CCSD hosts Call Me MiSTER Tour

The CCSD Teacher Recruitment Office hosted its annual Call Me MiSTER Bus Tour Friday, September 20, 2019.  During each school visit, Call Me MiSTERs from Claflin, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, and South Carolina State had the opportunity to walk and talk with staff members while seeing CCSD students in action at various school locations throughout the district.

As CCSD looks for ways to combat challenges within the field of education, the Call Me MiSTER Program is an essential component of teacher leadership. This year Charleston County students are benefitting from the leadership of twelve Call Me MISTER Alumni Educators. The goal is to recruit many more MiSTERs to the CCSD family.

The mission of the Call Me MiSTER® (acronym for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) Initiative is to increase the pool of available teachers from a broader more diverse background particularly among the State’s lowest-performing elementary schools. Student participants are largely selected from among underserved, socio-economically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities.

The project provides:

• Tuition assistance through Loan Forgiveness programs for admitted students pursuing approved programs of study in teacher education at participating colleges
• An academic support system to help assure their success
• A cohort system for social and cultural support
• Assistance with job placement

Julian Dinkins of Coastal Carolina University’s father was not only an educator but a mentor to his students and he aspired them to excel. Dinkins was determined to follow in his footsteps.

“It was a great experience walking into the classroom looking at the students see a black male role model, who is dressed up and not playing sports,” said Dinkins. “They were seeing someone who was above the norm. So it was good to see them and shake their hands.”

Clafflin University student Marcus Burgiss II comes from a family of educators. He knew early on that he would go into the profession.

For more information contact the Office of Strategy and Communications at (843) 937-6303.

About the Charleston County School District

Charleston County School District (CCSD), a nationally-accredited school district, is the second largest school system in South Carolina representing a unique blend of urban, suburban, and rural schools spanning 1,300 square miles along the coast. CCSD serves more than 50,000 students in 87 schools and specialized programs. With approximately 6,100 employees district-wide, CCSD is the fourth largest employer in the region.

CCSD offers a diverse, expanding portfolio of options and specialized programs, delivered through neighborhood, charter, magnet, IB (international baccalaureate), and Montessori schools, and is divided into three Learning Communities. Options include specialized programs in science, engineering and mathematics; liberal arts; music and other creative and performing arts; career and technical preparation programs; and military and other public service enterprises.