SC TEACHER

Today was Day 1 of our annual SC TEACHER Insights Symposium. Education leaders and researchers facilitated discussions and presentations…

- Exploring all-new statewide findings from the inaugural SC Administrator Working Conditions Survey.
- Providing access to the District Landscape—an online tool for districts to dig deeper into their district-level results (alongside state-level results) from SC TEACHER surveys.
- Unpacking targeted breakout topics, such as data on differences in teacher and administrator retention.

We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow for Day 2!

Coming next Tuesday, the 2026 SC Administrator Working Conditions Survey report and overview unpack findings from the first-of-its-kind statewide study, exploring South Carolina public school administrators’ perceptions of job demands and resources, job satisfaction, and retention intentions.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to access the release next week: https://heyor.ca/XftKpx

Next week, the 2026 SC TEACHER Insights Symposium will bring education leaders from across South Carolina together to explore how educator workforce data can move beyond reflection and toward meaningful action.

Building on last year’s conversations, this year’s convening will examine how integrated data can inform leadership, shape policy, and support more sustainable systems for educators.

Follow along for highlights and key takeaways from this year’s symposium.

New data on South Carolina’s administrator workforce highlight the strength of internal leadership pipelines.

In 2024–25, 69% of newly hired administrators transitioned from within the state educator workforce—and nearly 75% of those hires remained within their same district.

These trends suggest that intentional mentoring and internal promotion practices may support stronger, more stable leadership pipelines.

Explore more findings in our latest report and overview: https://heyor.ca/JDq0Dd

Personnel administrators, encourage exiting teachers in your district to complete the 2026 SC Teacher Exit Survey by June 19.

Survey responses help your district better understand the working conditions influencing teachers’ decisions to leave—and support stronger retention efforts statewide.

Districts with 3+ participants receive district-specific results. More participation = stronger data and more actionable insights.

Data from 2024–25 suggest a complementary pattern in administrator recruitment: those entering from outside the state bring more prior experience, while those advancing from within are younger—indicating greater potential for long-term retention.

A balanced approach may strengthen both immediate capacity and pipeline sustainability.

Explore more in the full report and overview: https://heyor.ca/JDq0Dd

Principal retention in South Carolina has remained relatively stable since 2019–20, with post-pandemic declines rebounding in recent years.

At the same time, retention varies across state, district, and school levels—highlighting differences in administrator mobility within and between districts.

Download our latest report to see how these trends compare to teacher retention: https://heyor.ca/JDq0Dd

When your district participates in SC TEACHER surveys, your leaders gain deeper insight into the working conditions shaping teacher and administrator experiences.

Districts, fill out our brief Connect form to request tailored supports in unpacking your district-level survey results: https://heyor.ca/0TIXbA

Available now: a new report on South Carolina’s public school principals and assistant principals—focusing on demographics, professional attributes, patterns of workforce entry, and principal retention trends.

This study precedes our June 2026 release, which will analyze results from the state's first survey on school administrator working conditions.

Access the new report and overview: https://heyor.ca/gxdnCG