“All of this is all taking a toll on recruiting and retaining teachers, and there’s mounting evidence that Kansas teachers are becoming disenchanted. And out-of-state districts are taking advantage…

“Right now there are some 700 openings in the state for teachers and non-teaching staff. Wilson says that’s double the number of openings they usually have this time of year.

“Kansas teachers, she says, just don’t feel supported…Wilson and other educators say it’s hard to fill teaching jobs in Kansas right now because not only has funding not kept up with needs, but how schools will be funded is up in the air…Revenue continues to lag so the budget in Kansas next year will be challenging, at best.

“But it’s not just the budget.

“The legislature has stripped Kansas teachers of tenure protection and this session tried to severely limit their bargaining power.

“That’s an ugly combination for many young teachers, like Morgan Rodecap who’s teaching math this summer at Pioneer Ridge Middle School in Independence, Missouri.

“School leaders…are worried about the long-term stability and support for education in the state…

“The real fear is the long-term effect on Kansas education. School districts now have to worry about a shrinking pool of young teachers at a time of massive baby boomer retirements. Meaning the true damage might not be felt for several years.”

Read/listen to more here: http://kcur.org/post/kansas-becoming-hard-place-teach-so-teachers-are-crossing-state-line