By Gary Burgess, special to Statehouse Report | State Superintendent Molly Spearman worked in the S.C. Department of Education during the last failed takeover of the Allendale County public schools.
Her newly-appointed emergency manager, Interim Superintendent Walter Tobin Sr., was on the Board of Trustees at South Carolina State University when the university was being academically and fiscally mismanaged. Dr. Tobin was ousted from the University’s Board of Trustees in the spring of 2013 for supporting an exorbitant salary for a newly-hired president in spite of a warning by the S.C. General Assembly not to do so. Additionally, Tobin was interim superintendent of schools in Allendale County earlier in this decade. How did the schools do under his leadership?
Just recently, the school board in Allendale County hired a new interim superintendent charged with turning the school district around. He was dismissed by Superintendent Spearman so she could hire her man. She has contributed to what she says needs to be avoided in Allendale — constant turnover in leadership. Superintendent Spearman has not developed an immediate transition plan to ensure a smooth and successful transition for students, parents, school personnel or the elected Board of School Trustees in Allendale.
I submit that the students in Allendale County are doing as well as similarly situated (ethnically, racially and socioeconomically) disaggregate student-groups statewide. Statewide, the entire disaggregate group associated with Allendale is failing academically. Why is the state Superintendent not addressing the issue statewide?
For example in 2015-2016, only one out of 10 students statewide in the Allendale disaggregate (subgroup) student group scored college ready on the ACT. The academic achievement of this disaggregate student group in South Carolina, throughout the state, is at the bottom of all academic measures as reflected in the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (less than one out of 10 in eighth grade mathematics):
- 16 percent of this group in fourth grade scored proficient in mathematics
- 8 percent of this group in eighth grade scored proficient in mathematics
- 17 percent of this group in fourth grade scored proficient in reading
- 11 percent of this group in eight. grade scored proficient in reading
There are approximately 256 underperforming schools in South Carolina’s public school system accounting for nearly 73,000 students, of which the overwhelming majority are part of the disaggregate student group associated with the Allendale County Public Schools. The statewide academic performance of this student group is a shameful, mindboggling tragedy. Moreover, the state’s new accountability system does not show these data points on the report cards. Why?
For many of us who are familiar with these data points, the entire situation with Allendale seems to be a smoke-screen, a bullying ploy by Superintendent Spearman to deflect how poorly these students are doing across the state. This student disaggregate group is doing worse statewide than any other student disaggregate group — even when you account for poverty, family structure, parental education and other factors. Superintendent Spearman should release all of the statewide disaggregated academic data for testing, as well as all disaggregated data for the gifted and talented programs, the IB programs and any other programs at the honors level or higher.
Perhaps this grandstanding, this new get-tough stance by Superintendent Spearman is her entrance into the race for governor. Who knows? Superintendent Spearman, please stop scapegoating Allendale [and] make a difference for all of these students across the state.
Dr. Gary L. Burgess Sr. of Anderson placed fourth in the GOP primary election for state superintendent in 2010 and 2014. More: Burgessresearchactiongroupllc.com
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