A 2021 survey conducted by USC-Aiken found that SC voters do not know that homeowners do not pay school taxes on a primary residence. More than 40 percent of voters were unaware of the school tax exemption and about 33 percent incorrectly indicated there is no school tax exemption (YoungContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard Education law is a tiered system, in line with one of our nation’s founding principles: federalism. Per the 10th Amendment, education is within the purview of each of the 50 states or their local jurisdictions. The federal government does, however, play a significant role. The federal EveryContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard If I had a nickel for each time someone said, “I wish my child could learn [enter personal finance term here] in school.” then I’d have a nice savings account started. All joking aside, starting with the graduating class of 2027, students in SC will be requiredContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard Did you know that South Carolina offers free, public residential high schools focused on rigorous academics and professional achievement for students in any part of the state? These are called SC Governor’s Schools and there are three: the SC Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de laContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard A grade serves many purposes: feedback, evaluation, motivation, assessment, achievement, a systematic communication of ability, and a demonstration of subject mastery. Grades matter when applying to colleges and for scholarships. Understanding the underlying assumptions in grade calculations is therefore very important. Does an A mean mastery andContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard October is National Economic Education Month, which promotes the importance of teaching economics in schools. According to the Council on Economic Education, “Economic education gives you the tools to make informed decisions for yourself, your family, and your community. It is essential we give young people inContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard CRT, SEL, DEI, oh my. Is CRT in our schools? Yes, if you define the acronym CRT to mean Culturally Responsive Teaching. There seems a misunderstanding that CRT is SEL, and vice versa, that DEI excludes people, and none of it belongs in OUR (not an acronym)Continue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard Fair. “It’s not fair.” is a common childhood complaint. “His slice is bigger,” or “she had a longer turn.” Does anyone else remember waiting by the swing at recess and counting down to your turn? I do. Counting was fair. No one could argue with the countingContinue Reading
by Sarah Ostergard It’s summer vacation. I know what you’re thinking — this is the perfect time to teach financial literacy. No? Please keep reading anyway. Parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents – we can have fun, keep the children occupied, and model financial literacy concepts through hands-on experiences this summer. FinancialContinue Reading
The deadline for teachers across South Carolina to sign or reject their annual contacts to teach in the same district next year is May 10 at 11:59 pm. At the time of this writing, it is not known how many current teachers in School District Five have decided to renewContinue Reading
Students receive report cards each quarter, as well as interim report cards in the middle of each quarter. A student’s report card provides a numeric score of competency in each subject area and is often considered a predictor of future success. However, a student’s report card does not describe whetherContinue Reading