Former S.C. schools chief Zais, tapped by Trump for federal job, "most unqualified choice," Charleston education advocate says

It was announced this week that former South Carolina superintendent of education Mick Zais was nominated to serve under Betsy DeVos as the new U.S. deputy secretary of education.

Before earning the nomination from President Donald Trump, Zais made quite he name for himself in South Carolina. In preparation for the possibility of the former Newberry College president’s time with the Department of Education, let’s take a look through the archives to see how Zais performed during his time in charge of education in South Carolina.

Taking office in January 2011 as the first Republican to hold the office in 12 years, Zais came out in favor of a “pay-for-performance” system for teachers and county superintendents. This stance came in opposition of efforts by local educators in 2012 who were two years behind on the regularly scheduled pay raises that they had been promised. That same year, Zais refused to apply for almost $200 million worth of federal education funds.

[content-7] By July 2012, Zais, who had actively been turning down millions of federal education dollars for South Carolina over the previous year, officially proposed a new teacher evaluation plan that would partially judge teachers on students’ standardized test scores. Zais’ plan drew strong opposition from local non-profit organization EdFirstSC, who argued that such a proposal would have a severe impact on teacher morale.

In March 2013, Zais opposed a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives that proposed requiring that more time be spent focusing on sex education for ninth- and tenth-grade students and set stricter scientific standards for what is taught in schools. At that time, the City Paper reported that Zais took a stance against the bill, saying that it would “weaken abstinence-based education, de-emphasize adoption as a route for teen mothers, and create an unfunded mandate for health teacher certification.”

[content-1] Later in 2013, Zais really began making a name for himself when he proposed deregulating caps on classroom sizes, teacher workload limits, and requirements for hiring guidance counselors. Under Zais’ plan, the ratio of students-to-teachers would have been allowed to exceed 20:1 in prekindergarten classes, 30:1 in fifth grade math courses, and 35:1 in all high school courses. As a part of the proposal, Zais also pushed doing away with a teacher workload restriction that prohibited educators from being required to teach more than 150 students per day. Following immense opposition to the plan, Zais pulled the proposal later that year.

Then in December 2013, after his one and only term, Zais took to Twitter to announce that he would not seek reelection in 2014. Now, the former state superintendent is prepared to address education reform all across the country.
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Patrick Hayes, a teacher at Drayton Hall Elementary and outspoken critic of Zais while he served as State Superintendent of Education called the nomination, “The most unqualified choice related to education policy.”

“The policies were ill conceived,” says Hayes who runs EdFirstSC, an education advocacy organization. “They totally faked their public engagement so they could jam these things down the public’s throat.”

Hayes cites Zais move to increase class size in particular as a example of superintendent’s failed policies.

“He had a proposal to get rid of the limits on class size. They kinda snuck it on the state board agenda and it was was brought to my attention and so I started calling over there to ask about it and they flat out refused to answer any questions about what it was or how it would change existing policy. They tried to pretend it wasn’t going to eliminate class size limits. We did a public campaign and it got a lot of input on it and it died and that was kind of the end of Mick Zais in South Carolina.”

Until now. Hayes adds that it makes sense that Trump would tap him as Devos’ second in command.

“For what they want to accomplish. He had all these heinous goals and he didn’t really accomplish any of it. To the extent that he did accomplish, policy has been reversed since he left. He’ll fit right in,” says Hayes. “It’s a terrible, terrible choice for children and public schools.”

“They really scraped bottom to find someone who wouldn’t outshine Betsy DeVos,” Hayes added.