COLUMBIA, S.C. — A new report from the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA) is concerning leaders in public education.
South Carolina had over a thousand teacher vacancies at the start of the school year: A 50% increase from last year.
1,062 teaching positions were vacant at the start of this school year, the highest number of vacancies CERRA has reported in 20 years.
The statistics are troublesome for educators like Patrick Kelly with the Palmetto State Teachers Association.
"That means that every child assigned to one of those classrooms is not having access to what is the single most important in-school educational resource they can have, which is a high-quality teacher,” Kelly said.
State Superintendent Molly Spearman said Wednesday the report concerns her too and that she's doing everything she can "to speak out."
The report is a glimpse of the growing teacher shortage crisis in South Carolina. Plus, it’s not just a lack of teachers schools are having issues with. Kelly explained that “the inability of schools to fill critical positions from teachers to psychologists to bus drivers to substitutes," is leading to a disruption of learning for students.
The vacant positions include counselors, librarians, and psychologists. It’s a 50% increase in vacancies from last school year and an 88% increase from two years ago. Along with the teacher shortage, a school bus driver shortage has caused longer routes and delays in kids getting to school.
Kelly suggested districts use federal funding to ease some burdens.
“South Carolina schools received over $3 billion in COVID Relief dollars from the federal government over the course of the last year,” he added.
He also urged the general assembly to make retention and recruitment a priority next year. Superintendent Spearman agreed:
“I’ve already met with legislators, we’re asking for a 2.5% increase for teachers this next year in salary, and doing everything we can policy-wise to be supportive of the teaching industry,” Spearman told reporters.
One positive statistic: Schools hired over 7,000 teachers, an 11% increase from last year. Spearman said it shows districts are trying to fill the gap.
Efforts in the Midlands include offering sign-on bonuses and increasing pay for teachers and bus drivers.
Many districts have open positions posted on their websites so people can apply.