378:. South Carolina's tax, which was $ 0.07 per pack at the time Rex began to advocate an increase, was far from the national average of $ 1.34 per pack. Ultimately, the General Assembly compromised on the issue and raised the tax to $ 0.37 per pack, still $ 0.97 below the national average. Rex repeatedly stated that an increase to $ 1.34, indexed to increase with the national average in the future, would have prevented teacher furloughs and decreased teen smoking.
314:(PASS), he also worked with the General Assembly to reform the state's system of annual school report cards, eliminate burdensome paperwork for teachers, change South Carolina's student performance targets to bring them into alignment with other states, and create a mandate to review the state's accountability system every five years.
344:
funds allotted for education in 2009, Rex led the fight to force the
Governor to accept the money, working with leaders in Washington, D.C., and Columbia to find a way around his objection. In the end, the General Assembly supported Rex's position on the issue and included the money in the budget,
370:
On the campaign trail, Rex advocated for
Revenue and Funding Reform in order to relieve some of the extreme cuts caused by the budget crisis that began in 2008. One of his ideas – the Tax Realignment Commission – was already in progress before the campaign began, but he expressed concern that the
333:- under pressure from supporters of vouchers and tax credits - vetoed the legislation. Despite this setback, South Carolina has become a national leader in public school choice options during Rex's tenure.
228:. Rex defeated Floyd by only 455 votes, the closest margin of victory in a statewide election in South Carolina's history. He was sworn in as superintendent on January 10, 2007, replacing fellow Democrat
321:, combining innovative approaches to education with technological advancement, both inside and outside the classroom, to help students learn. New and improved options include single-gender education,
247:
for 7 months in 2014, he was elected by the state senators, and while Brian Gaines has been State
Comptroller since 2023, that was the result of a gubernatorial appointment.
307:
402:
689:
719:
329:
and virtual learning. His bill for a comprehensive public school choice plan was passed by the
General Assembly, but failed to become law after Governor
714:
363:
On August 6, 2009, Rex announced he was exploring the possibility of either seeking reelection as State
Superintendent of Education or running for
306:
Rex championed reforms in accountability and pushed for advances in public school choice and innovation. In addition to replacing the unpopular
704:
699:
358:
593:
557:
213:
30:
406:
341:
318:
311:
517:
244:
694:
709:
624:
291:
589:
272:
233:
158:
129:
239:
As of 2021, he is the last
Democrat to have been popularly elected to a statewide office in South Carolina. While
225:
217:
117:
492:
346:
295:
294:, vice president for development and alumni relations and vice president of university advancement at the
287:
458:
371:
General
Assembly might try to water down the reform in an effort to appeal to special interest groups.
364:
317:
Shortly after taking office, Rex created the Office of Public School Choice and
Innovation within the
647:
684:
267:. He and his wife Sue have four children — Adam, Jeff, Nathan, and Siri. He lives on
518:""Exclusive: Rex moves toward run for governor" (Columbia The State article-August 6, 2009)"
679:
264:
263:
in education administration, and a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction from the
256:
170:
8:
283:
260:
278:
Prior to becoming superintendent, Rex was an
English teacher and football coach in
174:
660:
521:
434:
382:
326:
603:
582:
550:
229:
63:
673:
375:
240:
337:
330:
268:
209:
106:
51:
221:
664:
322:
165:
567:
75:
496:
438:
367:
in 2010. On
September 15, he announced his candidacy for governor.
193:
374:
Another key component of Rex's platform was his plan to raise the
381:
Rex finished second in the Democratic primary to State Senator
345:
forcing a lawsuit. The issue was eventually resolved when the
462:
301:
178:
279:
182:
232:. In 2014, Rex co-founded a new political party – the
236:, now known as the Alliance Party of South Carolina.
655:
671:
352:
385:, whom he endorsed for governor in September.
340:attempted to reject roughly $ 511 million in
250:
690:People from Fairfield County, South Carolina
43:January 10, 2007 – January 12, 2011
359:South Carolina gubernatorial election, 2010
720:South Carolina Superintendent of Education
594:South Carolina Superintendent of Education
558:South Carolina Superintendent of Education
349:ordered the governor to accept the funds.
302:South Carolina Superintendent of Education
214:South Carolina Superintendent of Education
31:South Carolina Superintendent of Education
715:Columbia College (South Carolina) faculty
487:
485:
483:
481:
479:
429:
427:
425:
423:
403:"Columbia SC News, Arts and Classifieds"
216:. He ran for the position in 2006 as a
672:
656:South Carolina Department of Education
476:
342:American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
319:South Carolina Department of Education
312:Palmetto Assessment of State Standards
451:
420:
705:University of South Carolina faculty
13:
700:Coastal Carolina University people
14:
731:
641:
234:American Party of South Carolina
159:Fairfield County, South Carolina
510:
395:
1:
388:
353:2010 gubernatorial candidacy
347:South Carolina Supreme Court
296:University of South Carolina
208:(born November 21, 1941, in
150:Adam, Jeff, Nathan, and Siri
7:
695:University of Toledo alumni
435:"2006 Statewide Candidates"
288:Coastal Carolina University
286:, the dean of education at
282:, the dean of education at
243:briefly held the office of
10:
736:
365:Governor of South Carolina
356:
251:Education and early career
651:official campaign website
631:
621:
615:
610:
600:
587:
579:
574:
564:
555:
547:
542:
308:Palmetto Achievement Test
199:
189:
164:
154:
146:
138:
123:
113:
90:
85:
81:
69:
57:
47:
36:
29:
25:
18:
710:South Carolina Democrats
575:Party political offices
459:"Every Vote Does Count"
648:Jim Rex for Governor
265:University of Toledo
171:University of Toledo
284:Winthrop University
245:Lieutenant Governor
543:Political offices
639:
638:
632:Succeeded by
611:Academic offices
601:Succeeded by
565:Succeeded by
524:on August 9, 2009
257:bachelor's degree
203:
202:
101:November 21, 1941
727:
634:Caroline Whitson
625:Columbia College
616:Preceded by
580:Preceded by
548:Preceded by
540:
539:
534:
533:
531:
529:
520:. Archived from
514:
508:
507:
505:
504:
495:. Archived from
489:
474:
473:
471:
470:
461:. Archived from
455:
449:
448:
446:
445:
431:
418:
417:
415:
414:
405:. Archived from
399:
310:(PACT) with the
292:Columbia College
273:Fairfield County
212:) was the 16th
134:
104:
100:
98:
86:Personal details
72:
60:
41:
16:
15:
735:
734:
730:
729:
728:
726:
725:
724:
670:
669:
644:
635:
628:
619:
618:Phyllis Bonanno
606:
597:
585:
570:
561:
553:
538:
537:
527:
525:
516:
515:
511:
502:
500:
491:
490:
477:
468:
466:
457:
456:
452:
443:
441:
433:
432:
421:
412:
410:
401:
400:
396:
391:
383:Vincent Sheheen
361:
355:
327:charter schools
304:
290:, president of
261:master's degree
255:Rex received a
253:
132:
125:
124:Other political
114:Political party
105:
102:
96:
94:
70:
58:
42:
37:
21:
12:
11:
5:
733:
723:
722:
717:
712:
707:
702:
697:
692:
687:
682:
668:
667:
658:
653:
643:
642:External links
640:
637:
636:
633:
630:
620:
617:
613:
612:
608:
607:
604:Frank Holleman
602:
599:
586:
583:Inez Tenenbaum
581:
577:
576:
572:
571:
566:
563:
554:
551:Inez Tenenbaum
549:
545:
544:
536:
535:
509:
475:
450:
419:
393:
392:
390:
387:
357:Main article:
354:
351:
336:When Governor
303:
300:
259:in English, a
252:
249:
230:Inez Tenenbaum
201:
200:
197:
196:
191:
187:
186:
168:
162:
161:
156:
152:
151:
148:
144:
143:
140:
136:
135:
127:
121:
120:
115:
111:
110:
92:
88:
87:
83:
82:
79:
78:
73:
67:
66:
64:Inez Tenenbaum
61:
55:
54:
49:
45:
44:
34:
33:
27:
26:
23:
22:
19:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
732:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
701:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
685:Living people
683:
681:
678:
677:
675:
666:
662:
659:
657:
654:
652:
649:
646:
645:
627:
626:
623:President of
614:
609:
605:
596:
595:
591:
584:
578:
573:
569:
560:
559:
552:
546:
541:
523:
519:
513:
499:on 2008-05-12
498:
494:
488:
486:
484:
482:
480:
465:on 2008-05-09
464:
460:
454:
440:
436:
430:
428:
426:
424:
409:on 2013-04-10
408:
404:
398:
394:
386:
384:
379:
377:
376:cigarette tax
372:
368:
366:
360:
350:
348:
343:
339:
334:
332:
328:
324:
320:
315:
313:
309:
299:
297:
293:
289:
285:
281:
276:
274:
270:
266:
262:
258:
248:
246:
242:
241:Yancey McGill
237:
235:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
207:
198:
195:
192:
188:
184:
180:
176:
172:
169:
167:
163:
160:
157:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:(Before 2013)
131:
128:
122:
119:
116:
112:
108:
103:(age 82)
93:
89:
84:
80:
77:
74:
68:
65:
62:
56:
53:
50:
46:
40:
35:
32:
28:
24:
17:
650:
622:
592:nominee for
588:
556:
526:. Retrieved
522:the original
512:
501:. Retrieved
497:the original
467:. Retrieved
463:the original
453:
442:. Retrieved
411:. Retrieved
407:the original
397:
380:
373:
369:
362:
338:Mark Sanford
335:
331:Mark Sanford
316:
305:
277:
269:Lake Wateree
254:
238:
210:Toledo, Ohio
205:
204:
126:affiliations
107:Toledo, Ohio
71:Succeeded by
52:Mark Sanford
38:
680:1941 births
493:"About Jim"
222:Karen Floyd
59:Preceded by
674:Categories
665:Vote Smart
629:2000–2001
590:Democratic
562:2007-2011
503:2007-12-18
469:2007-12-24
444:2007-12-18
413:2013-02-15
389:References
325:programs,
323:Montessori
226:Republican
220:, against
190:Occupation
166:Alma mater
130:Democratic
97:1941-11-21
568:Mick Zais
528:August 6,
155:Residence
76:Mick Zais
39:In office
218:Democrat
194:Educator
147:Children
118:Alliance
48:Governor
661:Profile
206:Jim Rex
20:Jim Rex
139:Spouse
109:, U.S.
598:2006
179:M.Ed.
530:2009
280:Ohio
224:, a
183:Ph.D
175:B.A.
91:Born
663:at
439:WIS
271:in
173:, (
142:Sue
676::
478:^
437:.
422:^
298:.
275:.
185:.)
181:,
177:,
99:)
532:.
506:.
472:.
447:.
416:.
95:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.