Teachers at this SC school may soon have to reapply for their jobs. Here’s why

Lakeview Middle School in Greenville County has long been one of the most underperforming schools in South Carolina. Over the years, the school district has tried any number of programs and added personnel, all without success.

Now, district leadership wants to add incentive pay up to $12,500 a year for teachers and administrators and require that all the staff reapply for their jobs. Those hired would have two years to show students are making gains.

The goal is to get experienced teachers in a school that’s been plagued with teacher turnover, discipline problems and overall lack of student engagement.

District administrators call the program Elevate and rolled it out for school board members this week, some of whom appeared skeptical. But others praised it as innovative, out of the box and one trustee Debi Bush said it was something she’s wanted during 28 years on the board.

The board spent 4 hours talking about it in what they call the committee of the whole, and, after several votes, agreed to consider it formally at the next board meeting Nov. 28.

“All the other things we’ve done aren’t working,” Superintendent Burke Royster told the board.

He called Elevate “radically different.” School district administrators spent several years studying what’s been done to see what needs to be done, he said.

Lakeview is in the bottom 5% of nearly 600 Title 1 schools in South Carolina.

Royster said if Lakeview continues as it is the school could be taken over by the state Department of Education in 2025.

The Elevate pilot program would also be implemented at Alexander Elementary, which is about 2 miles from Lakeview.

The pilot would cost $3.3 million in Title 1 money and $4.5 million from the general fund.

The board conversation centered largely around Lakeview, which has a majority of students for whom English is not their first language. In the just-announced state school report cards, Lakeview scored 33 of 100 — below average — and received its lowest scores in academic achievement and school climate.

Trustee Lynda Leventis Wells, whose background includes working as the deputy psychologist and investigator for the Richland County Sheriff’s Department as well as several education jobs in Greenville County, said she was concerned that teachers would teach to the standardized tests that will be used in part to determine whether teachers are judged highly and therefore get the bonuses, the minimum being $5,000 a year.

She said the Lakeview-Alexander area has a high poverty rate and transiency and suggested the middle school coordinator at the district work in the school for a year to turn it around.

Several trustees said they had already heard from worried constituents.

Trustee Anne Pressley objected to moving teachers after two years.

“If a teacher is truly subpar and not doing their job, moving a problem is not an answer.”

But board chair Carolyn Styles in a rousing speech in favor of the program said she thinks accomplished teachers will be interested because of the challenge, a sense of advancement and the extra pay tacked onto their retirement benefit.

She spent 25 years in education, including a stint at Skyland Elementary in Greenville County as principal.

“The quality of teachers in the classroom is the No. 1 factor in student success,” she said. “A high quality teacher is skilled in control of the classroom and can get students engaged.”

She said students in those schools deserve a culture focused on achievement. Styles praised administrators for developing a program that is research-based and cutting edge.

“I want to do something different,” Styles said.