Jane Turner, CERRA’s long-time Executive Director, has stepped down from the Executive Director position, effective March 1, 2021. She will stay on staff at CERRA in a support capacity until her full retirement in August 2021.

The South Carolina Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement (CERRA) is seeking a dynamic and innovative Executive Director. CERRA was established in 1985 by the SC General Assembly, through the SC Commission on Higher Education, upon the passage of the Education Improvement Act. CERRA is funded annually by the South Carolina General Assembly and is considered to be the oldest and most established teacher recruitment program in the country. CERRA’s mission is to provide state-wide leadership in identifying, attracting, placing, and retaining well-qualified individuals for the teaching profession in South Carolina.  CERRA is designed to be an independent, strategic, flexible, and innovative force that unifies efforts to enhance the teaching profession in South Carolina. To fulfill its mission, CERRA facilitates collaborations with other state agencies, professional organizations, universities, Pk-12 public schools, and the business community.
 
CERRA supports a variety of programs and services aimed to increase the number of students in the education pipeline and to recruit and retain qualified, caring, and competent teachers for the state of South Carolina. The Center’s target groups are middle (the ProTeam program) and high school students (the Teacher Cadet and Teaching Fellows Programs), college students, and adults interested in changing careers.  CERRA also targets groups of accomplished teachers through programs including mentoring and induction, teacher leadership, and National Board Certification support. Services directed toward public school districts include the annual Educator Supply and Demand Survey, the Online Educator Employment System, statewide teacher expos and the Rural Recruitment Initiative.
 
The CERRA Board of Directors serves as the chief advisory and governing body for CERRA and advocates for the teaching profession in the areas of teacher recruitment, retention, and advancement. The CERRA Executive Director is employed, supervised, and evaluated by the Board of Directors on recommendation from the Board’s Executive Committee. The Board is comprised of 22 members who represent the various constituents—PK-12, higher education, professional organizations, business, and legislature.
 
CERRA offices are located in the Stewart House on the Winthrop University campus in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  Winthrop University serves as the fiscal agent for CERRA. 
 
Major Responsibilities:

1. Directs and manages all CERRA programs and services, including ProTeam, Teacher Cadet, Teaching Fellows, Mentoring and Induction, National Board Certification Support, Teacher Leadership, State Teacher Forum, SC Teacher of the Year, Online Educator Employment System, Teacher Expo, Rural Recruitment Initiative, and the Annual Supply and Demand Report.
2. Reports to a 22-member Board of Directors, as well the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) and the SC Education Oversight Committee (EOC) regarding CERRA activities, accomplishments, and impact.
3. Collaborates with the South Carolina Department of Education, CHE, EOC, universities, and other education entities on joint programs and projects.
4. Plans and administers budgets in excess of $14 million.
5. Supervises a complex organizational structure and evaluates a staff of 16 full- and part-time employees, some of whom work off-site covering every region of the state.
6. Works cooperatively with school districts, teacher education institutions, education agencies, the state legislature, business and regional agencies in developing and implementing teacher recruitment, retention, and advancement programs and policies in South Carolina.
7. Informs all stakeholders, including appropriate committees of the South Carolina Legislature, of the status and progress of CERRA’s programs and services.
8. Responds to requests for information about CERRA programs and services, as well as teaching profession data.
9. Represents the interests of CERRA in South Carolina and nationally.

 
Qualifications:

• Minimum of a Master's degree, doctorate preferred;
• At least ten years’ experience and evidence of success working in one or more of the following: 1) public school district, 2) state department or other education agency, 3) teacher education program, or 4) education-related entity;
• Educational administration experience, state-level preferred;
• Budget development and oversight experience;
• Ability to work effectively with local school districts, teacher education institutions, state department of education, state legislature and other education entities;
• Knowledge of and experience with public education policy, advocacy, legislatures and school systems, South Carolina-based preferred;
• Strong communication skills (interpersonal, written, and public speaking);
• Strong organizational skills;
• Willingness to travel extensively on behalf of the CERRA;

 
Employment Conditions:

• A 12-month full-time appointment
• Salary commensurate with qualifications 
• The position includes the comprehensive benefits package that is available to all state employees.
• Expected to maintain a regular presence in CERRA office in Rock Hill, SC

 
Position Availability: July 1, 2021
 
Application Deadline:  March 19, 2021.  Application materials received after this date may be considered if an acceptable candidate has not been selected.

Application Procedures:

1. Submit the following materials: 

BY DR. JENNIFER GARRETT

The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA) has released its 2020-21 South Carolina (SC) Annual Educator Supply and Demand Report. Approximately 6,000 teachers from 2019-20 did not return to teach in the same district for the 2020-21 school year. This is a 10% decrease compared to the number of departures reported last year. In the report, “teachers” include classroom-based certified educators as well as other certified educators who provide instructional/support services outside the classroom.
 
Although the number of departures decreased overall, early-career resignations were more prevalent this year with 42% who had five or fewer years of SC teaching experience and 16% with one year or less. The percentages reported last year were 36% and 13%, respectively. Of the first-year teachers hired for the 2019-20 school year, 36% did not return to a teaching/service position in the same district in 2020-21. This percentage is up from 28% last year.
 
Districts reported an increase of more than 140 vacant teaching/service positions for 2020-21 compared to last year. As of October/November this year, there were about 700 vacancies in SC public schools. With the growing impact of the pandemic, it was anticipated that districts would have more difficulty filling positions this year.
 
Results from this year’s Supply and Demand Survey may not fully reflect the effects of COVID-19 on schools and districts. Many teachers may have already signed their contracts for 2020-21 when the impact of the pandemic began to be felt, potentially deterring them from resigning. Additionally, districts may have experienced more teacher departures after surveys were submitted. CERRA plans to survey district personnel directors in early 2021 to further assess how the pandemic is affecting their teacher recruitment and retention efforts. 
 
The SC Annual Educator Supply and Demand Report can be accessed on the CERRA website at https://www.cerra.org/supply-and-demand.html.​

BY DR. JENNIFER GARRETT

For a number of years the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA) has been working closely with districts to better understand the reasons behind teacher departures. In May 2019, CERRA began an effort to identify the various methods districts are using to gather information about these departures. This report summarizes these findings, and outlines plans to continue exploring this topic during the 2020-21 school year. 

Readers can download the report below.​

BY TODD SCHOLL

CERRA congratulates the five finalists for 2021 SC Teacher of the Year. These five teachers are distinguished as "Honor Roll Teachers." One of them will serve a one-year residency with us at CERRA during the 2020-21 school year.

The Finalists

• Ashley Bennett, a seventh grade mathematics teacher at Woodruff Middle School
  (Spartanburg Four)

• Sarah Gams, a tenth through twelfth grade English teacher at Spring Hill High School
  (Lexington-Richland Five)
  
  
• Shawn Norris, a physical education teacher at Satchel Ford Elementary School
  (Richland One)
  
  
• Tanya Peckham, a first grade teacher at Wilder Elementary School
  (Sumter)
  
  
• Rick Whitmore, a ninth through twelfth grade Spanish teacher at York Comprehensive High School
  ​(York One)

These five teachers will play an instrumental role in developing teacher leadership throughout the state over the next year. We look forward to working with them and thank them for being outstanding ambassadors of the teaching profession.

Rock Hill, SC - The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA) has released its 2019-20 South Carolina (SC) Annual Educator Supply and Demand Report. The main purpose of this survey is to collect data on SC public school teachers entering the profession, those leaving their classrooms, and the number of vacant positions at the beginning of each school year. Approximately 6,650 teachers (in FTEs) left their position during or at the end of the 2018-19 school year. This is a 9% decrease compared to the number of teachers who left during or at the end of the 2017-18 school year. A significant decline in the number of retirements explains the majority of this reduction.
 
Thirty-six percent of all teachers who left in 2018-19 had five or fewer years of experience in a SC public school classroom, and 13% had only one year (or less) of SC teaching experience. The percentages reported last year were 35% and 13%, respectively. A closer look at first-year teachers revealed some improvement in classroom retention. Of the first-year teachers hired for the 2018-19 school year, 28% did not return to the same position in 2019-20. This percentage is down from 34% last year.
 
The proportion of newly hired teachers who are recent graduates of an in-state teacher preparation program remained steady, accounting for 23% of all new hires in 2019-20. The number of SC students who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and teacher certification eligibility during 2018-19 is up by 79 graduates from the previous academic year. This is the first annual increase since 2013-14.
 
Districts reported 555.5 teaching positions in SC public school classrooms that were still vacant at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year. This number represents an 11% decrease compared to vacancies reported at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year. Although the number is smaller, these vacancies are in addition to the 6,709 vacancies already filled by newly hired teachers prior to the beginning of the current school year. Most vacant positions, regardless of when they are filled in the school year, are caused by teacher departures.  
 
CERRA has begun working with districts to better understand reasons for teacher departures. In many cases, teachers do not provide a reason for leaving, or the district may not collect the information. Teachers often state “personal/family” reasons for leaving, which may be accurate at times, but not in all situations. It is likely that teachers can be less than candid with their reasons for leaving, especially if they are related to any type of job dissatisfaction.
 
The SC Annual Educator Supply and Demand Report can be accessed on the CERRA website at https://www.cerra.org/supply-and-demand.html.​

The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement (CERRA) is seeking an exemplary educator for a 10-month, part-time position on the CERRA staff as a Pre-Collegiate Program Facilitator for region two of the state. This region includes the following school districts: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg (1, 2), Barnwell (19, 29, 45, 80), Calhoun, Edgefield, Greenwood (50, 51, 52), Laurens (55, 56), McCormick, Orangeburg, and Saluda. The educator selected for this position will carry out various pre-collegiate program activities sponsored by CERRA.
 
This announcement is an open invitation to members of the CERRA network to consider applying for this position. Please keep in mind that only applicants who reside in the region outlined by the districts listed above will be considered, and preference will be given to applicants who have been heavily involved with CERRA programs. Selection will be based on judgments about the educator’s commitment, initiative, enthusiasm, interpersonal, organizational, and public relations skills. This position is a part-time position with twenty-nine (29) hours of work per week during the academic school year (August through May). The position will require day travel within the region and moderate travel outside the region, including overnight stays when warranted. Travel costs will be reimbursed by CERRA under the guidelines established by the State of South Carolina.
 
Attached is an outline of the responsibilities associated with the Pre-Collegiate Program Facilitator position. In addition to direct involvement with the ProTeam and Teacher Cadet sites, Pre-Collegiate Program Facilitators make site visits to district level administrators who lead and support pre-collegiate efforts for districts and College Partners. Increased emphasis is placed on districts with specific needs, such as those participating in the rural recruitment initiative.
 
No application form is required. Interested educators should submit a letter of interest and a rèsumè to Marcella Wine-Snyder no later than August 15, 2019. Those selected for the next phase of the application process will be contacted for interviews, which will take place at the CERRA office in Rock Hill. Interviews will be scheduled shortly thereafter, with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2019.
 
If you have questions or need further information, we encourage you to talk to one of the current Program Facilitators to learn more. You may reach us (turnerj@winthrop.edu, winesnyderm@cerra.org), and the Pre-Collegiate Program Facilitators, Rona Neely (rona@cerra.org), Arthur Pinckney (pinckneya@cerra.org), Theodore Jackson (theodore@cerra.org), or Kelly Browder (kelly@cerra.org) via email. Phone numbers for each of us are also listed on our Web site (www.cerra.org).
 
Thank you for the many contributions you make to the teaching profession and CERRA’s programs. We look forward to hearing from you by August 15, 2019.

​​​Please submit your letter of interest and rèsumè via electronic submission or hard copy, no later than August 15, 2019 to:

Rock Hill – The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA) has released its South Carolina (SC) Annual Educator Supply and Demand Report. At the beginning of the 2018-19 school year, districts reported more teachers leaving, more vacancies, and more teachers hired to fill those vacancies compared to last year. Approximately 7,300 teachers did not return to their positions for the 2018-19 school year; this is an increase of nearly 10%. Twenty-seven percent of these teachers reportedly went to teach in another SC public school district, leaving more than 5,300 teachers who are no longer teaching in any SC public school.
 
Thirty-five percent of the teachers who did not return to the same position in 2018-19 had five or fewer years of experience in a SC public school classroom. This percentage is slightly lower than the one reported last year (38%), most likely due to an increase in the number of retiring teachers with more than five years of experience. Furthermore, 13% who left had no more than one year of teaching experience in the state; 12% fell into this category last year.
 
Retired teachers represented 26% of all departures compared to 20% last year. Because of this increase and the fact that retirees have more years of classroom experience than non-retired teachers, they were taken out of consideration to establish more accurate departure rates. After excluding retirees, the rates increased: 48% of teachers who left their positions had five or fewer years of experience in a SC public school classroom, and 17% had no more than one year.
 
When first-year teachers were examined independently, it was determined that 34% of the first-year teachers hired for 2017-18 did not return to the same position in 2018-19; 25% are no longer teaching in any SC public school. These percentages are higher than those from last year, which were 30% and 22%, respectively.
 
The number of new hires who graduated from an in-state teacher preparation program increased for the first time since 2013-14, accounting for 24% of all new hires. The actual number of SC students completing a teacher education program, however, continues to decrease each year. Specifically, the number of completions has dropped by 32% since the 2012-13 academic year. As a result of a smaller teacher pipeline, districts are relying on other recruitment sources. For example, districts are hiring more teachers from other countries. This year, they hired nearly 400 international teachers; in 2013, roughly 100 were hired.
 
Additionally, districts reported 621 vacant teaching positions in SC public school classrooms. This number represents a 13% increase compared to vacancies reported at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year. In addition to these vacancies are the 7,600 openings that were caused primarily by departures and filled with newly hired teachers prior to the start of the 2018-19 school year.
 
The SC Annual Educator Supply and Demand Report can be accessed on the CERRA website at https://www.cerra.org/supply-and-demand.html.