Understanding Missouri’s Low Teacher Retention Rates
August 7, 2023 7:35AM CDT
South Harrison Elementary classroom being prepared for new school year
(Missouri Net) What happens if there is no one to teach your kid in school? That’s what’s on the mind of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) as the agency studies why Missouri has a low teacher retention rate for early career teachers.
Paul Katnik says the department is studying school districts that use grant funds for teacher retention.
Katnik also hopes that investing in the Grow Your Own program pays off. It’s a program that recruits students to become future educators.
Over 500 school districts are using state grant funding toward retaining more new teachers. In addition, this year’s state budget again includes state funding to boost annual teacher salaries below 38-thousand dollars.