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Highlands Today

Highlands Teachers Near Top In Years Of Experience

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: July 22, 2008

After teaching for 27 years, Patricia Carter has no plans to leave the classroom when she is eligible for retirement in three years.

"As long as I have the love in my heart that I do today and I don't become impatient or want to increase my knowledge - I'll continue to teach," she said recently. "I will not retire at 30 years."

If one rates teachers by experience, the Highlands County School District is near the head of the class with only two of the state's 67 counties having a higher average number of years of teacher experience.

In the 2006-07 school year, Highlands County teachers had an average of 14.8 years of experience. The state average was 12.6 years.

Only Okeechobee (14.9) and Madison (15) counties had a higher average of years of teaching experience, according to data for the Florida Department of Education.

Carter teaches advanced academics at Lake Placid and Lake Country elementary schools. This summer she is teaching third-graders attending the reading camp at Woodlawn Elementary School.

"I love working with children; I love teaching children; I work them hard, but you know what, they know it's the best for them," she said.

School District Human Resource Director Viviane Waldron believes teachers receive a great deal of support from the district and their schools, which leads to lower job turnover.

Also, as a smaller county, many educators choose to stay in Highlands County and raise their families here, she said.

Carter, was born and raised in Highlands County. After graduating from Lake Placid High School she worked as a paraprofessional for two years and then went back to college.

Carter serves as mentor to help new teachers adjust to the challenges of the job.

The overabundance of paperwork and testing can lead to burnout and people leaving the profession, she said.

Polk County ranks at the bottom in the state with only 8.9 average years of teacher experience.
Waldron said Polk County likely has a high turnover of teachers.

With only two years teaching experience, Scott King doesn't lack education or enthusiasm.

After serving as a youth minister and holding a degree in Christian education, the 38-year-old studied on Saturdays to earn his teaching certification.

He is also teaching a summer reading class at Woodlawn Elementary and looks forward to his third year teaching fourth grade at Park Elementary School.

"I will do whatever it takes to make sure these kids make it through because I want my students to be the best that they can be when they come out of my classroom," King said.

Being single affords him the time to work after-hours at school.

"My administration is so supportive," King said. Principal Brenda Longshore and Assistant Principal Debra Thompson are "fantastic leaders" and have gone out of their way to make sure he's always on the right page.

"I'm in this for the long haul - I love it," King said.

The average years of experience has gone down in the last five years in the county and statewide.

As more teachers retire as they reach their maximum time in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (D.R.O.P.), Waldron said, new teachers will replace them lowering the average years of experience.

Marc Valero can be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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