Inez Tenenbaum

Inez Moore Tenenbaum (born March 8, 1951) is a U.S. politician from the state of South Carolina.

Born in Hawkinsville, Georgia, Tenenbaum graduated from the University of Georgia in 1972, and received a law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1986.

Originally a teacher, Tenenbaum entered state government as an employee of the South Carolina Department of Social Services. She later served as the director of research for the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee of the South Carolina House of Representatives. Tenenbaum practiced with a private law firm, Sinkler & Boyd, P.A. from 1986 to 1992, in the areas of health, environment, and public interest law. Tenenbaum was elected State Superintendent of Education in 1998 and was reelected in 2002.

Tenenbaum was the Democratic candidate for retiring Democrat Fritz Hollings's seat in the U.S. Senate; she lost in the 2004 election to Republican Jim DeMint. She was often named as a potential Democratic candidate for Governor in 2006. She chose not to run, however, but hinted she will run for some other office in the future.

Tenenbaum resides in Lexington, South Carolina with her husband, Samuel Tenenbaum.

Tenenbaum was featured in an interview by John Stossel for a 20/20 Special Edition about public schools in the United States and around the world, called "Stupid in America," [cite video |people=Inez Tenenbaum (interviewee) |title=John Stossel's 20/20 "Stupid in America" |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx4pN-aiofw |accessdate=2008-08-14 |time=22:48–23:25 and 26:36–27:01] which originally aired on the ABC News network on January 13, 2006, during which time she was Superintendent of Schools for the state. She was highly criticized by Stossel (see video link below) for South Carolina's low average in SAT scores among high-school students. South Carolina was tied for 50th place with Georgia among the US states at the time, with an average score of 993 out of a combined 1600 possible. Tenenbaum defended South Carolina schools, noting that South Carolina was poised for vast improvements in the next few years. By August 2008, South Carolina had risen to #18 in the country, [cite news |title=SAT scores by state |url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-08-28-sat-table_N.htm |work=USA Today |date=2007-08-28 |accessdate=2008-08-14] although Tenenbaum was replaced as Superintendent of Education by then, by Democrat Jim Rex on January 10, 2007.

References

External links

* [http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=BSC93799&PHPSESSID=f91b151a4259278dffa87859e3e3eab0 Project Vote Smart biography] Dead link|date=August 2008