Their View

South Carolina students once again earned higher scores on the state standardized test, boosting school-by-school ratings throughout the state. Annual school report cards provide an abundance of statistics, but the overall trend is clear: Student scores are improving; schools are improving. ...

Although an improvement of 1 percentage point this year may sound insignificant, schools achieved those gains despite increased rigor in performance ratings. Schools had to work harder, in other words, to maintain or improve their ratings.

On the other end of the spectrum, meanwhile, fewer schools statewide received the lowest rating of Unsatisfactory: 28 this year, compared to 73 in 2001. ...

The overall message of this year’s school report card is that a more rigorous public school curriculum, implemented in the past few years, is working to boost student achievement. Meanwhile, extra state assistance and the threat of penalties are lifting many struggling schools above Unsatisfactory ratings. Some schools continue to fail, however, and the parents of students in those schools deserve the opportunity to choose another school with an atmosphere more conducive to learning.

The Greenville News

An economic quantum leap

Landing an enterprise that will add approximately 600 jobs locally is a significant advance for economic development. But when salaries for those jobs are projected to pay, on average, from $10,000 to $20,000 more than the Charleston County average for last year, landing such an enterprise is a quantum leap forward for economic development.

Such a leap has occurred with the decision of Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. of Texas and Alenia Aeronautica of Italy to build a $560 million manufacturing complex in North Charleston, near Charleston International Airport. ...

And bringing this complex here is fairly hailed as a grand triumph for the economic future of the state and community.

Gov. (Mark) Sanford, who helped S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bob Faith and others woo the companies our way, was justifiably enthusiastic about this economic coup. ...

And of course, construction of the two 300,000-square-foot plants, expected to start early next year, will pump considerable revenue into the local economy, even before the plants open. But the most lasting rewards of the new complex should come well after the plants open through related enterprises and potential expansions. In the 21st century competition for economic development, high tech equals high pay. The Vought-Alenia decision represents a major victory for our state, and our community, in that crucial competition.

The (Charleston) Post and Courier

Where ideas go to die

The rules of the Senate were designed to make sure that those in the majority could not push through their proposals without listening to and seriously considering objections.

The very wise idea was that this process would lead to consensus, with those in the majority agreeing to modifications that would address legitimate concerns from those in the minority while still accomplishing their goals. Using this approach, rather than the winner-take-all approach fostered by the larger House, almost always results in better legislation — and greater public respect for the laws and the government.

Unfortunately, the theory rarely works anymore, and the noble filibuster rule has turned the Senate into a place where ideas, both good and bad, go to die without a fight. ...

If a single senator objects to a bill, the full Senate won’t consider it without a two-thirds vote. This was supposed to be a temporary block, to make sure the opponent was able to participate in the debate. But over the years, senators started making their objections permanent, so most bills with a single opponent now die without a fight.

The main problem is that the rules defeat all those good bills that most senators support, but that few if any feel passionately about. ...

It’s important to preserve minority protections, but the current situation flies in the face of majority rule. And in a democratic society, that is intolerable.

The (Columbia) State