Teacher Cadet Program selected as finalist for Dick and Tunky Riley WhatWorksSC Award
September 8, 2015
Award highlights outstanding educational initiatives throughout the state
ROCK HILL, SC – The Riley Institute at Furman and South Carolina Future Minds have named the Teacher Cadet Program a finalist for the 2015 Dick & Tunky Riley WhatWorksSCsm Award for Excellence.
The Teacher Cadet Program, operated by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention & Advancement (CERRA), is a secondary recruitment program that aims to attract the ‘best and brightest’ students in South Carolina to the teaching profession. Piloted in four high schools in South Carolina in 1985-86, the Teacher Cadet Program has grown to include approximately 170 South Carolina high schools serving nearly 2,700 academically able high school junior and seniors annually. The program has expanded into 38 states nationwide with more than 60,000 South Carolina students participating in the program over the past 30 years.
“We are thrilled to be among the finalists for the Dick and Tunky Riley WhatWorks SC Award for Excellence. The Teacher Cadet Program’s exceptional 30-year track record in South Carolina and its program adoption by schools and districts in 38 states across the nation speak to its relevance, effectiveness, and impact on the teaching profession’s national workforce,” said Director of Pre-Collegiate Programs, Marcella Wine-Snyder. “Our goal is for every child in South Carolina to have an exemplary teacher in their classroom, regardless of demographics, zip code, or family financial status.”
The award, first given in 2011, highlights outstanding educational initiatives throughout South Carolina. Candidates were selected from more than 80 entries in the Riley Institute’s WhatWorksSC Clearinghouse. The winner and top two finalists will each receive a grant from the Riley Institute for enhancement of the program or consulting with other schools, districts, and organizations interested in its replication.
“The Teacher Cadet Program continues to be the most sought-after model for pre-collegiate curricula for teacher preparation across the United States, and we’re especially proud that we can stamp our initiative, Made in South Carolina,” added Wine-Snyder.
The finalists and winner of the 2015 award will be recognized at a luncheon to be held October 14th in Columbia, and seats are available. For more information and to register for the luncheon, please visit the Center for Education Policy and Leadership at the Riley Institute’s website at furman.edu/wwsc or contact Mary Beth Ely at [email protected].
Additional information on the Teacher Cadet Program can be found at http://www.teachercadets.com.
About The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement
CERRA is the oldest and most established teacher recruitment program in the country. The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement, established by the Commission on Higher Education in December 1985 and funded by the South Carolina General Assembly, celebrates its 30th year of operation in 2015-2016. Following the passage of the state’s landmark Education Improvement Act, CERRA was created out of a concern for the condition of South Carolina’s teacher supply pool and a need for a centralized teacher recruitment effort.
CERRA’s agenda is a comprehensive one in which the Center pursues a variety of programs for increasing the number of students in the education pipeline and recruiting and retaining qualified, caring, and competent teachers. The Center’s primary target groups are middle and high school students, college students, and adults interested in changing careers.
CERRA also targets groups of accomplished teachers through programs including mentoring, teacher leadership, and National Board Certification. The network of educators in our programs overlaps in powerful ways to increase the level of collaboration for recruitment, retention, and advancement of South Carolina educators. For more information about CERRA, visit www.cerra.org.
About WWSCsm
WhatWorksSCsm ties strategies for world-class schools in South Carolina to promising in-state initiatives. It includes policy papers written by state leaders, case studies, and an evolving clearinghouse of initiatives that explore and exemplify key strategies for improving South Carolina’s public schools. WWSCsm continually seeks information about exemplary education initiatives and welcomes ongoing nominations for consideration for succeeding years’ awards.
Creation of WWSCsm was driven by “In Their Own Words: A Public Vision for Educational Excellence in South Carolina.” This study, the largest ever done in South Carolina and unique nationally, details key strategies for creating world-class schools in South Carolina. A product of 3,000 focus group hours with more than 800 stakeholders, the study was conducted by the Riley Institute in 2005 and 2006 with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
