What is Going on in South Carolina’s Education System?: School Choice and Interview with PragerU CEO

There is a storm currently brewing in South Carolina right now, and it is not the hurricane or tropical storm.

It is South Carolina's education system. From school choice to PragerU in schools

I have talked about school choice in the state, especially since the Supreme Court ruled against the school choice program.

This is money back in the pockets of families, not money going directly to private and religious schools, which is what the Supreme Court ruled. And Governor McMaster also wants courts to reconsider the case because states with this kind of law, known as the Blaine Amendment, also have these specific school choice programs.

Read more about in my op-ed for the Aiken Standard.

Despite claims from these school choice opponents and media that usually call all school choice programs vouchers, this ESTF program does not directly funnel money to private schools nor does it defund public schools.

Instead, it provides a portion of the per pupil funding back to families through education savings accounts, allowing them to choose a school for their children. Additionally, these funds can be used for tutoring, curriculum, technology and therapy. This is the key difference between school choice vouchers and ESAs.

ESAs have successfully withstood Blaine Amendment challenges in other states, including in Arizona and Florida as these school choice programs are different from vouchers. In fact, most states have incorporated the Blaine Amendment into their state laws, and they have these ESA programs.

But there is also another storm in South Carolina's education system.

Guess what it is?

PragerU Kids in schools.

I had the opportunity to interview Marissa Stright, who's the CEO of PragerU.

“If indoctrination and inculcation [are] the same thing as standing for truth and teaching it, then I stand by the important concept of having the ability to teach children a certain doctrine,” she told The Lion. “The doctrine that America stands upon, the doctrine of truth, of what American values are, the doctrine of truth, of what American history is, the doctrine of truth, of what American civics are about, what the Constitution is about.”

This content is free for schools thanks to donors, and there are also no taxpayer dollars involved. But it was interesting how stride talked about the difference between instilling values inculcation versus indoctrination. And if you see the videos and content, there is nothing remotely political.

Think about the childhood favorites such as schoolhouse rock or even liberty kids. You know what else is interesting? Strike drew comparisons between South Carolina, which ranks #42 in education, and Florida, which currently ranks #1 and was also the first state to introduce Prageru kids into schools. She explained how a “partnership with PragerU is an example that there is brave educational leadership that is willing to go against the biggest bullies in schools and do what's right.”