K-12 Teacher Shortage in South Carolina: A State Policy Comparison

Introduction and Policy Problem

In South Carolina, the share of educators quitting their posts each year — approximately 6,500 in 2016 — is far higher than the number of teacher-program graduates available to fill those vacant positions, which stood at just 1,700 in the same year. The state's teacher-training enrollment has been declining by an average of four percent per year. From 2009 to 2014, a thirty-five percent drop was recorded in teacher education enrollment nationally, falling from 691,000 to 451,000. This represents a decline of nearly 240,000 graduates in 2014 compared to 2009 figures (Sutcher, Darling-Hammond & Carver-Thomas, 2016).

The state's shortage of qualified educators — particularly in rural, impoverished areas and within the disciplines of science and mathematics — has grown so acute that both long-term economic growth and education quality have suffered statewide. This paper compares South Carolina against Rhode Island and Florida with regard to the K-12 educator shortage, differences in educator-shortage outcomes and decisions based on political culture, public opinion, and partisan balance, and the most effective policy alternatives for South Carolina.

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