By Sarah Ostergaard When considering a word I first turn to the dictionary. In this case, “an education” is defined by Merriam-Webster online as “the action or process of educating or of being educated.” Unhelpful; my 5th grade English teacher taught us not to define a word using the rootContinue Reading
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 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 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
By Sarah Ostergaard Make an impact with your time In August, we introduced the idea that our schools need you. Like democracy, education is a participatory exercise and each of us has a role to play in our local school system. The idea of time, talent, treasure, and voice willContinue Reading