State Superintendent Visits Dutch Fork High!

By Kelly Payne, Social Studies Teacher

Dutch Fork High School got a special visit form the state’s top educator on Wednesday, September 29^th. State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex spoke to Kelly Payne’s Current Issues class, using the opportunity to discuss education funding in South Carolina, greater financial transparency at the school level, challenges facing public schools, and the need to recruit and retain excellent teachers for every classroom.

Rex told the class about the Teach for America program where the top 1% of Ivy League grads teach for two years in high poverty school districts. South Carolina is in the process of partnering with Teach for America next year.

The students asked Rex, “How can we cut a path towards better schools? And what exactly do we need to change in order to increase academic achievement?” Rex surmised we need stable funding, smart spending, and the ability to reward outstanding teachers and replace bad ones.

Rex’s visit was a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet our state superintendent who is in his last months of serving as state superintendent, Payne said. “Improving education is one of the biggest issues we face in South Carolina, so it was meaningful for my students to hear directly from Dr. Rex about his experiences leading our states education system. It meant a lot to the students that he took time from his busy schedule to be with us.”

Rex is the latest in a series of top state leaders to speak to Payne’s students. Previous guests this semester have included, Representative Nathan Ballentine, South Carolina Treasurer Elect Curtis Loftis, Richland County Council Chairman Damon Jeter, and The State Paper political reporter, John O’Connor.