As the school year ramps up and kids settle in to the new school year, many of us are already looking forward to January. With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill came the creation of the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC) – a program that allows taxpayers to redirect up to $1,700 of
This op-ed originally posted in the National Review was written by Palmetto Promise Institute President Wendy Damron and Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist. ESAs pair well with income-tax elimination, while tax credit scholarships don’t. In addition to being at the forefront of a national movement to drive down, flatten, and even phase out state
School choice opponents commonly claim that “public dollars should go to public schools,” so anyone who wants their child to attend a private school should do so with their own, private money. Although that can be a compelling argument, school choice opponents are actually calling for more taxpayer spending by opposing choice in South Carolina.
In a recent article from Fox News, Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders claimed that the improvements in education driven by recent reforms positions her state as a “blueprint” for education reforms nationwide. Let’s take a minute to break down Arkansas’ education reforms to test that claim (at least as they compare to South Carolina). Is Arkansas
The following article originally appeared in the Post & Courier. As the 2025 General Assembly headed out the door, emotions in the public education community were raw. A conflict over funding between traditional public school districts and statewide public charter districts led to a Band-Aid that left neither side happy. As the 2026 General Assembly
In this article, originally published in the South Carolina Daily Gazette, I discuss how South Carolina ensures that our higher education degree programs are delivering meaningful, high-quality education through regular program review by the Commission on Higher Education and the colleges themselves. Columbia, S.C. (SC Daily Gazette) – Suddenly, one of the most pressing issues
In this article originally posted in the Post and Courier, Dr. Oran Smith comments on legislation concerning the transparency of University president headhunting. By Anna B. Mitchell amitchell@postandcourier.com CLEMSON — After decades of giving the public a chance to vet candidates for some of the state’s top positions in academia, South Carolina’s leading universities
In this op-ed, originally published in The Post and Courier, I discuss the potential for groundbreaking statewide public charter school funding reform that hinges on a decision resting with the Jasper County Council. They are currently considering giving some local funding to some of their charter schools, which could serve as an important test case
I recently joined Stephen Biddix from WIS10 to discuss the passage of H.5073, which bans grade floors in traditional and public charter schools and reforms credit and content recovery programs. Check out the story below, or head to the original story to watch my video interview! Columbia, S.C. (WIS10) – Parents across South Carolina could
Governor Henry McMaster recently signed S.454 into law, enacting a plethora of reforms to the public charter school sector. Originally conceived to address the (then-impending) closure of Limestone University and the affiliated Limestone Charter Association, S.454 has been hotly debated and heavily amended during its journey through the legislative process. Now that the dust has