I’m the superintendent of Marion County School District, a rural district with low income and high unemployment compared to neighboring communities. We are surrounded by communities with wealthier tax bases and the ability to pay teachers higher salaries than we are. More generally, our state tends to struggle at producing college graduates with teaching degrees. Taken all together, it creates a situation in which it’s very difficult to recruit highly-qualified teachers into the district.
– Dr. Kandace Bethea, Superintendent of Marion County for Getting Smart
