Educators to receive training as Stewards of Children

About 20 percent of Palmetto State educators will go through training sessions beginning this summer in an effort to curb the number of educators having sexual relations with students.

At least 10,000 South Carolina teachers, administrators, guidance counselors and school nurses will go through the Stewards of Children program developed by Darkness to Light, a national nonprofit headquartered in Charleston. Officials hope to offer the training sessions to more South Carolina teachers in the future.

"Incidents of misconduct represent only a tiny fraction of our teaching force, but even one incident is one too many," said state Education Superintendent Jim Rex in a statement. "We've got to stay vigilant."

The Education Department will pay $30,000 for the training sessions, and Darkness to Light has pledged $132,700. Private schools also will be invited to participate for a fee.

Teachers in South Carolina and across the country have been accused of having sexual relations with students. Since May of last year, eight local teachers have been arrested on charges related to inappropriate behavior involving students.

The Stewards of Children is a course designed for organizations that serve children. The program's components include a video with personal stories from sexual abuse survivors and the professionals who work with them. The course will enable each school district to have a trained facilitator to teach other local educators and lead a response team when abuse is suspected or reported.

Charleston schools have been training educators in this program for the past few years, and within the past year, Dorchester 2 and Berkeley County school- teachers have started taking part in the program, said Pat Patrick, vice president of prevention and education for Darkness to Light.

A statewide task force organized last year recommended that educators receive training on this issue.

The task force plans to continue suggesting additional initiatives, such as working with education colleges to refine and improve training for future teachers and adding the Stewards of Children program to the state's program that trains those who switch careers to become teachers.

Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@post andcourier.com.