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Members of the 2004 Teaching Fellows cohort were recognized in the South Carolina House of Representatives and Senate chambers Tuesday, April 22 as part of annual Hill Day festivities. Pictured are (back row, left to right): Apryl Snyder, Bailey Wood, Rebekah Brown, Drew Dickey, Garrett Knight, Stephen Whaley, Stevie Dennis, Amanda Hilton, and Elisabeth Peterson. (Front row, left to right): Megan McLaurin, Christina Wall, Dana Kelly, Amy Allen, Heather Keith, Deana Scott, Tracy Carmichael, Jennifer Collins, and Candace Davis.
About Teaching Fellows
In 1999, the SC General Assembly, recognizing the shortage of teachers in our state, funded the Teaching Fellows Program for South Carolina. The mission of the South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program is to recruit talented high school seniors into the teaching profession and to help them develop leadership qualities. Each year, the program provides Fellowships for up to 200 high school seniors who have exhibited high academic achievement, a history of service to the school and community, and a desire to teach South Carolina's children. Teaching Fellows participate in advanced enrichment programs in Teaching Fellows Institutions, professional development opportunities during summer months, involvement with communities and businesses throughout the state and receive up to $6000 in yearly scholarships for four years while they complete a degree leading to teacher certification. The scholarship provides up to $5700 for tuition and board and $300 for summer enrichment programs (contingent on funding from the S.C. General Assembly) administered by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement (CERRA). A Fellow agrees to teach in South Carolina one year for every year he/she received the Fellowship. South Carolina Teaching Fellows Institutions:
Teaching Fellows Institutions have agreed to the following commitments: - Enhancing the image and esteem of the teaching profession
- Promoting and developing innovation and reform in education
- Involving the community and businesses in the education of teachers
- Working in partnership with public schools to train preservice teachers
- Developing educational leadership
- Utilizing technology in education to improve student achievement
- Promoting multicultural awareness and an appreciation of the state's diverse population
- Providing faculty-wide professional development for the college or university community
Teaching Fellows Selection Process:
The application, the first phase of the process, includes documentation of academic achievement as well as school activities, a separate indicator for Teacher Cadet and ProTeam participation, three references and a short narrative. High school seniors who are legal residents of South Carolina, enrolled in any public, private or home school at the time of application are encouraged to apply to become a S.C. Teaching Fellow. A Fellowship begins the fall term immediately following high school graduation.
Students with outstanding applications are invited to continue to the second phase of the process, the Regional Interview. A candidate will be assigned a date and time for the interview based on his/her region of the state. The Regional Interview consists of two parts: - Part I: Written -A Teaching Fellows candidate is given 30 minutes to write a response to an education-related question before the interview. The written assessment is read and rated by trained assessors during the candidate's interview session.
- Part II: Oral -The candidate is interviewed by a committee representing education, business, policymakers and the community. The candidate is asked to respond to a series of questions and is rated based on his/her responses.
- Teaching Fellows candidates are rated in Part II based on:
- Communication
- Problem Solving Ability
- Knowledge of World and Educational Issues
- Originality
- Commitment to Teaching
- Knowledge of Educational Issues
The Regional Committees forward their recommendations for Fellowships to CERRA. These recommendations are presented to the Center's Board of Directors for final approval. In addition, a list of alternates are selected and notified. In the event that a new Teaching Fellow declines or no longer meets the requirements of the Fellowship, the alternate with the highest rating will be selected. Fellows may be selected from the pool of alternates until the end of the first fall term following high school graduation.
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