Teacher retention still an issue for CCSD even as teachers’ pay increased

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) — Several school districts in the Lowcountry have recently seen shakeups in their district leadership, as they also face issues with teacher retention and teacher shortages.

Earlier this month, News 2 detailed superintendent turnover and how the problem is impacting school districts both nationwide and here at home.

Now, teacher advocates are sharing what they believe is leading educators to leave their jobs, even in districts that have taken steps to address the problem.

“We have seen over the last few years the number of vacant positions at the start of a school year has been steadily increasing really every year for the last four,” said Patrick Kelly, the Director of Governmental Affairs for the Palmetto State Teachers Association.

Kelly describes the problem as a severe educator shortage in South Carolina. He said at the start of the 2022-23 school year, approximately 1,400 classrooms did not have a certified teacher in place on the first day of school.

“It has a really significant impact both on student learning and on our ability to retain teachers because the bigger the shortage gets, the further we have to stretch the people that are still in classrooms,” said Kelly.

Between issues with teacher retention and fewer college students now choosing the profession, Kelly said school districts continue to deal with teacher vacancies.

This year, Charleston County School District (CCSD) made efforts to combat the issue by offering raises and bonuses to its teachers.

Bill Briggman, the district’s Chief Human Resources Officer, said district leaders increased the salary structure by $5,000 and first-year teachers went from making around $43,000 to $48,000. In addition, district leaders approved a $5,000 bonus for teachers, which Briggman said will be paid out to teachers this year.

The new raises were approved in June, and the district hired 520 new teachers for the 2023-24 school year.

“Really appreciate what the board did for our teachers going into this school year because I think it’s been a huge game changer,” Briggman said. “I think we would be having a very different conversation right now if that hadn’t happened.”

However, teacher retention was still impacted. Through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, News 2 learned how many teachers within Charleston County School District resigned and did not continue on from the 2022-2023 school year to the 2023-2024 school year.

Out of about 3,600 classroom teacher positions in the district, 353 teachers resigned, which is roughly 9.5%.

Kelly said this number isn’t terrible considering some teachers retired. However, he said it does tell a bigger story.

“So what I think what that tells us is compensation matters – but it also tells us that compensation alone won’t solve the issue,” he said. “The three other factors that I think are more significant are lack of time, lack of support, and lack of adequate resources.”

Teachers also say frequent changes in leadership, which Charleston County School District has seen its share of, can also impact their decisions.

“I really want to be paying attention to my lessons, not whether we’re going to have a leader in two weeks or four weeks or next year,” said Jody Stallings, a middle school teacher in the district. “We want to be able to pay attention to classroom policy, not politics.”

News 2 asked Briggman what feedback he has heard from teachers leaving the district. He said housing is the biggest concern, which he hopes they can address next.

“To afford a home in Charleston, the average from the data that I received — it’s about $72,000 annual salary,” Briggman said. “But we got to teachers at a point where they’re hitting that $72,000 earlier in their career so they can afford to be a part of our community.”

Kelly said district leaders across the state should also consider working conditions when making improvements.

“We got to address the working conditions issues that are driving teachers out of the classrooms, and that ultimately comes down to leadership,” he said. “We need to stop acting like we’re in a teacher surplus in this state in some districts, and start acting like we’re in the teacher shortage that we are.”

The final state-wide teacher retention numbers are expected to be available in November.