COLUMBIA, S.C. — In an effort to address teacher shortages, Richland School District One has introduced a new initiative called the "Retiree Recharge Program," aimed at bringing retired teachers back into classrooms.
The program is the first of its kind for the district, and it seeks to fill critical teaching positions from early development to high school by welcoming back previous educators who initially entered retirement.
“I was surprised to see the turnout. There are teachers that still want to work,” said Cynthia Montgomery-Smith, a recent retiree.
Montgomery-Smith taught high school education for 51 years before retiring this past May. However, after just one month of retirement, she realized she wasn’t quite ready to leave teaching behind.
“I feel that I can bring a lot of my professional abilities to this area and help the kids in the areas that are needed,” she said. “I have nothing to do, and I love teaching. That's my heart.”
With that in mind, Montgomery-Smith sees the new program as a perfect fit for her, a sentiment district leaders are thrilled to hear.
“It's sad we don't have teachers to help these students. I feel a need to go help a few more years,” Montgomery-Smith said.
According to the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA), there were approximately 1,600 teacher vacancies statewide during the past school year, marking a 9% increase from the previous year.
“We want to really motivate our retirees to come back and give them the flexibility that they deserve as retirees to do some of the fun other things they have to do in their lives,” said Dr. Felicia Richardson, Richland One’s Coordinator of Recruitment and Retention.
Richardson believes this initiative will not only help fill teaching gaps but also support younger generations of teachers.
“Serving as mentors and supporting those new teachers in the field of education. So the help retirees can give goes beyond just filling those classroom positions,” Richardson said.
For former retirees like Montgomery-Smith, Richland One is glad to have them back. “I'm glad for the opportunity to come back, if they allow me to teach here in Richland School District One,” she said.
The application to apply as a former retired teacher is now open on the Richland One website for those interested in returning to the classroom.