South Carolina Voters Will Soon Elect State K-12 Chief — and Decide If They Should Never Do It Again
EDlection2018: Across the nation, is showcasing a new campaign focused on education each week. You can find all of our recent profiles, previews, and reactions at The74Million.org/Election (also, keep an eye out for our live blog on Election Night, November 6th).
Update, October 18th: Democrat Israel Romero has decided to withdraw from the race for superintendent. He has declined to comment on reports of his criminal record and stated to The Post and Courier that he is withdrawing due to health reasons.
As Molly Spearman seeks the re-election as state superintendent of education in South Carolina, she is also urging voters to make this election the last in which they have the power to do so.
Next month, the people of South Carolina will decide whether or not to amend the state constitution to allow the governor to appoint the state superintendent, aligning their state with the 37 others where K-12 education leaders are appointed by either governors or state boards of education.
The appointed superintendent would be required to have an advanced degree and extensive experience in education or business, effective from 2023.
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Spearman acknowledges that it may seem unusual to ask for the voters’ support while also advocating for the constitutional change.
"I have experienced the challenges of running for this office and understand the difficulties of campaigning statewide and raising funds. I believe that by having the governor take more responsibility and be held accountable, we can greatly benefit the state of South Carolina," said Spearman, a Republican, in an interview with .
Related: As the Economy Thrives, the South Carolina Governor’s Race Highlights the Need for Educational Improvement
Supporters of the change argue that appointing the superintendent places accountability for student outcomes in the hands of the governor, who is already perceived by most citizens as being responsible for education.
"Education is the most crucial responsibility of a state. We believe it is essential for the governor to be accountable for it. When you have an elected superintendent, the governor lacks control over education and therefore lacks responsibility. There is no obligation for the governor to advocate for education," explained Cindi Ross Scoppe, formerly an editor and columnist at The State, a newspaper in Columbia, in an interview with earlier this year.
Those who oppose the change, primarily South Carolina’s teachers union, argue that electing the superintendent ensures a wider scope of accountability and independence.
"Electing the superintendent allows the office to be directly accountable to the voters, rather than solely to the governor. Additionally, the Department of Education should remain an independent advocate for the needs of South Carolina’s public education," stated the South Carolina Education Association in a document outlining its legislative priorities in 2016. The association also highlighted their success in blocking a similar bill in 2015.
Spearman’s Democratic opponent, education policy professor Israel Romero, opposes the change, believing it would hinder efforts to narrow the achievement gap.
"Their aim is to have control… The superintendent must remain independent and not someone who is instructed by the governor," stated Romero to The State.
On October 16th, South Carolina media reported that Romero is ineligible to hold the office due to a felony conviction.
Romero was convicted of unauthorized practice of law in October 2008 and was imprisoned until April 2009. The Anderson Independent Mail reported that he had presented himself as an attorney while attempting to represent someone in an immigration case. According to the state constitution, felons are not permitted to run for office until 15 years after serving their prison sentence.
Election officials informed the paper that state parties can work with candidates to voluntarily withdraw from the race. However, if this occurs late in the election process, the candidate’s name may still appear on the ballot without being included in the final reporting of results. Romero did not respond to the paper’s requests for comment.
Advocates argue that there are several disadvantages to electing state superintendents.
Firstly, the pool of individuals who are willing and capable of raising funds and campaigning for statewide office may not necessarily possess the qualities required to be effective education leaders.
Additionally, the role of a state superintendent is not particularly high-profile, as evidenced by Tony Bennett’s experience. After being elected, he was recognized by a hotel front desk clerk the day after his election, not because of his role as superintendent, but because of his name, which they associated with the famous singer.
Bennett believes that his time as the elected state chief in Indiana was ideal because he and then-Governor Mitch Daniels shared the same education policy positions and priorities. This allowed them to work together effectively and utilize the governor’s political influence to advance their joint policy agenda. He suggests that appointed superintendents would ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Supporters of appointed superintendents also point to examples where elected superintendents and governors have clashed. In Wisconsin, Superintendent Tony Evers and Governor Scott Walker have had disputes, even before Evers decided to run as a Democrat against Walker in the governor’s race. Similarly, in Indiana, Governor Mike Pence and Superintendent Glenda Ritz frequently clashed before Ritz lost her re-election bid. This has led to calls for appointed positions to avoid such conflicts.
In California, there is potential for a clash between reform supporter Marshall Tuck, who is running for superintendent, and skeptic Gavin Newsom, who is running for governor.
Furthermore, electing state superintendents adds to the burden on voters during elections. In South Carolina, voters already have to cast their ballots for numerous positions, such as governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller, treasurer, and agriculture commissioner. This year, they will no longer vote for adjutant general, the leader of the state’s national guard. Therefore, the issue of electing state superintendents may not receive much attention in a state where there are few closely contested races.
Despite the notable support, the outcome of the South Carolina ballot initiative remains uncertain.
Moreover, it appears that voters are displaying hesitancy. Justifying a reduction in democracy is a challenging task, after all. In 2014, over 43 percent of voters expressed their opposition towards amending the state constitution to grant the governor the power to appoint the adjutant general.
Scoppe, the former editor at The State, expresses concerns that this may be the sole opportunity to reform the system. "The legislature has displayed such strong resistance in including this matter in the ballot that if we fail, we will not receive another chance," she stated.
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