SC Superintendent Candidate Mick Zais Visits CERRA
January 4, 2010
ROCK HILL, SC – January 4, 2010 – South Carolina citizens will elect a new state superintendent of education in November, and each of the five candidates vying for the post took time to learn about the nation’s oldest and most established teacher recruitment center.
Mick Zais, 62, (R-Newberry), has led a life of service to his country, to his college, and to his faith. A retired Brigadier General in the US Army and graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, Zais has been the president of Newberry College since 2000. While at the helm of Newberry, the college’s enrollment has nearly doubled, the endowment has more than doubled, facilities have been constructed and renovated, academic programs have been added, and the school’s athletic programs now compete for NCAA regional and national titles. In addition to his responsibilities as Newberry’s president, he also is a member of the Education Oversight Committee.
Zais there are some superb schools in South Carolina, but believes more can be done to ensure that every child in the state has access to an excellent school, is led by an excellent principal, and is taught by excellent teachers. Because all children learn differently, he believes parents must be empowered to have a choice in the educational environment of their child. He says legislators, district superintendents, and school boards must ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent on programs that affect educational outcomes and that any expenditures are transparent to the public.
The remaining candidates for state superintendent of are: Frank Holleman, 55, (D-Greenville), who is an attorney and the former deputy secretary of education under then-United States Secretary of Education Dick Riley; Brent Nelsen, 50, (R-Greenville), who is a professor at Furman University; Elizabeth Moffly, 48, (R-Awendaw), who is a co-owner of Moffly Construction and other small businesses; and Kelly Payne, 39, (R-Irmo), who is a teacher at Dutch Fork High School.
Each of the candidates will be featured in upcoming podcasts made available by CERRA. To listen to CERRA podcasts or to subscribe to the podfeed, click here.
CERRA is a non-partisan state-funded organization and does not endorse any specific candidate. The organization, however, is open to sharing its mission and vision with any candidate for elected office in South Carolina.
About the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement:
CERRA, an independent state agency located on the campus of Winthrop University, is the oldest and most established teacher recruitment program in the country. The purpose of CERRA is to provide leadership in identifying, attracting, placing and retaining well-qualified individuals for the teaching profession in South Carolina. CERRA’s programs have been adopted at school, district and state levels in more than 30 states in the United States. More information about the Center and its programs is available at www.cerra.org. You can now follow CERRA on Facebook and Twitter.
