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State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex today announced that Burke High School will host the Charleston area town hall meeting to discuss his comprehensive plan for reforming South Carolina’s public school system.
The Charleston meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Burke High cafeteria. The school is located at 244 President Street. The Lowcountry session is the seventh of eight that Rex is holding to receive public comment. The last is set for Florence on April 16.
“In these meetings I’ve been hearing what South Carolinians think about the choices and programs they’d like to see in their public schools,” Rex said. “I also welcome their comments on the entire list of school reforms recommended by my Leadership Transition Team.”
Rex formally accepted the team’s report on February 12. It details 97 state actions that would promote achievement of his vision for public school improvement in five crucial areas:
- Accelerating innovation;
- Reforming accountability to ensure success;
- Expanding public school choices for parents and students;
- Promoting fair and equitable school funding; and
- Elevating and reinvigorating the teaching profession.
DSAL encourages you to promote our members and friends with a Town Hall Meeting from Superintendent Jim Rex April 11 at 7:30 -Burke High school. The Town Meeting is an important part of the process of developing his plans for our children’s education during his term. We can make a difference in state policies for our children by attending and participating in this event. I am sure many of us are not comfortable standing in front of large groups, with preparation and encouragement each of us has the opportunity to participate with success . Below are some suggestions from disabilities advocates in our state and NDSS on developing stronger regulations to support our children.
- Ask any questions related to special education
- Ask about the IDEA State regulations. Why is SC requesting approval to adopt Federal guidelines and state guidelines? Why is SC asking to adopt minimum federal standards as our state policy to provide education for children with special needs? Why has SC not published their plans to develop state regualtions for IDEA such as who are the Task Force Members, when and where meetings are held, time line of publishing information, proposed actions?
- Preschool Inclusion--what does it look like what will we do to get there.
- How about discipline since there is discussion in the legislature that "disturbing schools" needs to be defined, does he think that this needs visiting.
- What about discipline of students with special needs.
- How do we define an inclusive enviornment? Do we see LRE as enviroemnts where 50 percent of the classroom environmnt are children with special needs?
- What are his thoughts on addressing the shortage of related service personnel (PT, OT, speech)
- What are his plans to address the need for school nurse.
- How does school choice effect students with disabilities that there are no choices.
- Why does the Comprehensive Plan your developed by your Transition Leadership Team exclude the subject of Special Education?
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