蜜桃影视

June 22 Update 鈥� Two Republican candidates have advanced to a June 26 runoff: Incumbent Gov. Henry McMaster and businessman John Warren.聽

In the spring of 2015, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo each announced $500 million projects to build new manufacturing plants in South Carolina. Together, the development called for聽.

While hiring for those openings, however, Volvo has found that聽 had the basic knowledge and skills to make it through just the first step of the recruiting process.

It鈥檚 becoming clear that South Carolina鈥檚 education system has not kept up with its economy. And that revelation is being brought center stage as Republican Gov. Henry McMaster and a host of contenders jostle for the state鈥檚 top seat in the June 12 gubernatorial primary,

鈥淲e鈥檙e booming in terms of [information technology], advanced manufacturing, and health care. And so the workforce demands are different from what we鈥檝e had in the last 50 years,鈥� said Melanie Barton, executive director of the state鈥檚 Education Oversight Committee. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to increase the educational attainment of our students, and this is what鈥檚 going to create some issues.鈥�

As a result, education has come to the fore of the governor鈥檚 race, in which McMaster is facing intraparty challengers while three Democrats are locked in a competitive primary. McMaster, now 71 years old, previously served as lieutenant governor; he ascended to the governorship in January 2017 after President Donald Trump appointed then-Gov. Nikki Haley to serve as ambassador to the United Nations.

By all accounts, South Carolina鈥檚 public education system is middling at best; various rankings place the Palmetto State between 35th and 50th nationally. The state has struggled with low teacher pay, poor teacher retention, and 鈥� despite the abundance of jobs for skilled grads 鈥斅�. The percentage of high school graduates enrolling in the state鈥檚 public colleges and universities has fallen to 67 percent from 81 percent over the past decade as debt from higher education has soared. Public colleges in聽 鈥� charge the country鈥檚 highest tuition as a percent of average household income.

On the Democratic side, the three leading candidates鈥� positions on education vary enormously, from radical reform to laissez-faire. State Rep. James Smith, a 50-year-old Afghanistan War veteran who received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, and Phil Noble, a 67-year-old business consultant, both believe in the governor taking a hands-on role in educating South Carolinians. Following the lead of former Democratic governor Dick Riley, Smith聽 with a particular focus on聽. Riley served as the U.S. Secretary of Education under Bill Clinton聽. Noble, meanwhile, has lamented the 鈥渆ducation crisis鈥� and has called on his experience in technology to propose giving every student a laptop or iPad.

鈥淚f you radically overhaul education, which is what we are saying, then you ought to expect radically better results,鈥澛� during a press conference in May. 鈥淚t will be a fight, it will be tough, and it will be hard. And some of the stuff we鈥檒l try to do won鈥檛 work. It鈥檚 like, we鈥檙e going to screw it up and聽, right? That鈥檚 where we are. So we ought to take chances.鈥�

Rather than put forth education policy proposals, the third leading Democratic candidate, 67-year-old lawyer Marguerite Willis, instead focuses on the fact that South Carolina is one of 13 states with an elected, not governor-appointed, superintendent. With the Department of Education not part of the governor鈥檚 cabinet, Willis has focused on the departments directly under the governor鈥檚 control.

鈥淚 love these guys, I really do,鈥� Willis said of Smith and Noble at a May 15 debate. 鈥淏ut they haven鈥檛 read the South Carolina constitution. Education is not a job that belongs to the governor in this state. 鈥� Constitutionally it is not the job of the governor. The governor has got to bloom where she is planted 鈥� the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of Prisons, [the Department of Health and Environmental Control], and health care, that鈥檚 the bottom line.鈥�

(South Carolina voters will decide in a November referendum whether to change the state superintendent鈥檚 position to a be gubernatorial appointment, a move that has received support from candidates in both parties.)

Willis, meanwhile, has hit back by focusing on Smith鈥檚 22 years of experience in South Carolina鈥檚 increasingly publicly corrupt capital, where聽 in an ongoing corruption probe.

“There’s smoke-filled rooms in the State House,鈥� she said at the June 4 debate. 鈥淢r. Smith smells like smoke.鈥�

On the Republican side, Gov. McMaster has held聽, powered in part by his incumbency and the state鈥檚 development.聽 has grown each year since the recession as the state鈥檚 economy has boomed. Since taking office, McMaster has boasted of attracting聽. McMaster has tried to capitalize on the theme,聽 to a veteran coach leading a team on a winning streak.

On education, McMaster backs聽 to save money and stationing聽 across the state. He also favors expanding charter schools.

McMaster鈥檚 rivals have tried to tie him to the aforementioned corruption probe, in which his longtime political consultant was聽 and later testified as part of a deal to have felony corruption charges dropped. McMaster has not faced charges.

McMaster鈥檚 chief rival, attorney Catherine Templeton, 47, who聽, has taken more aggressive stances,聽 to be used for universal school choice, including private schools and homeschooling. She also聽.

With the primary set for Tuesday, the establishment鈥檚 money is on McMaster and Smith. McMaster has the聽 and . And of the Democratic candidates, Smith has the most money and the most endorsements (including the聽; the largest union does not endorse candidates).

Regardless of who wins, says Barton of the Education Oversight Committee, the next governor will need to put together a comprehensive plan for improving academic outcomes across the state.

鈥淪outh Carolina has done a great job of recruiting industry to this state,鈥� Barton said. 鈥淭he piece that鈥檚 now starting to raise its head is, 鈥極ops, we鈥檝e got an issue with the workforce development.鈥� 鈥�

Did you use this article in your work?

We鈥檇 love to hear how 蜜桃影视鈥檚 reporting is helping educators, researchers, and policymakers.