Here in the Show-Me State, the vast majority of teachers say they are almost always stressed at their jobs, and it doesn't help that many educators are not paid well. The state ranks 44th in average teacher salary, but perhaps even more eye-opening is its last place ranking in starting pay for teachers.
Dr. Paul Katnik is the assistant commissioner in the Officer of Educator Quality, a branch of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). He says over the course of the last few years, enrollment in teacher education programs is going down. Meanwhile, retention of teachers who are already practicing is also substantially lower than it was before.
"It just basically means that we don't have the supply to meet the demand," he explains.
Mallory McGowin is the chief communications officer for the DESE. She believes there are two sides of the coin when it comes to the state improving its recruitment and retention of teachers. One side is obvious – raising teacher pay to be more competitive.
But, the other side, says McGowin, is just as important.
"How do we elevate this profession? How do we show teachers that we're committed to exploring the levels of support they receive from their school leaders?"
- Dr. Paul Katnik, assistant commissioner, Office of Educator Quality. Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Mallory McGowin, chief communications officer, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
