digiLEARN Founder Gov. Bev Perdue Shares How SC, Other States Can Retain Teachers Through Micro-Credentials
The following is an excerpt from a blog post by digiLEARN founder Gov. Bev Perdue, which originally ran on the SC-TEACHER blog. For the full piece, click here.
Recently, South Carolina State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said, “If we are truly committed to ensuring every South Carolina classroom is led by a high-quality teacher, we must act now to address our growing teacher shortage.”
Superintendent Spearman – a member of the newly formed Micro-Credentials Partnership of States – is correct. South Carolina and states across the country, including my home state of North Carolina, must act now to ensure all students have high-quality, effective teachers in their classrooms.
In SC, classrooms lose between 5,000 to 7,000 teachers yearly, while only about 2,000 new teachers graduate from the state’s teaching programs every year. And South Carolina is not alone – while the numbers vary by state, most states are facing a massive teacher shortage that is systematically impacting students, schools, education leaders, and the field of education.
Like professionals in any other industry, teachers want opportunities to grow and advance their careers, along with recognition and rewards for excellence in the classroom. Historically, advancement and better pay for teachers have meant leaving the classroom and going into non-teaching jobs or administration. But by and large, teachers want to teach students and stay in the classroom.