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By Sarah Ostergaard For so many reasons, December is a time of reflection and celebration. As 2024 comes to a close, let’s pause and thank school faculty, staff, and administration who love and grow our community’s young people. Our schools are community hubs, collaborating with families in support of studentContinue Reading

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By Sarah Ostergaard We know the expression: Education is the key to new worlds. Education is the antidote to ignorance. Education is the ticket to prosperity. My favorite: Education is the one thing no one can take away from you. We need our students at all levels – CP, Honors,Continue Reading

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By Sarah Ostergaard As summer winds down and families gear up to return to school, we look forward to a new school year fresh with opportunity. As we keep a watchful eye on the weather this week, hopefully backpacks have been filled with supplies, the wardrobe has been refreshed withContinue Reading

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By Sarah Ostergaard “Must be nice to have all summer off.”  “Must be nice to get all those paid holidays.” “Must be nice to be done with work by 2:30 (or 3:40 for high schools) every day.” I am writing this article after presenting at the SC Education and BusinessContinue Reading

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By Sarah Ostergaard Oh yay, it’s summer vacation. But oh my, I’m tired already. Looking for engaging ways to keep the kiddos occupied, experiencing new things, and off the electronics as a default? Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, big sibling, or sitter, even if you work full time, our childrenContinue Reading

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By Sarah Ostergaard Schools earn Report Card scores of Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, or Unsatisfactory but what do they mean? The basis for the SC School Report Card is the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires states to provide transparency in how well schools serve students’ academic needs.Continue Reading

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By Sarah Ostergaard It is inevitable that questions, concerns, problems crop up and schools are no exception. Where should one go for answers? The next few articles in a series will turn to our layers of government, exploring which entities do what and whom to contact with an education concern.Continue Reading

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By Sarah Ostergaard Why write about Athletics in a column about Education? Last month’s column was intended to start a conversation about the meaning of “an education.” An education should be well-rounded, to include extracurricular pursuits including but not limited to athletics. And YOU can be part of our studentContinue Reading

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By Sarah Ostergaard When considering a word I first turn to the dictionary. In this case, “an education” is defined by Merriam-Webster online as “the action or process of educating or of being educated.” Unhelpful; my 5th grade English teacher taught us not to define a word using the rootContinue Reading

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A 2021 survey conducted by USC-Aiken found that SC voters do not know that homeowners do not pay school taxes on a primary residence. More than 40 percent of voters were unaware of the school tax exemption and about 33 percent incorrectly indicated there is no school tax exemption (YoungContinue Reading

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By Sarah Ostergaard Education law is a tiered system, in line with one of our nation’s founding principles: federalism. Per the 10th Amendment, education is within the purview of each of the 50 states or their local jurisdictions. The federal government does, however, play a significant role. The federal EveryContinue Reading