Palmetto Promise Submits Written Testimony on Teacher Mobility Compact Bill
Earlier today, I submitted the below written testimony on H. 5309, which would opt South Carolina in to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. The testimony was submitted in advance of the bill’s hearing before the House Education and Public Works Committee on March 31, 2026.
Dear Representative Erickson,
Palmetto Promise Institute appreciates the opportunity to submit written testimony to the Education and Public Works Committee on H. 5309. This bill would opt South Carolina into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact (ITMC), which would standardize and expedite the licensure process for teachers moving between Compact member states.
There are currently 13 true members of the ITMC: Washinton, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Alabama, and Florida (Mississippi has also joined but made material changes to the Compact language in their authorizing legislation). South Carolina has a unique opportunity to position itself as the only viable option for teachers looking to move to the Southeastern United States since none of its neighbors have joined the ITMC.
At its core, the ITMC is designed to ensure that teachers are not subject to burdensome licensure requirements when moving between states, allowing them to focus on educating students rather than checking administrative boxes set by each state. In South Carolina, the teacher licensure process is robust – the “standard” process requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited educator preparation program, clearing child abuse and criminal background checks, and passing the content knowledge exam for your desired subject (e.g. your Praxis exams). However, South Carolina also permits alternative certification routes, which allow an educator who is otherwise qualified to teach but has not completed an educator preparation program to teach while in school, adjunct certification for industry professionals, and even certifications for international exchange teachers.
For teachers from other states, earning their licensure is similarly complex. If the teacher meets all other requirements for certification in South Carolina but does not have adequate experience (a minimum of 27 months of qualified teaching experience in the last seven years), that teacher will only be granted an Initial Certificate – the same nonrenewable certificate issued to new teachers graduating college. To advance to a standard, renewable Professional Certificate, the out-of-state teacher must work in a public school, participate in their district’s employee induction program (as applicable), earn satisfactory reviews on their evaluations, and submit their pedagogy exam scores to the state for consideration.
The ITMC simplifies and standardizes this process. Once opted-in, member states determine what licenses and certifications they are willing to offer for equivalency, and upon receiving an application for licensure in one of those areas from a teacher with an unencumbered license in a Compact state, will grant that teacher the requested license or certification. For active duty military members or their spouse, they are granted certain additional licensure flexibility to ease their transition between states when moving due to military service.
ITMC membership will not reduce the quality of educators in South Carolina. The State Department of Education retains the power to determine what licenses and certifications are eligible for equivalency and may update that list. It requires that non-military teachers applying for equivalency have an unencumbered license before applying, which is defined as “…a current, valid authorization issued by a member state’s licensing authority allowing an individual to serve as a teacher in P-12 public educational settings. An unencumbered license is not a restricted, probationary, provisional, substitute or temporary credential.” Member states are also required to provide documentation of any investigations or discipline for teachers from other states, and these teachers are subjected to the same child abuse and criminal background checks as a “homegrown” teacher.
This bill comes at a critical time – though teacher vacancies are improving according to the 2025-26 South Carolina Annual Educator Supply and Demand Report published by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA), there are still 706 vacant positions in South Carolina school districts, with almost 550 of those being vacant teaching positions. Special education makes up nearly 150 of those vacant teaching positions, followed by science, math, music, and early childhood. Just under 13% of the teachers hired for this school year transferred from another state – H. 5309 would open the teacher supply line further and set the stage for making meaningful progress in addressing the teacher shortage in South Carolina.
We applaud the House Education and Public Works Committee for indicating their support for teachers across the country and for continuing to make South Carolina competitive when it comes to people deciding where to live and work.
