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S.C. teachers make less money today than in 2008

New teachers in S.C. make an average of $30,000 dollars while more experienced teachers make nearly $50,000.

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — A study released by the National Education Association reveals South Carolina teachers are making less money today compared to ten years ago during the ‘Great Recession.’

New teachers in S.C. make an average of $30,000 dollars while more experienced teachers make nearly $50,000. According to national data experts, that’s a 7 percent drop from the 2008-09 school year.

Teachers are now left struggling for basic needs. It’s something Taylor D. Spencer witnessed firsthand.

“Some teachers had to supplement their income in additional ways by getting a side job or finding ways to leverage their income,” Spencer said.

Spencer, a former South Carolina public education teacher of five years, said when she worked in the classroom she also had to find ways to enhance her income.

“For example, if I was to try and teach standards with a song I would share that song with another teacher and sell it to them online,” she said.

Those sales eventually led Spencer to follow her dreams of becoming an educational entrepreneur and children’s author.

Now she’s sharing her story not to deter educators from the classroom, but to encourage them to use skills to their advantage.

“Use the resources that you’re already creating to supplement your income,” Spencer said. “If we work together we can ultimately help each other financially.”

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