Latest news with #EducatorAssistanceAct
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SC Senate advances bill on teacher contracts called a ‘huge win' for K-12 educators
A bill lauded by teachers' advocates as a major win passed the Senate on Wednesday, April 18, 2025. (File/Getty Images) COLUMBIA — Teachers are celebrating near-passage of a South Carolina bill advocates have been pushing for years as a major help in recruiting and retaining educators. The bill, dubbed the 'Educator Assistance Act,' received unanimous approval from senators Wednesday, marking the first time it's gotten a vote in the chamber. The legislation will not only significantly improve teachers' lives but send the message that legislators respect teachers as professionals, supporters said. 'This is a huge win,' said Patrick Kelly, a high school teacher who lobbies for the Palmetto State Teachers Association. 'I cannot overstate how big of a win this will be for teachers' working conditions.' If the House, which again approved the legislation earlier this year, agrees to the Senate's changes, the bill will head to Gov. Henry McMaster's desk. Its main sponsor, Rep. Shannon Erickson — the Beaufort Republican who leads the House's education committee — said she's hopeful that's what will happen. The House passed a different version of the bill last session, and legislators have proposed parts of it to varying levels of success over the past several years. The Senate didn't take up the bill last year mainly because of timing issues, not because senators didn't support the idea, said Sen. Greg Hembree, chair of the Senate Education Committee. 'It's good all-around for the teachers and the students,' said Hembree, R-Little River. 'I'm glad we got it done.' As teacher pay has risen in recent years, the number of teacher vacancies in the state has dropped, though it remains far above the number reported before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the state's Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement. While pay is a major issue for teachers, hiring and keeping people in teaching jobs will require more than increasing minimum salaries, Kelly said. In talking to teachers over the years, Kelly has heard three major complaints from teachers beyond compensation: more support, more planning time and more respect. Many districts have already implemented parts of the bill, but requiring it across the board will help teachers in districts without such policies, he said. SC bill would require schools to excuse some extracurricular absences A major piece of the bill is requiring school districts to include a teacher's expected minimum salary in their contract. Because those contracts are due May 10, before legislators pass their final budget and school districts have decided how much to pay teachers, most educators sign on without knowing how much they'll get paid. 'I can't think of any other profession where signing a contract without knowing your salary would be acceptable,' Kelly said. The bill would also not allow district officials to reassign a teacher to another school or subject during the school year with less than five school days of notice unless the superintendent can prove it's for a good reason. That gives teachers peace of mind knowing they'll be teaching the class for which they signed up, advocates have said. Teachers would also get guaranteed planning time under the bill. Current law allows districts to give teachers up to two days of planning, but it's not required, meaning many districts eat up that time with professional development meetings, advocates have said. The proposal would set aside two days free of meetings for teachers to plan. That change may not seem like much, but it makes a world of difference for teachers preparing for a new year, Kelly said. 'That is critically important to making sure efficient instruction can happen on day one,' Kelly said. When teachers do have to attend professional development trainings, the bill would allow them to count those hours toward the 120 continuing education credits they're required to obtain every five years in order to renew their teaching certificates. Requiring both has created a process advocates have said is often redundant and time-consuming. 'To stop the merry-go-round of having to deal with your certification is a huge, huge step,' Erickson said. The biggest change senators made to the bill would allow teachers to move to a different part of the state without breaking their contract. Currently, teachers who move after signing their contract can lose their ability to teach for up to a year. That meant teachers who needed to move for personal reasons, such as a spouse taking a job in a different part of the state, had to choose between finding a way to stay or being unable to teach that school year, teachers' advocates have said. One part of the bill that stood out to Hembree would allow teachers to donate their unused sick days to other colleagues. When he was solicitor in Horry and Georgetown counties, his office used a similar program. When two of his employees were diagnosed with cancer, they found the extra sick days invaluable, he said. 'That's not going to come up a lot, but boy, when it does, it can make a difference in someone's life,' Hembree said. Teachers' advocates said the bill is a major step forward, but they want to see more in future years. Changing policies means little without good leadership, Kelly said. He encouraged legislators to continue finding ways to recruit and train principals and superintendents who can support the teachers in their schools. Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association, said she'd like to see longer windows for teachers to break their contracts and move to a different district, since job openings are often not posted until after the signing deadline, she said. 'We like it,' East said of the bill. 'It could've gone a little further, but it's definitely a step in the right direction.'
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SC House passes Educator Assistance Act early in session
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – Many teachers don't know where they will be teaching or how much they will be paid each year, which is worrying for them, students and their parents. 'It's a universal problem, there are certain core elements of teacher working conditions that are necessary to recruit retain teachers in all areas, across all subjects,' said Patrick Kelly, Palmetto State Teacher's Association. Last week the South Carolina House of Representatives unanimously passed the Educator Assistance Act, which improves teachers work life and gives them more flexibility in their contracts. One of the bill's goals is to address the teacher shortage in the state. The bill was passed in the House four times last session, but was never debated in the of the House, Education Committee Representative Kambrell Garvin (D-District 77) said the committee worked aggressively with members of the house to get this passed early, so that the senate has more than enough time to speak on it. 'It wasn't a Democrat bill or a Republican bill, it was a good bill for the people of South Carolina, the teachers of South Carolina and we recognize that when our teachers do well, our students will do well,' Garvin said. Garvin said this bill will also benefit students and their parents. 'We have seen our teachers leave the classroom in mass exodus and we know that that disadvantages families because when you have schools that are filled with inexperienced teachers, some of that institutional knowledge is lost,' Garvin said. Kelly said this bill is crucial, and urges the Senate to get this bill onto the governor's desk. 'Every policy in this bill addresses a real situation that's been experienced by teachers in South Carolina. Now, not every district is going to have these experiences,' Kelly said. 'Some districts are already, basically, engaging in best practices in advance but every policy addresses a real issue that's been faced by a teacher.' Senator Greg Hembree, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said his committee looks forward to discussing the bill further. Kelly said when the Palmetto State Teacher's Association polled their members, this was the first time in years that work conditions were more important to the majority of them, over teacher pay. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New bill aims to improve teacher contracts in South Carolina
GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) – If you've ever been asked to sign a work contract without knowing how much you'll get paid and where you'll be working, that can be considered as a huge, red flag. Thousands of teachers across South Carolina have been doing that for decades. 'The contract lacks details that you would find in almost any other profession,' said Patrick Kelly, the Governmental Affairs Director with the Palmetto State Teacher's Association. 'It lacks the school location where you're going to be assigned. It doesn't have the course or grade level that you will be asked to teach, and most importantly, it doesn't have a salary figure attached to it.' Teachers have complained for years, and nothing has changed with previous state bills aimed at addressing the problems, failing to break through bureaucratic barriers every time. 'Most people that see a teacher contract from South Carolina say, 'I wouldn't sign it', but we have to,' said Sherry East, the President of the South Carolina Education Association. 'We don't have a choice. You either sign it or not.' Now, there's a new bill that on the horizon that teachers, advocates, and parents hope can rise above the rest that have failed to become law: the Educator Assistance Act. 'A similar, prior version of this bill passed the House of Representatives unanimously four times in the prior General Assembly. It just never got a hearing in the Senate,' said Kelly. The EAA passed the House Education and Public Works committee unanimously on Thursday. It's now heading to the hands of state senators. 'It's just a good, it's like [lawmakers] listened to what the things that are bothering teachers and what would help us,' said East. The EAA will make teacher contracts more transparent, create a leave bank teachers can donate to and pull from, and also address a common concern by teachers: license renewals. 'Right now, teachers have to go through an extensive renewal period every five years, and it's out of your own pocket. You have to pay for your 120 credit hours, or two graduate classes is basically what it comes down to. So this would eliminate that,' said East. Each school district already has some form of continuing education classes it offers to teachers. However as it stands currently, the time teachers spend on those courses don't count towards the 120 hours of professional development the South Carolina Department of Education requires for license renewal. Both East and Kelly explained that the bill wouldn't eliminate professional development requirements, but rather automate how the state tracks it. It would allow teachers to count district-provided, professional development courses towards the renewal requirements. East also expressed optimism about how the bill defines a 'breach of contract.' 'It gives teachers a little bit more leeway in getting it out of your contract, or how long your breach of contract is,' said East. 'Currently, it could take up to a year for the State Board of Education to hear your case, and then you could get your license suspended for the next year. So potentially, a teacher has sat out the classroom for two years, sometimes over a breach of contract.' The EAA also requires school districts to inform teachers of their school assignments within 14 days of the school year, something East said could leave to another 'big mess' if not implemented. 'In one of the counties here in the Midlands, they transferred [new] teachers at 45 days in. They've transferred 10 teachers from their classrooms at the 45 day mark, and so they took Kindergarten teachers and put them in Third Grade or Second Grade at a school across town mid-year,' said East. 'People flipped out. The teachers flipped out. The parents flipped out. The children were stressed out. It just wasn't a good situation.' East admitted she had been told to switch from teaching Biology during the Fall, to Chemistry coming back from Winter break several years ago which prompted her to voluntarily switch districts at the end of the school year. 'I was like, 'What?'' said East. 'I get no notice and I had to spend my Christmas break learning how to teach chemistry. I mean, I'm certified, but I'd never taught it before.' Ultimately both East and Kelly expressed optimism that the bill leads to higher teacher retention rates. 'We have never seen teachers leave mid year like we had probably two years ago, and it was after the pandemic, and it was just teachers said, 'It's enough, it's too much. I can't deal with it.' So they were leaving in, you know, February. They were leaving in November,' said East. 'Issues of working conditions are of primary importance to enhancing educator retention,' said Kelly. 'This bill is just a common sense pathway to doing the things that are necessary to improve working conditions.' The bill would take effect July 1, 2025, if passed this Spring. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SC bill would require schools to excuse some extracurricular absences
House Education Chairwoman Shannon Erickson, R-Beaufort, talks with staff during the House's organizational session on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 at the Statehouse in Columbia. (Mary Ann Chastain/Special to the SC Daily Gazette) COLUMBIA — South Carolina public school students could not be considered absent for participating in an off-campus club activity during the school day under a bill advanced Tuesday in the House. Also given the go-ahead by a subcommittee was a bill dubbed the 'Educator Assistance Act,' which teachers' advocates named a top priority in keeping teachers in classrooms. The bill passed the House unanimously last year but never got a hearing in the Senate, though its sponsor is optimistic this will be the year it passes. One re-introduced bill that was never taken up last session would require school districts to adopt a policy excusing students for attending certain extracurricular events. Many schools already excuse students for attending school-sanctioned activities, such as club trips. At others, though, students must choose between being marked absent and skipping events that happen during the school day, said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Patrick Haddon, R-Greenville. Future Farmers of America members, for example, sometimes attend conventions or exhibitions that take place during the school day. Requiring schools excuse absences to attend those would give the 15,000 or so students enrolled in the club a chance to learn things they might not otherwise, said Troy Helms, state director of agricultural education at Clemson University. Experts could teach in SC classrooms without certification under pilot program 'We're teaching something that will allow students to get outside the classroom, compete against others, while at the same time being exposed to industries that are out there,' Helms said. The bill only covers 'work-based learning experiences,' listing Future Farmers of America and 4-H as examples. A certified teacher would have to be supervising the activity, and students would be required to make up any work they missed. Students who attend those conferences and other events might have a leg up to pursue career paths in which the state needs more professionals, such as agriculture, Haddon said. 'It's very amazing what it does for these kids, to get them ready to go into the workforce,' Haddon said. As the state tries to recruit and retain more teachers, the Educator Assistance Act could address several concerns that cause teachers to leave the profession, advocates said. The bill would cut down on paperwork by making teaching certificates permanent, eliminating bureaucratic hurdles involved in renewing it through the state Department of Education every five years. Districts would also be required to include in teachers' contracts their minimum salary for the next school year before they commit to staying. Teachers are asked to sign those contracts by May 10, before legislators have passed a final budget and school districts have decided on salaries. That means teachers often have to sign onto their position without knowing how much they'll be making. 'I don't know many jobs where you'd sign a blank contract and agree to work somewhere,' said House Education Chairwoman Shannon Erickson, the bill's sponsor. 'I think it shows a lack of respect for our teachers to require them to do that.' Unlike the version of the bill the House passed last year, which would give teachers wiggle room to bow out of a contract after seeing their final pay, this version would require districts to give teachers an estimated pay schedule before they sign their contract. In some cases, teachers also don't know what subject they'll be teaching or what school they'll be assigned to before the school year begins. Current law requires districts to notify teachers of their assignment by Aug. 15, but with more schools starting earlier in the year, that means some districts aren't giving their teachers enough time to prepare. The bill would also require districts to give a reason for reassigning a teacher part-way through the school year in an effort to keep teachers' plans and students' experiences consistent. That was something Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association, has experienced firsthand, she said. One year, as she was going on holiday break, her district notified her she would be teaching chemistry when she returned — a subject she had never taught before then, she said. Other teachers have been given even less time to prepare lesson plans, she added. 'We do hear stories about that all the time,' Erickson said. Erickson, a Beaufort Republican, said she's hopeful that changes, such as requiring districts to give an estimated salary in teachers' contracts, will assuage senators' concerns enough to get the bill to the finish line. 'We really, really need to show our teachers how much we care about them and treat them like professionals,' Erickson told the SC Daily Gazette. 'It's a basic thing they are asking for that we should be giving them.' SC teacher vacancies decrease but remain above pre-pandemic levels, report finds The rules have gained significance in the past year, as schools grapple with continuing teacher vacancies, said Patrick Kelly, lobbyist for the Palmetto State Teachers Association. Although the number of vacancies decreased this year, it remains higher than it should, Kelly said. Legislators are already working to address the pay problem many teachers cite as one of their biggest concerns, having raised the minimum pay for first-year teachers to $47,000 last year. Gov. Henry McMaster is calling on legislators to raise that again to $50,000 this year. That means it's time to look at teachers' other major problems, including what they see as a lack of support, a lack of time to plan and a lack of respect, all of which the bill would address, Kelly said. 'This year, it is essential,' Kelly said. Both bills advanced to the full House Education Committee.
