Spartanburg and Woodruff on list of top U.S. high schools
Spartanburg Herald-Journal
By Lee Gray
5/22/08
Two Spartanburg County high schools have been recognized on the 2008 Newsweek magazine / Washington Post list of top U.S. high schools. Both Spartanburg High School and Woodruff High School made the Challenge Index, which aims to measure how students perform given the rigor of the courses.
The formula counts the total number of AP tests taken at a school divided by the number of graduating seniors. Schools with a ratio of 1.000 or higher are placed on the list. This year that includes 1,358 schools, or about 5 percent of public high schools nationwide.
The article in the May 26 issue of Newsweek reads, “We are all seeking the same thing, which is schools that better serve our children and our nation by encouraging students to tackle tough subjects under the guidance of gifted teachers.”
This year is the fifth time since 2003 both WHS (ranked 763) and SHS (ranked 921) have been included on the Challenge Index.
“We pride ourselves on providing for all students,” said SHS principal Rodney Graves. “Anything we offer here we try to do it first class and try to be a leader in the state and a leader in the nation.”
The District 7 school offers 22 different AP courses to its students. Graves said the Index proves the commitment of the school, district and community to offer only the best to SHS students.
“We have a little bit of everything, and our school district has been very committed to having offerings. If students want to take it, we try to offer it,” he said.
Woodruff High School principal Karen Neal said she is thrilled the school is once again included among the nation’s top high schools. She said the ranking is an affirmation of the school’s offering of AP courses to students.
“We can see the results of our high expectations as our students are able to move on to college and are successful,” Neal said. “I think the AP program takes a large part of the credit there.”
Nineteen South Carolina public high schools made the list, up four since last year.
The list does not include schools with an average SAT score of more than 1300 or an ACT score of 29 or higher as it is only intended to recognize schools that challenge average students.
However, rankings of non-eligible schools and a complete list of schools on the Challenge Index can be found on Newsweek’s Web site at newsweek.com.
The Governor’s Citizenship Award
Every year, the Governor’s Citizenship Award program honors one student from each participating school for outstanding service, leadership, responsibility, character, and discipline.
This year, I was extremely proud to see my daughter, Hannah, win this year’s award for Woodruff High School. I also want to congratulate Patrick Tate Roebuck for winning the Governor’s Citizenship Award for Dorman High School.
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Hannah Heads to the Prom
As you know, for the last couple years we have posted prom pictures. With Whitney and Lillie in college, Hannah will be the last one to leave home. Here are a couple shots:
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What’s the real agenda? Group raises questions with fliers
Spartanburg Herald-Journal
By Jason Spencer
5/15/08
Hundreds of fliers are appearing in Spartanburg mailboxes supporting a specific slate of candidates, billing them as tax-cutting conservatives. But some say that the spending issues highlighted on those fliers are a veil to cover the group’s real agenda, school choice.
South Carolinians for Responsible Government has sent mailings in support of Republican candidates Roger Nutt, an engineer facing incumbent Rep. Keith Kelly, and Joey Millwood, a journalist facing incumbent Rep. Bob Walker in June. The group has also sent out a flier supporting Ken Roach, who is running against fellow Republican and retired gas company executive Mike Forrester to challenge Democrat Ronnie Hart in November.
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Light barbs on cue at GOP debate
Spartanburg Herlad-Journal
By Jason Spencer
5/13/08
Like the sauce, the various candidates to take the stage Monday night at Ron’s Hog Pen BBQ were mostly different shades of red – and some of them had a little kick.
Sixteen state and local Republican candidates sat shoulder to shoulder on a tiny stage for nearly three hours in exchange for, at the most, about five minutes of scattered speaking time in a wide-ranging debate sponsored by the local GOP. Another arrived late, and opted to stand on the stage steps rather than shoehorn himself into the group.
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GOP gathering for debate after BBQ
21 candidates invited to discuss issues important to campaigns
Spartanburg Herald Journal
By Jason Spencer
5/11/08
A boatload of Republican state and local candidates will sit down to eat pork Monday night before they spend two hours talking about cutting it, among other things.
Twenty-one candidates have been invited to a forum hosted by the Spartanburg County Republican Party. The debate begins at 7 p.m. at Ron’s Family Restaurant. The event will feature questions by Herald-Journal Editorial Page Editor Mike Smith, Hometown News reporter Leon Russ and WORD radio personality Bob McLain.
The panel also can opt to ask questions submitted beforehand by the audience.
“What I’m trying to accomplish is to let the general public come and see all the candidates for all the local contested primary races at one time,” county GOP Chairman Rick Beltram said.
“It helps when you can compare a House race in one area with a House race in a nearby area. I think everybody realizes that nobody can go down to Columbia and say, ‘I’m going to hold down spending.’ You can’t do it by yourself. It has to be a group of people … forming a working majority to get things passed.”
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Immigration, the Budget, and Special Interest Groups
