The three candidates vying to lead South Carolina's schools weighed in on everything from how and what students are taught to funding teachers' pay and school buses during a debate Monday at Wando High School in Mount Pleasant.
More than 50 people attended the event featuring Republican Molly Spearman, Democrat Tom Thompson and American Party candidate Ed Murray, who are all running for state superintendent of education.
The issue-driven debate was amicable, with candidates sticking to the topics and avoiding personal jabs. Several of the candidates did take on current Superintendent Mick Zais, including Thompson who said there had been a "lack of leadership" in the state Department of Education.
The candidates largely agreed on topics such as the need for more funding for new school buses and higher pay for teachers, but they differed on how to achieve those goals.
Thompson said he wants to push to change the language in the state's constitution that only requires the state provide a "minimally adequate" education, and instead require the state provide a "high quality" education. Then the superintendent can push to get funding to meet that higher standard.
"We pay (teachers) at a minimally adequate level and expect high quality work," he said. "It just doesn't work."
Murray said he thought one way the Department of Education could raise teacher pay could be by reducing the number of standardized tests students take and redirect funds for those tests to teacher salaries. Spearman proposed offering additional responsibilities to teachers outside of administrative positions to provide opportunities for higher pay.