Rock Hill, South Carolina — Teacher vacancies in South Carolina are up nearly 40{ea2cba5bdf6fe62bbe85e24807814144a71e77d3ae7311fbc27a008558d1372c} from last year, according to a new report, and the numbers are having a real impact on local schools.
Teaching positions used to have dozens of applications, but now it’s hard to get even one person to apply for a particular position, one administrator told Channel 9’s Tina Terry.
Rock Hill science teacher Sherry East said, “We take this route every year, so we weren’t surprised to see the numbers.
East points to a recent report from the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Promotion. In South Carolina, he said he started with more than 1,400 teacher vacancies, compared to just over 1,000 last year. A 39{ea2cba5bdf6fe62bbe85e24807814144a71e77d3ae7311fbc27a008558d1372c} increase over the past year and a 165{ea2cba5bdf6fe62bbe85e24807814144a71e77d3ae7311fbc27a008558d1372c} increase over the last three years.
“I think it’s mostly wages and working conditions,” East said, pointing to these as the biggest factors currently pushing teachers out of classrooms across the state. She also said it discourages young people from becoming teachers.
“I’ve seen some colleges close their teacher education programs because many young people no longer want to be teachers,” East said.
Lancaster County Schools is just one district in the area feeling the impact. As of Wednesday, the district has about 35 teacher vacancies.
“Sometimes you post a job and you don’t get any applicants.
Quinn says the school district is trying new ways to engage teachers into the classroom.
“We’ve made sure we’ve nearly completed the program, including a foreign exchange program with teachers, virtual teachers, hiring retirees, and working with student interns,” Quinn says.
As districts work to help students complete their programs, the number of new teachers recently graduating from South Carolina colleges has dropped to 17{ea2cba5bdf6fe62bbe85e24807814144a71e77d3ae7311fbc27a008558d1372c}, according to a report. That number has ranged from 21{ea2cba5bdf6fe62bbe85e24807814144a71e77d3ae7311fbc27a008558d1372c} to 36{ea2cba5bdf6fe62bbe85e24807814144a71e77d3ae7311fbc27a008558d1372c} over the last few years.
East says the only way to reverse the crisis is to change how teachers are treated and paid.
“Teachers have to show up early and stay late, work weekends to get work done, and have to give up time with their families. They’re sick of it,” East said. rice field.
The minimum salary for state teachers is $40,000. Lancaster County Schools says it already pays teachers about 13{ea2cba5bdf6fe62bbe85e24807814144a71e77d3ae7311fbc27a008558d1372c} of the minimum amount. District leaders are trying to make sure new applicants are aware of other benefits, such as state retirement benefits and health care packages.
(See below >> Home Alone: Couple accused of leaving 2-year-old in South Carolina apartment for New York trip)
©2022 Cox Media Group
