News

S.C. program would allow professionals to teach part time

November 30, 2009

Orangeburg 3 needed an instructor to teach two classes of chorus.

District officials thought they would find the perfect job candidate in a retired woman with extensive professional experience in chorus. But the process to get her certified to teach would have taken too long and been too expensive for a part-time job.

“We just needed a teacher for two (class) periods,” said David Longshore, the then-superintendent of Orangeburg 3, who now is retired.

Often, the state's school districts cannot find part-time teachers for their classrooms, according to the state Department of Education. That could change soon with a new program.

The Teacher Adjunct Program, a fast-track way for working professionals to become certified to teach part time in public schools, has received preliminary approval from the state Board of Education.

After one more vote, it'll go before lawmakers for the final OK.

If it passes, South Carolina is likely to be the first state to employ adjunct teachers.

Mark Bounds, assistant superintendent of education for the state Department of Education, hopes the program specifically will help rural schools attract talent to the classroom, particularly in the areas of math and science, where teaching shortages loom every school year.

“We anticipate that there would be people who have a full-time job but may be able to get the leave time to teach, like an engineer who would teach a math class or a scientist who would teach a science class,” Bounds said.

Here's how it would work: Professionals who have a degree in their subject area and who have worked at least five of the past 10 years in the field, qualify to be adjunct teachers.

But there are caveats:

 Adjuncts only can teach part time in their local school district. The district cannot supplant a full-time, certified teacher with an adjunct.

 Adjuncts get a one-year certificate to teach that's valid only in their local school district.

“I think it's a great idea, and I support it wholeheartedly,” Longshore said, noting that Orangeburg 3 also has had recent trouble finding a part-time dance teacher.

“This certainly will give small schools in small districts the ability to attract teachers and also expand the scope of the curriculum.”