COLUMBIA, S.C. — As the South Carolina State House considers a major education reform bill this session, United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos spent Thursday touring two Florence County schools.
DeVos visited Timmonsville Educational Center and the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology.
Her staff said it was part of her push to see how schools are "rethinking" opportunities outside a traditional classroom or four-year college experience. She said technical programs, like the Southeastern Institute, give students more career options.
"I think partnership is such a key word, partnership is so critical between business and industry that has those needs, and educators that are helping to prepare students. And I think one of the most important things that can happen is to expose students very early on to that whole range of opportunities. I think in early middle school students should know and understand what the wide range of pathways available to them might be," DeVos said.
Devos, South Carolina's Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman (R), Congressman Tom Rice (R) and Lt. Governor Pamela Evette (R) spoke to students and observed several programs while at the Institute.
Spearman said it showed what could happen when school districts work together to give opportunities to students outside individual district lines.
"They have to be willing to creative, to go across imaginary district lines, and give these opportunities for students. Those are the type things, incentives, we're giving. We're willing to put extra money into places that are willing to collaborate and offer the opportunities to more than just their students," Spearman said.
Lt. Gov. Evette said South Carolina's technical schools are excellent and said it was on manufacturers to remove the stigma on industrial and trade jobs.
She added that state leaders are already working to highlight the employment options outside a typical four-year degree pathway.
Filling thousands of South Carolina's open jobs is one of the main pillars of this year's massive education reform bill working its way through the State House.