New South Carolina Secretary of Education needs to also hold parents accountable

ZAIS NEEDS TO HOLD PARENTS JUST AS ACCOUNTBLE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

BY: Keith H. Seymour-Contributing Editor

SCHotline.com

First, I should preface my remarks by objectively pointing out that while Secretary Zais' success in raising the academic standing of Newberry College, may go unchallenged, it is only fair to also point out that South Carolina's new Secretary of Education has no experience in dealing with pre-college students or their parents and teachers, except from personal experience in his own role as a parent. These points are not raised to discredit Secretary Zais or his plans to improve education in South Carolina, but to merely allow the reader to make an educated and objective judgment in regards to them, and any related comments made in this editorial.

Recently, South Carolina's new State Superintendent of Education, Mick Zais, a former Army General, who as a college president rescued that same college from being a poor performing college to what many have referred to as a college revered for academic excellence, released a statement on how he plans to raise public education standard in South Carolina.

Specifically, Secretary Zais, would like to pay teachers based on merit rather than their credentials. For example, a teacher will not merely get paid because that teacher has a degree and several years of experience in teaching the subject matter, but on how well that teacher;s students do in the areas of grades and graduation rates. While Secretary Zais' reasoning of of weeding out the bad teachers is certainly justifiable, he need to put the success of South Carolina's public school system into proper perspective by holding parents equally accountable for their children's success. Otherwise he will end up hurting South Carolina's Education system more that it helps.

Since Mr. Zais has no experience working within the public school system, or even with teachers, students, and teachers outside of a collegiate environment, he would be best advised to remember that

any educator, social worker or parent worth his or her salt will admit that good education not only begins, but is reinforced at home. As a matter of fact, this is why many parents and experts feel that home schooling. Magnet schools, and virtual schools have becoming increasing popular over the years.

The fact is a teacher can do everything that he or she needs to to make sure that students are academically successful, but if parents are not reinforcing those efforts through active involvement with the school system teacher, and child, those efforts are going to have a limited an even non-existent positive effect on the student's educational success.

Many parents will even use the excuse that it is inconvenient for them to attend a quarterly parent teacher-conference and are unable to find a combined three or four hours a months to attend a school board meeting, or PTO/PTA meeting, because they already spending an extra 20 or more hours a week taking their kids to extra-curricular activities, in the name of making sure that child is well-rounded, and academically competitive.

If Secretary Zais plans to hold parents accountable for being involved in their children;s educations, how does he plan to do so? He can't make their involvement mandatory. He can't fire them, or affect their paychecks. These are issues Secretary Zais needs to also address in order to improve our state's public school rankings.

Richters comments to Gulf War Hero at South Carolina Lt. Governor Candidate forum out of line

Richter's Recent comments on Connor's Military Service Indicate Lack of Patriotism,
Lack of Leadership Qualities Needed to Help Lead South Carolina

BY: Keith H. Seymour,

Recently Candidate for South Carolina Lieutenant governor, Larry Richter at a recent forum sponsored by a group of woman Republicans compared his service as a judge who had sent five men to death row, to the life and death decision of Army Veteran and Bronze Star recipient Lt. Colonel Bill Connor. As a “patriotic American, the grandson, son, and nephew of military officers who have seen combat, I feel such a comparison is out of line. Especially since Mr. Richter has never served in the military.

While sending someone to be executed for a crime that they have committed is no small decision, as Mr. Richter pointed out in his rather insulting remarks, that is a very deliberate decision, and a judge has time to consider his options. A soldier must be able to think on his feet, and be ready to adapt to any situation at moment's notice. Furthermore, the outcome of the decision made by a solider in combat is much heavier than that of judge, simply due to the fact that the soldiers decision not only affects the safety of himself and those in which he is put in charge, but the country he charged with defending. It should be also pointed out that our judicial process is such that those men sentenced to be executed had the right to appeal, and there may have been a chance of a commuted sentence or even a reprieve. On the other hand, when a soldier dies or someone in his command is killed because of bad decision, there are no second chances.

It should be noted, while Mr. Richter was safely enjoying the creature comforts and freedoms, available to Americans, Lt. Colonel Connor was putting his life in danger so Richter and others could safely enjoy those comforts and freedoms. Therefore, Mr. Richter's comments were hypocritical and un-American. Considering the fact that South Carolina is home to the largest basic training Army instillation in the world (Fort Jackson), Mr. Richter's comments should be of great concern to the voters in this state. The people elected in this state need to be people who exhibit the ability to respect the abilities, and enhance the moral of those who faithfully serve this country. Whereas Lt. Colonel Connor's actions indicate that he is such a person, Mr. Richter's clearly indicate the opposite.

Furthermore, Mr. Richter's comments contrasting his judicial and legislative to Lt. Colonel Connor's military experience, seem to imply that he feels Connor's executive military experience, in addition to his combat experience, is insufficient experience to lead this state. If my assessment of Mr. Richter's comments are correct, I would suggest to Mr. Richter that holding an executive position that requires someone to consecutively oversee various military units and equipment and operations totaling over $160 million dollars, and later implementing and overseeing the training of junior officers, takes a great deal of administrative skill. I would also contend that anyone selected to be Aide de Camp to a commanding general, and whose service to this country has caused him to be selected for the famous Cambridge “Who's Who” publication, is a leader qualified to oversee the physical, governmental, and fiscal well-being of this state.

In closing, I would like to ask my fellow Americans and South Carolinians a question. “Are you really able to endorse a person who for the purpose of political gain, will attack the intelligence and integrity of a war hero, who has literally risked his life to safeguard our freedoms, or do you feel our state deserves better?” My hope is that it is the latter.

Keith H. Seymour is an SCHotline.com Contributing Editor and may be reached at keithhseymour@bellsouth.net.or phoned at 803-233-9622 or 803-960-8785.

Governor's Sanford's actions are betrayal of state, and put state in Jeopordy. Govermor should be forced to resign

REASONS WHY SANFORD NEEDS TO LEAVE OFFICE
By: Keith H. Seymour

WRITER’S NOTE: For purposes of journalistic integrity, I feel the need for purposes of disclosure that as someone whose family has lived in South Carolina for almost thirty-one years, and who has been a freelance writer and media consultant, I have met and made friends with various prominent political leaders on both sides of the political Isle. Among those I have met include Lieutenant Governor Bauer, who I have known since high school, and Governor Sanford, whose campaigns I have volunteered.

Up until recently, I have had a great deal of respect for the governor, including at times when I have disagreed with his positions on various political issues. I also still agree with the governor’s position on the stimulus package. It will be detrimental to this state, and as detrimental as his remaining in office.

Having made that disclosure, I must preface my remarks that in writing this article, I am going to have to remember that as a journalist, I need to avoid personalizing the governor’s actions. This is going to be very difficult since I feel like I have been played for as a fool. Just prior to the start of the press conference, a journalist from the “New York Times,” suggested infidelity, and I stated that Governor Sanford in addition to being a man who held positive values, was too predictable and boring to commit adultery. I also feel that the governor of this state has made South Carolinians look like a bunch of Bible thumping hypocrites, to the entire nation. I personally experienced this humiliation, when I phoned a cousin of mine in Washington D.C. who I had just seen at a recent family reunion here in South Carolina. When I called my cousin to warn him what he would see on the national news, I found out he had already been asked by someone “Did you go on any interesting hikes with the governor of South Carolina, while visiting your family in South Carolina.” The call that I made to my cousin was less than an hour following the press conference. Unlike the person who had said this to him, my cousin had not yet heard of Sanford’s indiscretion, and had no idea what the innuendo meant. (I.e. those bible thumping South Carolina relatives of yours have such great values that they elected an adulterer.) The fact that South Carolinians would have to defend our “Bible Belt values” as the real thing to people we know from other states is unacceptable and admittedly something that should be taken personally.

However, from a non-personal point of view, the fact is that Mark Sanford’s actions are no different than those of Bill Clinton’s actions during his presidency, and Republicans “must” hold the governor up to the same standards of behavior and honesty, as President Clinton. I realize that there are those within the state’s Republican Party and this country who have and are going to state that what this man does in private is not the public’s business, and that the man is only human. As a colleague of mine from one of the major television news station here in Columbia stated, after I ran into him,” I know a lot of humans who do not behave in this manner.” As for those on both sides of the political aisle, let me say this: Senator Jake Knotts (Republican-Lexington County) and other South Carolina Republicans, saying that Governor Sanford should be forgiven, are the very same people who justifiably condemned President Clinton, several years ago for similar actions. Likewise Representative Todd Rutherford and other Democrats, calling for Governor Sanford’s resignation, are some of the same people who felt Former President Clinton should be forgiven. I would be remiss in my duty as a journalist not to point out the hypocrisy of these and other elected officials whose political affiliation and agendas are more important than the moral and political stability of those people in this state. Such individuals need to be replaced. However, that is another editorial for another time.

The fact is that South Carolinians take Bible Belt “family values” seriously, and this man was elected twice, because ( at least in part) this man falsely portrayed himself has having those values, when in truth he was not living by up them. This man did just lie to the people of South Carolina; he mocked the values of the people of this state. He therefore, abused not just the trust of South Carolinians, but South Carolinians themselves.

Those people, who state that this man’s private life is his own business, are correct. However, when this man’s affair caused him to jeopardize the smooth running of this state by not telling the Lieutenant governor of his absence, and he used a state paid for car to drive him to the airport, so he could fly to his mistress in Argentina, it became the business of every person in this state. The people of this state do not pay taxes to our elected officials so they can use tax paid vehicles to go off on romantic rendezvous with their lovers.

Neither do the citizens of this state pay taxes to have our state’s well-being put in Jeopardy. Since the governor felt it is more important to use the power of his hormones to please his mistress, than to cater to the moral and physical well-being of the people to whose care he has been entrusted, he showed he did not care about the well-being of this state and its citizens. His actions are no less than pure neglect. When a parent neglects their children, said parent is relieved of those children for the purpose of making sure that those children grow up to become emotionally and physically stable individuals, Likewise Governor Sanford needs to be relieved of his duties as the person in charge of this state, so this stae may be reespected as moral, and may thrive on the dignity and pride of values that have made it the Center of this country's Bible belt and moral compass.

If South Carolina is to keep its values for the survival of this state, and so that the people of this state may continue to teach their children that right is right and wrong is wrong regardless of money, power, or political affiliation, then those elected to represent the citizens in this state need to be urged to ask for Governor Sanford’s resignation. Such actions may be forgivable based on political affiliation in our nation’s capitol, or other states. It is not, and need not become acceptable in South Carolina.

In regards to this, It should be restated at this point for those who will inevitably state that this man’s private life is no one’s business but those of his family and Governor Sanford, as well as those who state you cannot legislate morality, that this man put the smooth running of this state in jeopardy by (1) Not telling the Lieutenant governor of his absence in case pressing business needed to be dealt with (2) by lying to his staff members about his whereabouts, and (3) by creating a situation that not only makes puts this state in a negative light to the point that people view South Carolinians a hypocrites, but to the degree that people will not want to visit or move to a state that “does not practice what we preach.” South Carolina is already on the bottom of the list in almost every other category; let’s not let our elected officials put us on the bottom of the list in the areas of honesty and positive family values.

Furthermore it needs to be re-stated that a state funded vehicle was used to take him to the airport for this personal event, which is clearly a misuse of taxpayer funds.

In closing, I would like to sincerely state that as someone who believes in the sanctity of marriage, I hope the Sanford’s work out their marriage, and that their children survive this tragedy. However, whether this man saves what is left of his marriage, one thing remains clear. He needs to resign or forceably removed, so this state’s image moral and political stability may remain intact.

Keith H. Seymour is freelance writer and Media Consultant from Columbia, South Carolina, where he has lived for over 30 years. He may be reached at keithhseymour@bellsouth.net or at 803-960-8785 (cell Phone)