MO teachers speak with board of education on turnover issues

ST. LOUIS (KMOV) -- Missouri is looking for answers to its teacher turnover problem. A state report shows that 5 percent of full-time teaching positions were vacant during the 2020-2021 school year.

New teachers in Missouri are some of the most underpaid in the nation. The National Education Association found their average salary amounts to just over $33,000. Gov. Mike Parson recently approved an increase in teachers’ minimum pay to $38,000.

The Blue Ribbon Commission from the state’s board of education is conducting a survey that Missouri educators can fill out and recommend policy changes. The survey closes Friday at 4 p.m.