Missouri Education Department wants to Launch High School Program to Recruit Future Teachers

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education wants to create a new program designed to build high school students into future teachers. It is requesting 200,000 dollars in its next state budget to launch the “Grow Your Own” program. During a state Board of Education meeting, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Tracy Hinds says Missouri teachers are leaving the field in record numbers, particularly within the first five years.

“We are going to intentionally build our educator workforce from within through our Grow Your Own program,” says Hinds. “Our schools will become an innovative hub that will grow and develop talent to successfully enter the education field.”

Pay is another problem with keeping teachers. Missouri’s average teacher salary is about $42,000 – ranking it about 42nd in the nation.