The A in CERRA stands for advancement. We believe that advancing teachers, by offering them opportunities to lead and develop, is an essential part of building an outstanding corps of educators statewide. CERRA advances teachers through training mentors, sponsoring teacher forums, working closely with the South Carolina Teacher of the Year, and providing support to those teachers seeking National Board Certification.

Teacher attrition is costly to our state and damages the quality of education our students receive. To address teacher retention, CERRA has trained thousands of outstanding teachers, administrators, and college faculty to serve as mentors. These mentors provide organized and effective support to beginning teachers.

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The purpose of the South Carolina Teacher Forum is to give recognition to the state and district teachers of the year, to develop teacher leadership among this outstanding group, to give teachers a voice in educational issues that face teachers today at all levels and to impact the professional development of other teachers by encouraging its members to facilitate the development of leadership skills among their peers.

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Each year the South Carolina State Teacher of the Year participates in a one-year residency at CERRA. This outstanding teacher helps lead The South Carolina Teacher Forum and works with us to develop teacher ledership across the state. Each February CERRA hosts all of South Carolina's District Teachers of the Year at our Winter Workshop. The workshop is an opportunity to honor these teacher leaders and encourage them to let their voices be heard.

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CERRA assists teachers who seek National Board Certification. Our Center manages the Federal Subsidy Grant process for National Board and provides on-going candidate support through its statewide system of district liaisons. The Federal Subsidy Grant provides financial assistance to initial candidates who are interested in going through the National Board process.

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The purpose of the CERRA Advisory Board (CAB) is to advocate for the teaching profession, especially in the areas of teacher/educator recruitment, retention, and advancement. An additional purpose of the Advisory Board is to function as an advisory body for the network of teachers/educators affiliated with CERRA. The Board will serve as a positive voice for educational reform, professional development for all teachers, and the improvement of teacher quality in order to raise the level of student achievement in South Carolina’s public schools.
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