Fairfield and Greenville County School Districts Stand Out Nationally in Teacher Engagement Growth
Fairfield County School District and Greenville County Schools have increased teacher retention and engagement in a partnership with Upbeat, an innovative teacher retention organization led by former teachers and school leaders.
COLUMBIA, S.C., July 29, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Both South Carolina districts began their individual partnerships with Upbeat in 2018. Greenville started with a pilot of two middle schools and expanded district wide for the 2019-20 school year.
Within the first two years of partnership with Upbeat, Fairfield County's turnover rate decreased from 16.8% to 11% between 2018 and 2020. Greenville County reduced teacher turnover from 11% to 10.2% in their first year working with Upbeat.
Upbeat administers a comprehensive teacher survey twice a year, examining research-based categories impacting teacher retention, including school climate, hiring and onboarding, professional development, and teacher appreciation.
Fairfield County's overall teacher engagement has increased 15.8% since 2018, with overall positive responses of 95% and above in Instructional Leadership, Professional Development, Principal/Teacher Trust & Work/Life Balance.
"We needed to quickly pivot during this unprecedented school year," said Dr. J.R. Green, Superintendent of the Fairfield County School District. "Luckily, we've built a strong relationship with Upbeat to focus not only on attrition rate, but why people stay with us."
In 2019, Fairfield County also began a $5,000 yearly teacher bonus to recruit new teachers and retain old teachers as part of their strategic teacher retention plans.
As the largest district in South Carolina, Greenville's overall teacher engagement scores have increased 5.1% since their first survey administration in 2019, with strong numbers in Teachers' Care and Commitment, Principal/Teacher Trust and Wellbeing.
"Our key focus in our partnership with Upbeat has to ensure our teachers' perspectives inform the actions that we continue to take," said Dr. W. Burke Royster, Superintendent of Greenville County Schools. "The last school year brought up new challenges with remote and hybrid learning and Upbeat's support helped us address these challenges and support our principals and teachers."
Additionally, in response to teacher recruitment and retention, Greenville County has launched the Greenville Alternative Teachers Education (GATE) program to recruit and train new teachers without education degrees.
Upbeat continues to build strategic partnerships with schools and districts across South Carolina and recently expanded its work in South Carolina with Beaufort County and Lexington 1.
"These districts have shown a strong commitment to teacher voice," said Henry Wellington, founder and CEO of Upbeat. "I look forward to how our partnerships will continue to grow their impact on employee culture next school year and beyond."
About Upbeat
Upbeat works with K-12 districts across the country to administer a research-grounded survey to elevate teacher engagement and retention by fostering strong school environments. Founded and led by former educators, we bring together data scientists, technologists, and experienced former school leaders to deliver a research-backed solution. Our surveys paired with tailored toolkits and intervention strategies, surface real-time insights so that principals and district leaders are able to better understand and uncover the conditions affecting employee morale and establish actionable plans to improve teacher and staff retention. More information about the company and its approach can be found at http://teachupbeat.com.
Media Contact
Kate Chizek, Upbeat Education, +1 3193830688, [email protected]
SOURCE Upbeat Education
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