ST. LOUIS — As Missouri has the lowest starting pay for public school teachers in the country and the number of new teachers has only grown 3.7 percent since 2011, the Missouri State Board of Education has formed a commission to help them address teacher retention and recruitment issues across the state.

What You Need To Know

  • The 17-member commission is made up of five to 10 business leaders, four legislators, three State Board of Education members, one person from the governor’s staff, one member from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), two educators and one school leader

  • The Missouri Teacher Recruitment and Retention Blue Ribbon Commission held its second virtual meeting Wednesday where they discussed what restructuring teacher pay and support could look like

  • They are tasked with developing solutions to teacher recruitment and retention issues and have until Oct. 1 to come up with recommendations and action steps for the State Board of Education

The Missouri Teacher Recruitment and Retention Blue Ribbon Commission held its second virtual meeting Wednesday where they discussed what restructuring teacher pay and support could look like.

On Wednesday, the commission heard from guest speakers Johnny Key, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Education, and Dr. Lori Taylor, professor and head of the Department of Public Service and Administration, about compensation models and “how Missouri can leverage best practices and incorporate successful strategies from other states. 

The Hunt Institute reports that Missouri ranks 50th in the country for starting pay for public school teachers, which is at $32,970. Missouri teachers made on average $51,444 during the 2020-21 school year. For new teachers, state law requires school districts to allocate a minimum of $25,000 and $33,000 with a master’s degree and at least 10 years of public teaching experience.

Additionally, the institute reports that there has been a slow increase over the past 10 years in the number of Missouri teachers, and the “state continues to face teacher shortages in elementary, early childhood, and special education, as well as specific subject areas and in high-need schools. The teacher workforce also does not represent the student body, with white female teachers overrepresented.”

The 17-member commission is made up of five to 10 business leaders, four legislators, three State Board of Education members, one person from the governor’s staff, one member from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), two educators and one school leader.

They are tasked with developing solutions to teacher recruitment and retention issues and have until Oct. 1 to come up with recommendations and action steps for the State Board of Education.

After an hour of presentations, the commission divided into small groups to discuss crucial components for restructuring teacher compensation and having increased support for the teacher workforce in Missouri.

Below are some of the components discussed by each group:

-   Determining and communicating why the work of the commission is important.

-   Have across-the-board pay increase that stays year-to-year.

-   Have the ability to reward high-performing teachers with either pay raises or incentives and how to accurately measure one’s performance.

-   Put more pay toward schools that are difficult to staff.

-   Develop leadership opportunities outside of becoming an administrator or principal and include additional compensation for those roles.

-   Have better support structures for first- and second-year teachers.

-   Identify a dedicated funding stream or source.

-   Clearly define what restructuring compensation is such as creating equity across the state, or giving teachers incentives for performance, or rewarding the best teachers.

-   Create a “maintenance of effort” to hold school boards accountable for allocating dollars to teacher pay increases and incentives.

-   Recommendations must ensure schools and districts are able to meet their specific needs.

-   Develop accountability mechanisms to ensure teachers are supported with allocated dollars.

The groups also discussed the challenges with each of the components mentioned. The meeting ended with final remarks from the board president.

At the next virtual meeting, set for Aug. 23 at 2 p.m., they will draft recommendations consisting of takeaways from the first two meetings and the commission will reflect on conversations.

Before the next meeting, an online survey will be given to educators during the first week of August with questions about the work of the commission.

Additionally, an in-person public hearing for educators is set for Wednesday, Aug. 3, from 2-4 p.m. at the Governor Office Building where speakers will have a chance to respond to a specific prompt focused on the work of the commission. The hearing will be live-streamed and recorded for the public.

To read takeaways from the first meeting in June, click here. For more information on the commission, click here.