Teacher vacancies increase 30 percent, new report says

Posted Date: 10/13/2022

Teacher vacancies in Kansas have increased 30 percent since last fall, according to a new report.

The State Board of Education on Tuesday received its annual statewide teacher vacancies report that showed there were 1,628 vacancies this fall, up from 1,253 this time last year.

The largest reason cited for vacancies is a lack of an employee fully qualified for the position, accounting for 762 vacancies. In 683 cases, there was no applicant. Staff noted that in some cases, a “vacant” position means the job is being filled by someone without full qualifications, such as a substitute teacher. In other cases, the position is not filled, and the class is not available.

Teacher vacancies have been increasing in Kansas and other states over recent years and the trend was accelerated by the COVID pandemic and strong employment in other fields. State Board of Education members and others have cited concerns over low pay and declining respect for the teaching profession as other contributing factors

KSDE officials also reported a growing number of teachers are entering the profession from alternative teacher training routes that have been developed and approved by the Board in recent years. They will present to the board for action next month changes in regulations for substitute teachers.