The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has expanded two successful home-grown programs, Call Me MISTER and Teaching Fellows, and stood up a new initiative, TeachSC, in response to the growing teacher shortage in the state.
"There is no profession more rewarding or more crucial to the future success of our state and nation than teaching,” said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman. “If we are truly committed to ensuring every South Carolina classroom is led by a high-quality teacher, we must act now to address our growing teacher shortage. Whether you are in high school, college, or someone seeking a more fulfilling career, I encourage you to check out these proven programs and consider becoming a teacher and having a lifelong impact on current and future generations of learners."
As a part of this commitment, the SCDE is providing $1,690,000 in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding over three years to national nonprofit, TEACH. TEACH builds comprehensive, technology-driven solutions to attract and cultivate future teachers. TEACH South Carolina (TeachSC) is a statewide coalition of K-12 schools, colleges, government, community organizations and nonprofits with a mission to recruit the next generation of South Carolina teachers and help them through the process of getting certified. At the center of this initiative is www.TeachSC.org, a centralized hub for prospective teachers to explore the profession and find support, all for free. The TeachSC platform will address barriers to entering the profession, helping prospects understand the critical role teachers play in shaping the future of South Carolina, and then helping them choose and apply to a teaching program that meets their needs.
“I know first-hand the remarkable impact a teacher has on a child,” said Katie Crews, Senior Program Manager for TeachSC. “The work we do at TeachSC helps ensure that those who dream of leading the next generation of the world can realize those dreams. By assisting these leaders in realizing their dreams, we ensure every South Carolina child can feel the impact of a quality teacher.”
In the last five years, teaching programs across the country have seen their enrollments stagnate or decline. In South Carolina, between 5,000 and 7,000 teachers retire, transfer to another school district, or leave the profession early each year, while just over 2,000 new teachers graduate annually from the state’s teaching programs, according to data from the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA). For the 2021-22 school year, more than 1,000 teaching positions were vacant at the beginning of the year.
A program of CERRA, the South Carolina Teaching Fellows, aims to recruit talented high school seniors into the teaching profession and to help them develop leadership qualities. Each year, the program provides fellowships for up to 200 high school seniors. The SCDE has provided $1,213,622 in federal ESSER funding to CERRA to expand the Teaching Fellows program. The CERRA partnership will address educator and teacher pipeline shortages worsened by COVID-19, assist with efforts to stabilize and support the educator workforce, provide ongoing support to recruit and retain a diverse pool of educators, and collaborate with educator programs to expand clinical opportunities and experiences for prospective teaching candidates.
“We are thrilled to partner with the SCDE in their efforts to recruit high-caliber SC graduates into the teaching profession,” said Dr. Jenna Hallman, Executive Director/Director of Collegiate Programs for CERRA. “The additional funding for the SC Teaching Fellows Program will allow us to expand our marketing efforts, provide professional growth opportunities for the program leaders on each college/university campus, and increase the number of awards.”
The mission of Clemson University’s Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) Initiative is to increase the pool of available teachers from a more diverse background particularly among the state’s lowest performing elementary schools.The SCDE has provided $600,000 in federal ESSER funding to Call Me MISTER. The Call Me MISTER initiative will use the funding to continue supporting existing Call Me MISTER programs and support up to 60 additional MISTERs matriculating among 18 four-year partner colleges and nine, two-year technical colleges in South Carolina, from fiscal year 2021-2024. It is expected that a MISTER who completes his program of study and becomes certified to teach will assume a teaching position in a public school and teach a minimum of one year for each year they received financial support from the program.
“We are thrilled with the on-going partnership and support of the Call Me MISTER program by the South Carolina Department of Education,” said Dr. George J. Petersen, Professor and Founding Dean of the College of Education. “The support of our nationally renowned program speaks volumes to our state’s commitment to the transformative education provided by the Call Me MISTER program.”
The SCDE has created a webpage dedicated for anyone looking to explore the teaching profession. To find out more about all three initiatives, please visit www.aspiretoinspiresc.org.
