The Kansas Board of Education is creating a group to study the teacher shortage that's affecting parts of Kansas. As Stephen Koranda reports, the group will recommend ways to make the job more attractive and keep teachers from leaving the career.
The new committee will look at issues like why fewer people are becoming teachers in Kansas and what they can do to reverse that trend.
“This ship will not be turned around in a day, but we have to start the process of turning the ship,” says Board of Education Chairman Jim McNiece.
He says the committee will report to the full board four times per year to explain their progress and recommendations. He says this isn’t just a group that will be leisurely studying the issue. There’s a sense of urgency here.
“We want to keep the heat on the issue as a board. We can’t just say ‘OK, the committee’s got it, we’ve done our job.’ No. Our job is just starting,” McNiece says.
The committee will include both K-12 and higher education officials.
