South Carolina education officials are increasingly dealing with how to discipline misbehaving teachers, an upward trend a state school board spokesman could be linked to better reporting, technology and awareness.
The Greenville News reports the state Board of Education addressed 138 teacher disciplinary cases last year, an increase of more than 30 percent from 2016.
Almost half of those disciplinary cases involved sexual, physical or verbal misconduct toward students or colleagues. That’s up from 2016, when about four out of 10 cases involved teachers in inappropriate physical, sexual or verbal incidents.
State school board spokesman Ryan Brown says there’s no clear reason for the spike, but more accountability measures are in place than in the past. He says how teachers communicate and act with students also has changed.
