Primary

Karen Floyd won the Republican nomination in a five-way race for the South Carolina superintendent of education in 2006. 

Platform

Karen Floyd saw the following as the primary issues in her campaign: reform, discipline, and choice.

Regarding reform, Karen proposed a two-pronged approach to transforming South Carolina’s education system: financial and academic changes. Financially, she hoped to implement a system in which money enters the classroom and actually follows each child, which is also known as “backpacking.” Those with special needs would have additional funding to address their specific challenges. She also hoped to make school budgets more transparent so school board members can actually understand where monies originate and how they can best be used.

 Academically, Karen’s focus involved reforming current testing; recruiting superintendents, principles, and teachers from across the United States; and restoring discipline in the classroom. Such action should aid in reducing the student dropout rate.

Karen hoped to utilize technology and create a web-based test program that allows parents and teachers to immediately see students’ academic strengths and weaknesses.

Karen traveled all over the state, meeting with educators at numerous schools and listened to their concerns and needs in creating her platform.

Election

Karen Floyd, gracefully conceded defeat in what may have been the closest statewide election in state history – she lost by 455 votes (42 thousandths of 1 percent). Political party operatives encouraged Karen to protest the results, an action whose best possible result, from her perspective, would have been extended litigation and a whole new election that would have cost taxpayers $2 million. Instead, she chose to do what she termed “the responsible thing, the honorable thing and what’s in the best interest of the state.”