By Dr. Sue Rex, special to Statehouse Report
WINNSBORO, S.C. | Teachers are leaving their profession in increasing numbers. At a time when students, their parents, and communities need experienced and talented teachers as perhaps never before, the profession is falling short of attracting the quantity and quality of recruits needed to ensure our nation’s future.
Enrollments in teacher preparation programs in colleges and universities continue to decrease. This diminishing supply of “new blood” in the profession’s pipeline is increasingly alarming because more experienced teachers are now retiring early, or simply leaving the profession for other careers.
The reasons given for not pursuing a career in teaching and the reasons given for abandoning that career are both familiar and new. They include: poor pay and working conditions; lack of administrative support; student behavior; and insufficient professional autonomy. But, more recent reasons also include: the risks and the demands created by the pandemic; inability to afford to live near their work; price of fuel; and inadequate professional and emotional support.
So how can a district, or state, or a nation for that matter begin to address such a complex and varied set of circumstances? Thanks to the informed generosity of Dominion Energy and the visionary leadership of educators and community volunteers, Fairfield County is pursuing a unique approach to addressing a number of the causes of the shortage.
The Fairfield Teacher Village will be the first of its kind in South Carolina – and one of the very first in America – when it opens next summer. It is coming at a time when the U.S. is needing to aggressively and creatively address so many of our problems. This one, however, having the quantity and quality of teachers to adequately prepare our children for our collective future, must be solved for the others to be resolved. The need is urgent. Thankfully, Fairfield is an example of educators, corporate and business leaders, and community volunteers showing that they-and all of us-are up to the challenge.
The concept being pursued is designed to give this underserved rural school district not only an “incentive” package to competitively attract the quantity and quality of teachers it needs; but, even more importantly, to create a “community” of early career and experienced teachers who, together, can address more effectively many of the other concerns that are causing teachers to leave the profession early.
The Fairfield County School District Education Foundation is a nonprofit corporation established to support the mission of the Fairfield County School District. The Foundation’s signature initiative, originally envisioned by Superintendent Dr. J.R. Green, is to creatively address the state’s growing crisis of recruiting and retaining outstanding teachers to rural districts, beginning with Fairfield County.
Over 70% of Fairfield County teachers do not presently live in our county, which means, among other things, that they do not spend their money in our county. Our foundation hopes by providing affordable, attractive housing for interested teachers they will choose to not only live in Winnsboro but to shop and support local businesses, engage in the community outside of the school day and participate in unparalleled opportunities for teachers to collaborate.
The Fairfield County School District Board of Trustees has donated 22 acres of land for the project. The Foundation received from a county legal settlement with Dominion Energy an earmarked $2.2 million grant to complete phase 1 of the project. This money will be used to complete the infrastructure for 30 homesites and the initial construction of eight to 10 homes. We hope the first group of teachers will be able to become residents during the summer of 2023. In the meantime, additional funding is being pursued, which will allow phase 2 to begin with the building of20 additional homes and a clubhouse.
When fully implemented, the “Fairfield Teacher Village” will be a newly built single family rental community dedicated to housing Fairfield County classroom teachers. Retaining Fairfield classroom teachers will be a priority; but depending on housing availability, new Fairfield County teachers will also qualify as residents of the Village. Not inconsequentially, the addition of this community of college educated full-time residents within the town limits of Winnsboro will also have a welcomed and significant positive economic impact.
Dr. Sue Rex is chair of the Fairfield County Education Foundation. Have a comment? Send to: feedback@statehousereport.com
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!
This is a much needed resource. A huge thank you to the Fairfield County School Disctrict Foundation and its leadership headed by Dr. Rex and Dr. Green.
Kudos to my hometown, native County leadership, School Superintendent, School District Board, School Fdn and supporters for your vision and foresight! I wish you all the success for in recruiting the best educators who will become a part of the fabric of the community and who will educate our young to become responsible contributors in our society and world. Our ancestors are smiling and we are grateful for this brilliant idea coming into fruition.