TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — For years there’s been a teacher shortage in Kansas. This year things are no different. The Kansas State Board of Education took a step to address that issue. Members of the blue ribbon task force are here to find out why teachers in Kansas are changing their job field and why there’s a decline in teacher education majors. Rudy Perez, a member of the task force, and principal of Norton Community High School says he thinks salaries are one of the reasons why there’s been a decline in the past few years.
“The other one is that the profession,” Perez said. “It’s getting beat up left and right and , you know, by different entities. And the last thing is retaining those early teachers.”
The other issue is a decline in students majoring in education in the state of Kansas.
“Twenty three hundred plus, less just over the last three years,” Ken Weaver, Dean of Teachers at Emporia State College. “That I think is a fairly big red flag.”
Both men say they’re looking to have a solution to this problem within the next five years. the Topeka Public Schools have decided to hold a job fair to put an end to their teacher shortage and better education in the area.
“We’ve got a lot of people who have retired and some folks leave because spouses have been transferred out of state…,” Ruth Marshall, recruitment coordinator for USD 501 said.
One applicant at the job fair says he’s noticed Kansas’ recent decline and is looking for things to change.
“The longer I stay in Topeka, the more urgent the need seems to me for teachers and a stellar education in Topeka,” applicant, Jakeb Maryott, said.
Maryott says he knows how important it is to fix this teacher shortage, because every child deserves a great education.
Click here to apply for the open positions for the USD 501 schools.
Click here to apply to any other schools hiring in the state of Kansas.
