Laurens County School District 55 Launches New Partnership To Support District Efforts To Improve Teacher Retention

Laurens County School District 55 announced a new partnership with Upbeat, an innovative teacher retention organization led by former teachers and school leaders.

Laurens, SC (PRWEB) - The collaboration reflects the district's commitment to address the factors contributing to teacher turnover and utilizes state funding from the Rural Recruitment Initiative administered by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA).

Rural Recruitment Initiative (RRI) funding can be utilized by eligible districts for specific recruitment and retention initiatives. Laurens County qualified for the RRI funding during the 2021-22 school year.

In their partnership, Upbeat will administer a comprehensive survey to Laurens County’s certified staff each spring that examines research-based categories that impact teacher retention, including school climate, hiring and onboarding, professional development, and teacher appreciation.

After analyzing the data, Upbeat will equip district leaders with data and key insights into the district’s current retention and engagement efforts. Upbeat will also provide the district with exit surveying and analysis into why teachers are leaving the district.

“We’re looking forward to gaining a better understanding of teachers’ satisfaction with their schools and how district and school leaders can best support educators,” Dr. Ameca Thomas, Superintendent of Laurens County School District 55, said. “As we begin to partner with Upbeat and utilize the engagement data, it’s important for us to improve our teacher retention numbers. Every teacher retained counts, especially during this challenging time.”

Upbeat has partnered with Greenville County Schools and Fairfield County School District since 2018. Within the first year of partnership with Upbeat, Greenville County reduced turnover from 11% to 10.2% within the district and Fairfield County’s turnover rate decreased from 16.8% to 11% between 2018 and 2020. Additionally, Upbeat began a partnership with Beaufort County School District in spring 2021 and has worked with Lexington County School District One since the fall of 2020.

“As school districts across both South Carolina and the country are challenged with hiring shortages, retention has become more important than ever before,” Henry Wellington, founder and CEO of Upbeat said. “We’re excited to partner with Laurens County and provide district leaders the data they need to best support their staff.”

Upbeat continues to build strategic partnerships with schools and districts across the country in an effort to improve teacher engagement and retention using data. More information about the company and its approach can be found at teachupbeat.com.

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 teachupbeat.com.