Karen Floyd, and that is all I need to know. Ms. Floyd would get my unwavering support on that basis alone, let alone several other outstanding reasons I see for voting against Mr. Rex and his status quo agenda. Ed
Once again Dave, please explain your merit pay system for teachers. Give an example of how a geometry teacher will be measured and compare that with the measure for an English 2 teacher or a American history teacher.