Thomas sounds off on educational opportunity vs. accountability

Furman education professor Dr. Paul Thomas spars with editors of The State who, in a Jan. 7 piece, say school accountability should not be abandoned with the dismantling of No Child Left Behind. Thomas says education reform in South Carolina should be based on equity of opportunity, not accountability since “the greatest predictor of high or low rankings is wealth or poverty.” He says, “Without adopting a policy that deals directly with stable jobs …, health care, child care and an equitable criminal-justice system, our schools will continue to struggle.” Read more in an opinion piece he wrote for The State.