Teach For America Establishes Presence in S.C.

May 4, 2011

 

Palmetto Institute, Teach For America, and Francis Marion University recently announced the expansion of the Teach For America program into South Carolina. Beginning this fall, 30 top college graduates and professionals will be deployed to schools within Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, and Florence Counties. Founded in 1991, Teach For America is an extremely competitive program that attracts some of the nation’s brightest college graduates to teach for a minimum of a two years in the nation’s toughest schools. Currently, Teach For America employs more than 8,300 teachers in high-need schools throughout the United States, with a focus on preparing recent college graduates for long-term employment as educators.   More than 60% of Teach for America teachers continue to teach after fulfillment of their initial term, and 42% of the corps members remain in their original placement schools.

Recent research has confirmed that Teach For America students enjoy higher student achievement, despite living in some of our most distressed communities, and a more positive and enthusiastic learning environment. Teach For America is partnering with Francis Marion University to provide training and certification for the teachers, who are expected to offer education and guidance to approximately 2,000 South Carolinian elementary-through-high school students throughout the Pee Dee region. We are confident that the students and communities touched by Teach For America will improve our State’s student achievement gap.

For more information regarding Teach For America’s successes and policy, please consult www.teachforamerica.org, or contact Sue-Ann Gerald Shannon, Director of Research for Palmetto Institute, at sshannon@palmettoinstitute.org.

More Economic Development News

Viability of a Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program in South Carolina

"We can't afford not to." In response to the need for preschool education, this declaration was recently uttered by James Heckman, a Nobel Prize winner in economics and a pioneer in the study of human capital. He noted that 20% of U.S. workers are "functionally illiterate and innumerate," which will eventually cause wages and productivity to decrease by half or more over the next 20 years if we fail to make investments now in our preschool-age children.

The positive outcomes produced by existing pre-kindergarten programs are nearly incontrovertible and continue beyond childhood, contributing to reduced incidences of crime and to higher levels of achievement, grade retention, wages, productivity and, ultimately, competitiveness. Notably, nearly everyone agrees, including once-skeptical critics, academics, conservatives, liberals, law enforcement groups, and market economists.

Recognition of the benefits of pre-K has gained momentum as more states have moved to implementing new programs or expanding existing ones. In 1980, only 10 states had programs; today, more than 38 have developed statewide programs. It is estimated that for every $1 dollar a state spends, it receives $8-$17 in future returns. Although South Carolina already has several existing four-year-old programs, they target mostly disadvantaged and at-risk children, neglecting many other children living within the State.

Follow the link to a discussion paper outlining the State's existing programs and current spending levels, along with issues relating to fiscal concerns and other hurdles in providing pre-kindergarten access to all of South Carolina's four-year-olds.

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28th Annual Economic Outlook Conference - December 3, 2008

Marriott Columbia City Center
1200 Hampton Street
Columbia, SC

Luncheon speaker:
Daniel H. Stern, founder and co-CEO of Reservoir Capital Group in New York City, who will speak about the "Current Status of the Financial Markets"

Click here to register

 

USC's 27^th Annual Economic Outlook Conference

 

Potential recession and sound tax policy are among the topics to be addressed by economists at the Moore School of Business' 27^th annual Economic Outlook Conference, to be held Monday, Dec. 3, at The Marriott in downtown Columbia.

The conference runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with an optional, complimentary networking breakfast that begins at 8:30 a.m. Registration is $75 per person, which includes lunch, where Dr. William F. Fox, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research, University of Tennessee, will deliver the conference's keynote address. Fox will discuss "Sound Tax Policy for a Competitive Economy."

The Economic Outlook Conference has become the state's premiere economic and networking event for business leaders and is co-sponsored by The Palmetto Institute.

The morning session will feature Moore School faculty members who will discuss the topic: "Will the Economic Expansion Continue in 2008, or Are We Headed for a Recession? Implications – from Local to Global."

Research Economist Dr. Paulo Guimarães from the Moore School will give the economic forecast for South Carolina. Dr. Douglas P. Woodward, professor of economics and director of the Division of Research at the Moore School, will give the economic forecast "from local to global" – including new economic indicators for South Carolina localities, plus the forecast for the United States and the global implications of that forecast.

Dr. Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra, assistant professor of international business at the Moore School, will discuss "Carolina and the Celtic Tiger: What We Can Learn from Ireland's Development."

Fox is the William B. Stokely Distinguished Professor of Business and the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, where he has taught economics since 1992. He has served as a consultant on finance, taxation, and economic development in a number of states and countries, and is a member of the American Economics Association and a past president of the National Tax Association.

Advance registration is required and can be done online at http://mooreschool.sc.edu. The deadline for registration is Monday, Nov. 26. Questions should be directed to Nancy Beym at 800-393-2362 or via e-mail at nbeym@moore.sc.edu.

 

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Emerging Markets Private Equity: Sustaining Momentum

IFC's 9th Global Private Equity Conference in association with EMPEA
May 10-11, 2007 - Washington, DC

For More Info go to:http://www.globalpeconference.com/

 

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TechConnect Summit 2007
Connecting Technology Innovators, Investors & Corporations

May 23-24 2007, Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara Convention Center
For More info go to:  www.TechConnect.org/Summit2007