CHARLESTON, S.C. – More than 430 educators earned $2.9 million in performance bonuses for the 2023-24 school year as part of the Excellence in Teaching Awards, which honor educators who significantly impact students’ academic growth in high-needs schools.

The Excellence in Teaching Awards celebrate the life-changing work of transformative educators and are provided on top of teachers’ base salaries.

“It makes teaching feel more professional,” said Katherine Kobosko, a Meeting Street – Brentwood kindergarten teacher who was one of the biggest award earners within the Meeting Street Schools network. “In corporate jobs that my friends work, they get bonuses based on their performance. I like that Meeting Street has found a way to reward us for going the extra mile. We would do it anyway – we want to make sure our kids are learning the most they can – but it’s nice to feel appreciated in this way. We take a lot of pride in our kids growing and doing well.”

The Excellence in Teaching Awards originally launched in 2021 in four Meeting Street Schools, which are a mix of private and public schools providing exceptional academic opportunities for students.

Since then, the Awards have expanded to a total of 29 schools statewide, including 14 in Charleston County School District, three in the Legacy Early College network, and seven HOPE Network schools operated by the South Carolina Department of Education.

In Meeting Street Schools and Charleston County School District, the Awards are philanthropically funded. Elsewhere in South Carolina, Meeting Street Schools manages the Awards program but the Awards are funded through a mix of private and public dollars.

“It’s an honor to recognize these passionate teachers who are changing the lives of young South Carolinians,” said State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver. “Because of their steadfast commitment to their students, our state’s future is brighter than ever. I am thrilled to see the Excellence in Teaching Awards expand, as we celebrate South Carolina educators who go above and beyond in their classrooms each day.”

Research has proven time and again that students from low-income backgrounds often begin school further behind their peers from more affluent backgrounds, and the achievement gap between those students is even wider now than before the pandemic.

“These teachers, particularly those who are repeat earners, are making a meaningful difference in closing the achievement gap for South Carolina students,” said Josh Bell, president of Beemok Education, which manages the Excellence in Teaching Awards. “We’re proud to honor these phenomenal teachers for their exceptional outcomes and look forward to expanding this program to more districts and deserving educators. The Excellence in Teaching Awards are a unique honor in South Carolina because they are based solely on students’ academic growth. This represents a novel approach to incentivizing excellence and raising our expectations for students’ progress.”

The Awards have been shown to have a demonstrable effect on teacher retention as well as motivation to work even harder to maximize student growth, according to surveys of Excellence in Teaching Awards recipients.

The Excellence in Teaching Awards include two components: classroom growth and individual student advancement. To earn an Award for classroom growth, educators’ students must advance more than one year in reading or math. To earn an Award for individual student growth, students must move up at least one quartile in reading or math. The bigger the growth, the bigger the Award.

In Charleston County School District, teachers in seven Acceleration Schools were eligible for the Award. The Acceleration Schools are a comprehensive, multi-year school turnaround effort focused on the district’s under-performing schools. The district’s seven Transformation Schools, which are seven elementary schools collaborating on resources and professional development, also were eligible for the Award. Acceleration and Transformation teachers’ earnings accounted for $1.5 million of the Excellence in Teaching Awards.

“The Excellence in Teaching Awards are a testament to the unwavering dedication of our educators, who are determined to foster academic growth in every student,” said Anita Huggins, superintendent of Charleston County School District. “Our teachers are passionate and committed to helping students achieve their fullest potential. These Awards celebrate both the students’ and teachers’ outcomes, and it’s my honor to highlight these outstanding professionals who go above and beyond to ensure their students succeed.”

Ariana Snowden is among the top 15 biggest earners for Meeting Street Schools and has won an Excellence in Teaching Award every year since its inception. The first-grade teacher at Meeting Street – Burns is saving her award to help buy a house.

“Everyone knows teachers are underpaid for our work, and we work exceptionally hard to achieve what’s possible,” she said. “The Award is a game changer and makes things a bit easier financially, especially for single teachers like me.”

Shelby Rampey, who co-teaches kindergarten at Meeting Street – Brentwood with Katherine Kobosko, said the Award doesn’t affect how she approaches her job, but it does affect how she feels about it.

“Regardless of the Award, I would still put in as much effort and want my kids to grow as much,” she said. “It makes you not want to leave Meeting Street Schools at all because it is such a huge incentive. It makes you feel very appreciated. It makes you feel like what you’re doing is making a difference, and it’s good to have that incentive to make you feel appreciated.”

BY THE NUMBERS

• Highest classroom award: $58,500
• Average classroom award: $5,001
• Total teachers earning an Award: 434
• Percentage of eligible teachers earning an award: 74 percent
• Number of eligible campuses: 29