Haley, Zais, Owens celebrate Charter Schools bill signing

Governor: “We will no longer settle for what we think education has to be, we will lead on what education should be.”

COLUMBIA, SC – May 14, 2012 – Governor Nikki Haley, State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais, House Education and Public Works committee Chairman Phil Owens and State Rep. Garry Smith today celebrated the signing of H. 3241, the Charter Schools bill, into law at Greenville Technical Charter High School.

Video of the event is available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V526cibdZsE“It is a great day in South Carolina,” said Gov. Haley. “We will no longer settle for what we think education has to be, we will lead in this country on what education should be – and that means options, innovation and creativity.”

Superintendent Zais said, “A one-size-fits-all model of education simply doesn’t work for many students.  Public charter schools are laboratories of innovation where the interests of students come first.”

“About three and a half years ago, we began to look at how we could increase the opportunities in education in South Carolina,” said Chairman Owens. “I want to start by thanking Governor Haley and Superintendent Zais for their leadership and collaborative effort that they have put forth to advance public school options in South Carolina. House bill 3241, which we are celebrating today, is yet another step forward in recognizing that parents must be empowered to choose the educational path that’s best suited for their children.”