About one in six Kansas teachers feel they’re likely to leave public education before retiring. That’s according to the Topeka Capital Journal, which cites the Kansas Educator Engagement and Retention Study, which surveyed 20,000 teachers.
The study was conducted by Emporia State University Teachers College Professor, Bret Church and independent Organizational Psychologist, Luke Simmering. The study also found that one in seven teachers feel likely to retire in the next three years. The survey’s report adds a layer to other Kansas data that show the state’s schools are facing a staffing shortage.
Teacher vacancies, including jobs filled with teachers not fully licensed for those positions, rose 62% to 1,253 vacancies in fall 2021, per a report from the Kansas State Department of Education. The study’s response rate represents about half of the state’s teaching work force, with teachers from 169 out of 286 Kansas school districts responding.
