Now is the time to send letters to your legislative delegation and Senate and House of Representative Education Committee members!

The links below will get you a complete list of contact information for all Representatives and Senators.

South Carolina House of Representatives

Mailing Addresses

eMail Addresses

Committee eMail Addresses

South Carolina Senators

Mailing Addresses

eMail Addresses

Committee eMail Addresses

Please make all of this information available to parents and community members, encouraging them to send letters (preferred) and emails to their respective legislators, and forward a copy of the letter to the association.

Your efforts will make a huge difference

Here is a sample letter:

date

Honorable Mark Sanford
Governor
and
Honorable Members of the State Legislature
South Carolina State Legislature
1325 Park Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Dear Governor Sanford and Members of the Legislature:

I am writing to express my support for H3010.  This important piece of legislation creates a new entity, the Carolina Public Charter School District, which will focus exclusively on approving and overseeing charter schools, helping ensure the growth of high-quality public charter schools throughout the state.

There is an urgent need to provide new quality choices in public education.  Yet current law is stifling the ability of charter schooling to help provide such choices.

South Carolina's current charter school statute allows for only one authorizing sponsor (the local school district board of trustees).  The growth of charter schools in South Carolina has been slow since charter legislation was first passed in 1996.  Currently, only 27charter schools serve 4,000 across the state.

This legislation would create the Carolina Public Charter School District (CPCSD) as an alternative sponsor for both new and current charter schools. In turn, there would be more high-quality options in our state for public education.

H 3010 addresses the issues of both granting a charter and supporting public charter schools:

• The new charter school district’s sole mission would be to devote its resources to ensure high-quality charter schools that support student achievement.
• No local dollars will be diverted from traditional public school districts.
• Currently, charter schools cannot apply for federal and private grants.  With this legislation, the new charter school district will be a school district like all others in our state and be eligible for millions of state and federal dollars.
• The new district will offer schools a new source of efficient, well-focused services — so schools can devote more resources to instruction.

I urge the Senate to vote on H3010 to the floor of the Senate for a fair and open debate.  Charter operators need this credible new option.  Most important, public school students and their parents deserve a fair shake.

Sincerely,

Posted:  11-30-05