The Kohl’s Cares for Kids contest allows users of Facebook to determine the winning schools. Spartanburg Charter School is currently ranked 22md in the nation and the contest ends on September 3. The school has attracted more than 104,000 Facebook votes and is the only South Carolina school in the top 100. However, only the top 20 schools will receive a grant, so there is some work left to do to help Spartanburg Charter School.

Facebook users are automatically given 20 votes to cast for schools in the United States. A total of five votes can be cast for a particular school. Here are the steps to vote for Spartanburg Charter School:

1. Log in to Facebook.

Total number of words used by Mick Zais: 289

Total number of words used by Mick Zais to attack his Democratic opponent: Zero

Total number of words used by Mick’s Democratic opponent: 226

Total number of words used by Mick’s Democratic opponent to attack Mick: 102 (45% of his total words used)

In November, the differences between the candidates is crystal clear. Mick Zais has dedicated his life to serving others as a military officer, classroom teacher, and as president of a South Carolina faith-based college. In contrast, Mick’s Democratic opponent has dedicated his life to partisan politics serving as State Chairman for the South Carolina Democratic Party, member of the Democratic National Committee, campaign manager for Inez Tenenbaum’s U.S. Senate bid, and as a political appointee in the Clinton Administration in Washington.

Vote for a principled leader, not a politician, for State Superintendent of Education this November: Elect Mick Zais.

South Carolina Superintendent candidates share views

By Sarita Chourey

Morris News Service

Saturday, Aug 28, 2010

Q: How would you be similar or different from outgoing Superintendent Jim Rex?

Zais: Like Dr. Rex, I have experience as an educator and a leader of educators. Dr. Rex has emphasized reforming and supporting schools which are in crisis, something I experienced firsthand at Newberry College. I’m proud to say after 10 years and much hard work, Newberry College has been nationally recognized for its excellence. Unlike Dr. Rex, I have pledged not to run for any other political office. The last two state superintendents of education have used this position as a stepping stone for higher political office, actively campaigning when they should have been focused on the needs of the students.

Q: What is the top reform needed in the way education is funded?

Zais: Funding should be based on the students served, not the programs operated. While holding schools and school districts publicly accountable for their results, the state must recognize the importance of local control in education. Teachers, principals and district superintendents should have the flexibility to meet the needs of their diverse student populations through innovative and creative solutions. Transforming the funding formula to being student-centered will decrease bureaucratic overhead, reduce waste in programs that don’t meet student needs, increase equity between schools, strengthen local control and encourage innovation in our public schools.

Q: Should parents be given vouchers so their children can attend private school?

Zais: The relevant question to me is whether a plan that would give parents targeted tax breaks to send their children to private schools helps or hurts the children of South Carolina. In some areas of South Carolina, parents have access to a full menu of educational options: traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, home schooling, online/virtual schools, single-gender schools, Montessori-style schools, year-round schools, alternative schools for students with discipline problems and privately operated schools. I support all these options, and I believe parents should be able to choose the best educational environment for their child.

Denyse Middleton, Reporter

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Mick Zais, the Republican candidate for South Carolina state superintendent of education greeted about 30 area residents at Anna’s Arbor last week to discuss his “calling” and his personal goal to make public schools better with multiple alternatives.

Zais, who served 10 years as president of Newberry College until this past July, is also a former faculty member of West Point Academy. He served 31 years active service in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper and ranger before he retired at the rank of brigadier general.

“The superintendent of education position is a culmination of a life of things I know I do well,” Zais said. “It’s a way to serve and make a contribution. It’s a calling!”

Zais says he is uniquely qualified for this position.

“I’ve been a teacher and run a school, so I know what it’s like,” Zais said. “I’ve got a successful history of leadership. I know how to lead large, complex organizations.”

Local residents who attended Thursday’s educational forum were a varied group with varied interests.

Richard and Kathleen Vork are Richburg residents and parents of two Lewisville Elementary School students. Richard Vork says he attended the candidate’s forum to find out what Zais would “bring to the table,” if elected as state superintendent.

Vork believes the public school system is flawed with problems of nepotism and administrator longevity, he said.

“School leaders are falling through the cracks at the local level,” Richard Vork said.

Avery Wilks, 17, Zach Roberts, 16 and Justin McManus, 17, are members of Teen Republicans of Chester. They were interested to learn what Zais’ decisions as state superintendent, if elected, would mean for them and future generations.

“A lot of young people today don’t understand the importance of these decisions,” Roberts said. “They don’t understand the impact that voting has on their lives.”

Roberta Wood, a teacher at Great Falls Elementary School, agreed.

“It doesn’t matter about the (political) party, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat,” Wood said. “We need to be more informed voters because there’s nothing more important than education.”

Wood was particularly interested in Zais’ views about school funding and teacher furloughs.

“Educators need to know where things stand,” Wood said. “We need to know if money is going to be cut or if we’re going to be furloughed so we can plan.”

Zais stressed that his ultimate goal as state superintendent is to make public schools better with choices for parents that include public charter schools, alternative schools and additional year-round schools.

“We’ve got some of the best schools in the nation and we’ve got some of the most troubled schools,” Zais said.

Zais, who grew up in a military family, attended 10 public schools during his 12 years of school attendance, he said.

“I felt like I got a good education,” Zais said. “We had teachers who knew their material and loved their kids.”

Zais’ children also attended public schools, he said. He is assured that South Carolina public schools can be improved and assures state tax payers that they will get a positive return on their investment in  public school education.

“Every child is special and every child is different,” Zais said. “Different children have different needs.  And we need to provide multiple alternatives to education.”

Click here to read the article from the Chester News & Observer website.

NEWBERRY, SC – Tonight, Mick Zais issued the following statement after winning the Republican nomination for State Superintendent of Education.

Zais said, “I am grateful to the thousands of voters who supported my candidacy for the Republican nomination for State Superintendent.  This campaign has been focused on improving our schools for students, parents, and teachers by reforming them with common-sense conservative ideas.  I want to thank my fellow Republicans who ran for this office and look forward to incorporating their grassroots activists, donors, and supporters into my campaign.”

Zais continued, “The election this fall gives the voters of South Carolina a choice for change.  My Democratic opponent would maintain the failed, status quo of the past 12 years that has stymied real progress.  He believes the silver bullet to improving education in South Carolina is to raise taxes to grow new government programs.  My Democratic opponent would look to Washington and President Obama for answers when Washington is the source of so many of our problems in education.  The choice this November couldn’t be clearer: a partisan, Washington bureaucrat who will do everything he can to defend the failed status quo, or a conservative reformer with a record of success who will fight for parents, students, and teachers against the establishment.  I look forward to a spirited contest of ideas in the months ahead.”

Zais graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1969 and served 31 years as a paratrooper, Ranger and Brigadier General in the United States Army. He has been a classroom teacher as a faculty member at West Point teaching leadership, management, and organization behavior.  Zais also earned a doctorate in psychology, and for the past 10 years has served as President of Newberry College.  Under Zais, enrollment has nearly doubled, the endowment reached all-time high, new facilities have been constructed and Newberry athletic teams compete for regional and national championships.  For the first time in its history and for the second consecutive year, Newberry College was named one of America’s best colleges by U.S. News and World Report.

Mick Zais has been married to his wife, Susan, for over 30 years. They have two adult children: Bradley, age 25, is a veteran of the Iraq War and Ashley, age 22, is a graduate of Wofford College. Both Bradley and Ashley graduated from Newberry High, a public high school. The Zaises are members of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer.

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The updated “Olympic Medal Count” for Mick’s campaign is 9 gold medals and 4 silver medals. Mick’s 9 victories are more than his  runoff opponent, who has not won a single in-person straw poll.

Mick’s most important “straw poll” win was on June 8th, when Mick received the most votes in the Republican Primary for State Superintendent of Education, outpacing his runoff opponent by more than 28,000 votes. Since that time, Mick has been endorsed by 3 of his Republican primary competitors (Kelly Payne, Gary Burgess and Brent Nelsen), endorsed by the only Republican to ever hold the office of State Superintendent of Education (Dr. Barbara Nielsen) and endorsed by Governor Jim Edwards and Governor David Beasley.

Mick’s straw poll Gold Medals (9 wins): 2010 Silver Elephant Banquet (Statewide), Berkeley County GOP Breakfast Club, Clarendon County GOP, Upstate Young Republicans (Greenville County), Beaufort County GOP, Florence County GOP, Sumter County GOP, Orangeburg County GOP, Aiken County GOP Ice Cream Social

Mick’s straw poll Silver Medals (4): Horry County GOP, Rep. Steve Parker’s BBQ (Spartanburg County), Florence County Republican Women, Myrtle Beach Republican Women

Zais’ runoff opponent, Elizabeth Moffly, commands a knowledge of the school system that is striking in its detail, having run for superintendent four years ago and then served on Jim Rex’s transition committee. In a choice between the two, however, Zais’ leadership experience recommends him well for the nomination on Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/06/19/1541112/the-case-for-experience.html#ixzz0rIyZFNzU

Mick Zais

Q:. What is the top issue facing South Carolina schools?

A: Every dollar that is spent on education must be accounted for and be directly connected to the classrooms of our state. We must increase the return on investment for the taxpayers. School spending should be posted online for the public to review.

Q: Why are you more qualified than your opponent to run the state’s public schools?

A: I have a comprehensive understanding of education policy, proven leadership ability, and a record of success. I’ve been a teacher and a college president. I retired as a brigadier general after 31 years in the Army. I led the turnaround at Newberry College that made it a nationally recognized college.

Q: Do you have a better, viable way to fund public schools? Was Act 388, which limits the amount local officials can raise property taxes for schools and basic services, a bad idea?

A: Funding should be based on the students served, not the programs operated, and expenditures must be transparent to the public. I support comprehensive tax reform that will encourage job creation and investment in our state.

Q: Do vouchers and tax credits that enable students to attend private schools help or hurt public schools?

A: The more relevant question is, will vouchers or tax credits help or hurt the children of South Carolina? I believe parents should be able to choose the best educational environment that meets the needs of their child. I support a full menu of educational options.

Q: What change is most needed in the state’s charter school laws?

A: Modify the funding formula. By moving to a funding system where the money follows the child, and not to specific programs, charter schools will be on a level playing field. Charter schools are public schools, but in some communities adversarial administrators and school boards have undermined them.

Q: Should teachers get extra money based on performance?

A: Teachers should be rewarded for exceptional academic gains for students, and there are schools in South Carolina that have adopted bonus schedules. The overall effects of performance pay will be to increase teacher quality, increase the retention rate of our best teachers, and encourage highly motivated individuals to become teachers.

Q: Which one best describes the status of the state’s public school system — under-funded, adequately funded or over-funded — and why?

A: Adequately funded, but taxpayer money is not spent where it matters most, in the classroom. Only 44 cents of every dollar is spent on classroom expenditures (according to the 2008 Local Government Finance Report from the state Budget and Control Board). We can do far better. There is too much administrative overhead, too much bureaucracy, and school construction costs are ballooning out of control.

Q: Is there any ongoing state Department of Education initiative that you plan to discontinue if elected?

A: Programs should be evaluated based on their impact on student learning. Teachers are to education what doctors are to medicine, the providers of the service for which the institution exists. If a program isn’t helping the learning process between a teacher and a student, it should be eliminated.

Q: Do you support the state’s effort to secure $175 million in federal Race to the Top money? Why?

A: No. This federal program would provide one-time money but require the state to make long-term commitments without stable funding. In addition, it furthers the intrusion of the federal government into our classrooms. Washington is often the source, not the answer, to our challenges in education.

Q: What would you do as superintendent to improve South Carolina’s graduation rate?

A: I have a three-part action plan. We must focus on teaching reading in elementary school, provide multiple curricula for high school students, and provide parents a full menu of educational options so they can find the environment that best meets the needs of their student.

Mick Zais

Age: 63

Family: Wife, Susan; children, Bradley, 25, and Ashley, 23

Residence: Newberry

Occupation: President of Newberry College and retired Army brigadier general.

Education: Bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington

Public offices: None

Click here to read the rest of the article.

NEWBERRY, SC – Today, Mick Zais announced endorsements from three of his competitors for the Republican nomination for State Superintendent of Education: Kelly Payne, Gary Burgess and Brent Nelsen. Each will serve as a volunteer, unpaid senior advisor to the Mick Zais for Education campaign.

Mick Zais said, “I am grateful for the endorsements of Kelly, Gary and Brent. They are solid conservatives who believe reforming education is crucial to strengthening our economy and creating jobs. Kelly, Gary and Brent bring individual expertise that will make them invaluable assets to our campaign team. Working together, we will bring change to the South Carolina Department of Education this November for the benefit of the students, parents, teachers and taxpayers.”

Ms. Kelly Payne said, “My campaign was focused on putting kids first by transforming education through achievement. Today I am endorsing Mick Zais because he shares my views on the issues that matter most to parents and teachers. He shares my views on issues such as streamlining the outdated funding formula, cutting the bloated bureaucracy, increasing the transparency of school spending, and focusing on the fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic in the primary years. As a public school teacher, I strongly believe teachers need a seat at the table when policy decisions are made in Columbia. That is why I am urging all of my supporters to vote for Mick Zais because he shares my views on the issues and he will be an advocate for our teachers, our parents, and most importantly, our kids.”

Dr. Gary Burgess, Sr. said, “There is no substitute for real world experience, which is why I am endorsing Mick Zais for State Superintendent of Education. His experience as a teacher and college president have prepared him to take on the education establishment that exists to protect the current system and not act in the best interests of our students and teachers. As a teacher, principal, and district superintendent, my focus was always on student learning. I ask all of my supporters to join me in voting for Mick Zais because he has the experience to change the system to focus on student learning.”

Dr. Brent Nelsen said, “I am endorsing Mick Zais today because I believe he has the leadership ability to turnaround our schools and prepare South Carolina’s students for the jobs of the 21^st Century economy. He will empower parents with more choices, empower teachers by deregulating classrooms, and empower businesses, churches, and individuals to take ownership of education in their communities. We must act now to reform our schools, and I ask all of my supporters to join me in voting for the candidate who is prepared to lead on day one – Mick Zais.”

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