Fewer teachers graduating, more teachers leaving

According to the results from the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement’s (CERRA) Fall 2015 Supply and Demand Survey, the gap between teacher supply and teacher demand continues to widen. The number of teachers leaving continues to rise, as does the percentage of teachers leaving early in their careers. More than 5,300 teachers did not return to their teaching positions this year. This issue is exacerbated when compared to the number of graduates eligible for teacher certification. Over the last five years, on average, only 2,180 graduates completed a South Carolina teacher education program. Adding to this dilemma is the escalating number of teachers who leave their positions so early into their careers. Of the teachers who did not return at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year, 39% left in the first five years and 14% left after just one year or less in the classroom. This occurrence has, unfortunately, become a trend as these figures rose from 34% and 13% last year and even more so from the prior year.

Statewide, districts reported a 33% increase in the number of vacant teaching positions compared to last year and a 66% increase compared to the 2013-14 school year. Many South Carolina districts continue to have difficulty filling vacancies in special education at all school levels and mathematics and sciences in middle and high schools. This year, more vacancies occurred in social studies and English as well. Additionally, districts are citing a growing number of vacancies in primary and/or elementary schools.

Some districts, regardless of certification area, struggle to hire and retain teachers due to their geographic location in the state. Twenty of these districts with excessive teacher turnover will be targeted through the Rural Teacher Recruiting Incentive. One possible incentive is tuition reimbursement for certain certified teachers to either add on a critical need subject area or pursue graduate coursework in understanding children in poverty. Teachers who add on a critical need subject area will help address the ongoing challenges to fill vacancies in these areas. Teachers who pursue graduate coursework in poverty will learn tools and strategies to more effectively relate to and provide instruction to their students, resulting in a greater degree of job satisfaction and a higher rate of retention.

“South Carolina is moving in the right direction with these initiatives to recruit teachers into underserved schools,” notes Jane Turner, Executive Director of CERRA. “As evidenced by the supply and demand numbers, however, there is still work to do to ensure that public school districts do not face the consequences of a statewide teacher shortage.”

About the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement (CERRA)

CERRA’s mission is to provide collaborative leadership in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of outstanding educators for all children in South Carolina. More information about the Center and its programs is available at www.cerra.org. You can follow CERRA on Facebook and Twitter @cerrasc.