COLUMBIA, S.C. — Since the beginning of the new South Carolina legislative session, elected leaders on both sides of the aisle have called for education reform to help children and teachers.
On Thursday, House Speaker Jay Lucas introduced his expansive education reform bill to the entire House. The bill’s 84-pages would create reforms on multiple fronts, from the classroom to the technical college system.
Officially titled the "South Carolina Career Opportunity and Access for All Act," the bill touch on a variety of issues already popular with reformers.
House Bill 3759 already has bi-partisan support in the chamber.
“What the speaker recognizes is what Democrats have been saying for years, which is that this state is woefully behind in our educational achievements. We've got to do better and this bill is a step in the right direction, that's why I'm a cosponsor of this bill,” said Minority Leader and Richland County Rep. Todd Rutherford.
The Minority Leader said they would potentially add a few amendments, but otherwise applauded the speaker’s work talking to experts and trying to tackle multiple aspects of the state’s often-criticized education system.
House Education Committee Chairwoman Rita Allison said the multifaceted approach is why the bill is 84 pages long.
“The bill is a reform bill, a policy reform bill and the Speaker has certainly looked at all elements of weaknesses in the state, so that we can strengthen those,” Allison said after the House adjourned for the day.
The bill has a pledge to make sure 60 percent of South Carolina’s age-appropriate work force has a post-secondary degree or industry credential before 2030.
The bill also creates an often talked about "Student Bill of Rights," which include access to safe schools, quality education and educators focused on their education and welfare.
A large portion of the bill also stresses the importance of math, science and computer technology in classrooms across the state, putting new emphasis on those areas. It also drops some testing requirements for social studies.
Along with K-12 education, the bill mandates affordable tuition to the state’s technical college system.
HB. 3759 also attempts to soothe the concerns of teachers creating new incentives, like a starting salary of $35,000 and tuition-free state college for children of teachers in low-performing districts for a set number of years.
Additionally, the bill creates a "Read to Succeed" initiative emphasizing reading programs for kindergartners through third-graders.
The bill will be in front of an education committee for discussion next week.