Classroom Crisis

School districts across America are facing a crisis – not enough qualified teachers to fill all of the open classroom positions. Some jobs are left unfilled. Teacher shortages lead to crowded classrooms and less time for individual instruction. This problem is real, and it hits home.

According to the Kansas State Department of Education, 36 percent of Kansas teachers — 13,000 of the state’s 37,000 classroom instructors — are eligible to retire within the next five years. Compounding the problem, a decreasing number of Kansas college graduates are entering the education field.

Fortunately, New Teachers For Kansas (NT4K), a central clearinghouse of resources and information, is available to help reduce teacher shortages in Kansas.