PPI’s Senior Fellow Dr. Oran Smith wrote an opinion piece focusing on why South Carolina should invest in building a robust online learning catalog. This op-ed was first featured in The Lexington County Chronicle. This month we reach the 35th anniversary of the premiere of the original “Back to the Future.” The blockbuster movie’s plot
As politicians and education leaders debate what education will look like in the fall, many South Carolina families who have not homeschooled in the past have taken the bold step of opting out of the public school system entirely, and choosing to educate their children at home. Palmetto Promise Institute reached out to homeschooling accountability
On Wednesday, a Senate Legislative Oversight Subcommittee met to discuss and hear from experts on reopening schools in the Fall. Of particular interest to Senators: how we can reach the over 10,000 South Carolina students that are unaccounted for since the start of the pandemic. Back in late May, Palmetto Promise examined the variables surrounding
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) released its opinion in the matter of Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, ruling in favor of Montana parents seeking to use scholarship funds for religious private schools. You can read PPI Senior Fellow Oran Smith’s initial reaction to the decision here. Here are some
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) released its opinion in the matter of Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue. Based on our tracking of this case over two years, Palmetto Promise felt confident of a straight up win on the merits, but oral arguments were not a walk in the park,
On Monday, June 22, a Richland County judge ruled in favor of independent schools across the state who sued the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) over new rules that would limit the athletic participation of public charter and private school students. Palmetto Promise has been supportive of these plaintiff families, providing coverage and analysis
Because of regular tracking by professional monitors of state spending, both in government and in the media, the impact of COVID-19 on public education budgets is coming into focus. It is now clear that even with federal support, states and school districts will be scrambling to meet current emergency needs while also preparing for anticipated
As South Carolina deliberates over an array of options for how and when to get students physically back in school without further loss of academic progress, we have solid examples from other states and other countries on ways to open schools safely. South Carolina’s AccelerateEd task force has floated the possibility of opening schools as
A new rule change by the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL), the private organization that oversees athletics in the Palmetto State, will be devastating for a specific group of student athletes. Who are the athletes being targeted by this action? Answer: Any player who transfers to or from a public charter school or private
Palmetto Promise signed onto a letter to Capitol Hill calling on lawmakers to give COVID relief to private schools. Some of the requests in the letter include: “Temporary education tax credit.” Families paying private school tuition for the 2019 and 2020 tax years should get a 50 percent tax credit on that tuition. “Temporary charitable
