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Your financial support helps us to recruit, prepare, and retain more high-quality teachers across the state. - Partners
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Why support TFASC?
Your financial support helps us to recruit, prepare, and retain more high-quality teachers across the state. - Newsroom
Why support TFASC?
Your financial support helps us to recruit, prepare, and retain more high-quality teachers across the state.
TFASC’s Second Annual DiscussED
Transforming the Teacher’s Experience
Monday, February 27, 2023 | 12-2:30 p.m. | Virtual
As we emerge from the pandemic, which exposed deep inequities and dated pedagogical practices in education, South Carolina’s public schools are facing worsening teacher shortages. Retaining high-quality educators is most urgent in South Carolina schools serving high concentrations of low-income students and students of color. If a classroom doesn’t have a teacher, schools often turn to long-term substitutes, cutting courses, or larger class sizes – putting students at risk of not attaining the excellent education they deserve.
While the South Carolina Legislature recently approved a four percent pay raise for all teachers, excessive paperwork, a “teach to the test” mentality, and an overall lack of respect for the teaching profession are among the factors driving the teacher exodus according to The Post and Courier.
During TFASC’s Second Annual DiscussED, “Transforming the Teacher’s Experience,” we will explore the transformation of the teacher’s experience to retain more high-quality educators in South Carolina. What if teachers, district administrators, policy leaders, community advocates, and business leaders came together to propose a plan for transforming the teaching profession? What would change if South Carolina’s education stakeholders rallied together to advocate for the teaching profession and, ultimately, students?
“DiscussED is a bold endeavor to push the boundaries in education for our children. If our vision is that every child deserves a great education, then we must have these conversations. It is my hope that these conversations become strategic plans.”
Kimberly Sutton Mason »
Principal, Rosenwald
Elementary and Middle School


Program*
*Additional panelists will be confirmed in the weeks ahead.
Welcome Remarks
Courtney Waters
Interim Executive Director, TFASC
Opening Panel:
The Teaching Experience: What Does the Research Tell Us?
Moderator:
Courtney Waters
Panelists:
Barnett Berry
Research Professor, University of South Carolina
Jenna Hallman
Executive Director, Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA)
Opening Panel: The Teacher Experience: Perspectives from the Classroom
Panelists:
Deion Jamison
2023 South Carolina Teacher of the Year
Lesley Snyder
Recipient, Milken Educator Award
Breakout Discussion Groups
DiscussED Participants
Initial Discussion Group Questions:
- What is the ideal work environment for teachers?
- How do we improve the teacher’s experience in South Carolina?
- Which policy recommendations could be implemented in the next 1-2 years to advocate for the teaching profession and, ultimately, students?
Closing Remarks
Courtney Waters
Recruiting High-Quality Teachers
Interested in attending?
We are inviting corporate, education, legislative, and nonprofit leaders as well as teachers who can offer diverse perspectives about transforming the teacher’s experience in South Carolina. If you are interested in contributing to this discussion, please contact Sarah Ann Snipes at sarahann.snipes@teachforamerica.org.
Interested in sponsoring?
Through the generous support of our sponsors, we will be able to host this critical discussion that seeks to support teachers and help end educational inequity in South Carolina. Please contact Karl Brady at karl.brady@teachforamerica.org to learn more about becoming a sponsor.
Publications
We will publish a white paper summarizing the actionable ideas from DiscussED participants during Teacher Appreciation Week in May 2023.
Read the white paper from our inaugural DiscussED, “The Future of Education: 2040 and Beyond.”
About the DiscussED Series
Hosted by TFASC, DiscussED is a bold conversation series to reimagine South Carolina’s education system. The annual forum convenes diverse perspectives from corporate, education, legislative, and nonprofit leaders to generate more innovative solutions than ideas from the education sector. Each year, DiscussED will focus on a different theme that is rooted in educational excellence and equity.