One more state may abandon elected schools chiefs

In South Carolina, one of the few remaining where state school superintendents are elected, voters will decide next month whether to approve an amendment that would leave the position to be appointed by the governor beginning in 2023, Governing reports.Proponents of the new amendment say the change would mean that only qualified candidates would hold the post. Currently, candidates are not required to have a college degree or any background in education. Opponents of the plan say the measure is a power grab by the Republican governor and would lessen the impact voters have on state education policy.South Carolina is only one of 13 states where the state superintendent is currently elected; in most other states, the position is appointed by either the governor or the state board of education.The debate over the best way to choose a state superintendent is open again this year as the majority of the nation’s 13 elected school superintendent positions are up for grabs. If the South Carolina ballot measure passes, only 12 states will choose state school chiefs through election. This reflects a trend, as 70% of state superintendents were once chosen by election.Voters impact the decision to some degree in every state. The difference lies in how direct that impact is.