Weekly Update

May 9, 2025

Supporting Educators Beyond this Week

As Kansas and Missouri celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, educators across both states and the nation are sounding the same alarm: appreciation is welcome, but action is essential. Recent survey data show a profession under strain, with many teachers questioning whether they can or should continue in the classroom.

What teachers are telling us

According to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey, only one-third of public school teachers are highly satisfied with their jobs, and more than half say they would not recommend the profession to others. A deeper look reveals the complexity behind these figures:

33% of teachers are very satisfied with their jobs (vs. 51% of U.S. workers overall)
84% say they lack enough time in the day to complete their work
30% are considering leaving the classroom this year — most for careers outside education
Despite the pressures, over half still describe the work as fulfilling, driven by strong relationships with students and colleagues.

Teachers are also concerned about student well-being:

49% report increased behavior challenges since the pandemic.
48% say academic performance is fair or poor, especially in high-poverty schools.
Nearly 1 in 3 teachers help students with mental health challenges daily.

Understanding Kansas educators

In Kansas, a 2023 statewide educator survey found that more than half of teachers report feeling disengaged. Salary dissatisfaction, student behavior challenges, and mental health pressures were among the most cited concerns.

Only 29% of Kansas teachers report being “engaged” or “strongly engaged” in their work—down from 36% in 2021.
A combined 55% of teachers report being disengaged or actively disengaged.
Salary, mental health support, and classroom behavior management are among the lowest-rated aspects of the job.
Teachers with 4–11 years of experience — often considered the backbone of the workforce — are significantly less engaged and more likely to consider leaving.
21% of teachers with a second job said they were likely to leave the profession—compared to 13% of those without one.

Kansas teachers continue to value collaboration and their relationships with students and principals. But only 2 out of 5 teachers agree that “society values the profession.”

Missouri educators juggle fulfillment and fatigue

According to the Missouri State Teachers Association 2024 Member Survey:

70% of teachers find their work fulfilling, and 83% feel supported by colleagues, but many cite overload and lack of time as top stressors.
More than half say student behavior has gotten worse, with increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and chronic absenteeism.
Mid-career educators (around 10–20 years in the field) are the most likely to report burnout.
Many teachers feel state-level policy debates and public rhetoric have made the profession feel less respected and more politicized.

Still, teachers remain committed to the classroom but are asking for change.

Where states go from here

Retention challenges are particularly acute for mid-career educators and those in high-need schools. And while many surveys reveal frustration, they also show teachers willing to stay if given the right conditions.

A 2022 report from Education Commission of the States outlines practical steps states can take to improve teacher retention and rebuild the pipeline:

Invest in early-career support through mentorship, teacher induction, and professional learning communities.
Expand "Grow Your Own" initiatives that help paraprofessionals, high school students, and local community members enter the profession.
Prioritize working conditions, especially in rural and high-poverty schools, by addressing class sizes, behavioral support, and planning time.
Enhance compensation strategies, including loan forgiveness, signing bonuses for high-need roles, and retention pay.
Improve data systems to identify shortage areas and better understand where policy interventions are most needed.

Aligned’s Take: Teachers show up for Kansas and Missouri students every day even as the challenges grow. As we honor educators this week, the most meaningful gesture we can offer is a commitment to policy that matches the value of their work. That means addressing workload, pay, preparation, and respect, because gratitude without change won’t be enough to keep great teachers in the classroom.

Upcoming Events

Webinar Series

Aligned is launching a new Education Policy Webinar Series to bring timely, accessible conversations to Missouri and Kansas stakeholders. Each session features a brief presentation from Aligned staff or invited guests, followed by live Q&A. Attendees will receive supporting materials such as briefs or policy reports to continue the conversation beyond the screen.

Special Education Funding in Missouri and Kansas

Wednesday, May 14 | 12:00–1:00 pm

Gain insight into how special education is funded across federal, state, and local levels and the challenges districts face in meeting student needs.

Additional sessions are scheduled for:

Wednesday, June 18
Wednesday, August 13
Wednesday, September 10
Wednesday, November 12

Save the dates — and stay tuned for registration links and session topics in upcoming newsletters.

In-Person Policy Update

Kansas City Education Policy Update

Monday, May 20, 2025

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

SafetyCulture | Crossroads District, Kansas City

What to Expect:

Policy Progress Report – Learn about the key education issues Aligned has been advancing in Jefferson City and Topeka.

Strategic Discussion – Help shape our next steps in improving education policy at the state and local levels.

Collaboration & Networking – Connect with civic and business leaders committed to educational progress in the region.

Please reply to claudia@wearealigned.org if you would like to attend.

Finance Course

Georgetown Edunomics Certificate Course

June 10–11, 2025

Kauffman Foundation Conference Center, Kansas City, Missouri

Aligned is proud to host the Edunomics Certificate Course in partnership with Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. This intensive, four-day training explores cost drivers, resource equity, policy impacts, and financial decision-making in education systems.

School board members, district leaders, policymakers, and education advocates encouraged to attend.

Event sponsors include:

Venue Sponsor - Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Platinum Sponsor - Missouri Charter School Association & William T. Kemper Foundation - Commerce Bank, Trustee
Gold Sponsors - U.S. Engineering and Holland 1916 Inc.
Bronze Sponsors - JE Dunn Construction, KIDaccount, BMG Advisors and the City of Kansas City Missouri

Missouri Update

Broad Support, Narrow Block: Child Care Tax Credit Bill Stalls in Senate

This week, a widely supported effort to address Missouri’s child care crisis hit a wall in the Senate. Despite an agreement to pass the bill — and overwhelming backing from business, civic, and advocacy groups — a few senators filibustered, HB 269, a bill designed to support working families and strengthen Missouri’s economy.

The legislation, championed by Representative Brenda Shields, is a package of tax credits aimed at increasing the availability of child care across the state. Far from expanding government, the bill incentivizes private investment in private providers, offering tax relief to employers supporting employee child care and providers serving low-income families.

HB 269 passed the House last month on a 120-34 vote, earning some of the broadest support this session. Dozens of organizations — including major employers, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, and early childhood advocates — have pushed for its passage, calling it a critical step toward solving the workforce challenges caused by Missouri’s persistent child care shortage.

With just a week left in the legislative session, the path forward is uncertain. 

Omnibus Education Bill Advances Key Aligned Priorities

A bill originally intended to address reducing lead in drinking water, SB 68,has evolved into a broader education package that now includes two provisions that Aligned strongly supports. The bill has cleared conference committee and awaits final approval in both chambers before heading to the governor’s desk.

One provision would make the teacher externship program permanent by removing its sunset. This program allows educators to earn graduate-level credit for salary schedules and allows educators to spend time in real-world workplaces, gaining insights they can bring back to the classroom to better connect learning with career pathways.

Another provision would prioritize phonics-based reading instruction in Missouri schools, aligning with research on the science of reading. While it stops short of banning the use of the three-cueing method, it requires districts to adopt curricula grounded in phonics-based literacy practices.

Read summary of key provisions supported by Aligned

Open Enrollment Legislation Likely Dead

This session, an open enrollment bill made it further through the legislative process than ever before as HB 711 was debated on the Senate floor, marking real progress for a policy that gives families more public-school options. Aligned was proud to support the bill and remained adamant throughout the process that lawmakers include funding for student transportation to ensure that families from all income levels can participate in the program, not just those with means.

Unfortunately, the addition of unrelated amendments ended up derailing the bill. We are disappointed to see a promising piece of legislation sidelined but remain hopeful that lawmakers will return next year with a clean open enrollment bill and transportation provisions.

EdChoice writes, “Transportation is one of the greatest barriers for open enrollment students, especially those from low-income families.”

Note: The Missouri General Assembly is still in session at the time of this publication, therefore we will not have a full legislative report this week.

Budget

On Friday the House and Senate formally approved the state's FY26 operating budget, sending the $49.8 billion spending plan to Gov. Mike Kehoe ahead of the 6pm deadline. The General Assembly also approved another $3.8 billion in spending for capital improvements, reappropriations, and ARPA spending, bringing the total budget to approximately $53.5 billion for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

For the first time in recent years the budget process came down to the wire, with many tense moments as appropriators negotiated compromise positions between the House and Senate budget priorities passed in April. Overall the budget proposes spending $210 million less than Gov. Kehoe recommended in his January State of the State Address, includes approximately $1.9 billion in negotiated changes between both chambers, and spends $16.2 billion of general revenue, mainly from income and sales taxes.

Over weeks of behind the scenes negotiations and two days of public hearings, among other differences the compromise includes fully funding the state's education Foundation Formula with an additional $300 million of General Revenue, a $107 million investment in childcare subsidies proposed by Gov. Kehoe but left out of the initial budget passed by the House, and $50 million of General Revenue for education savings accounts for private school expenses.

The budget now heads to Gov. Kehoe for consideration.

In other news

Kansas Update

Task Force weighs options for overhauling school finance formula

The Kansas School Funding Task Force met this week for two days of discussion, laying early groundwork for a new K-12 funding formula set to replace the current structure before it sunsets in 2027. Although members agreed on the urgency of beginning work, they raised significant questions about the scope and timeline, and policy priorities of the eventual formula.

Balancing timeliness and thoroughness

A key focus of the meeting was whether a preliminary formula proposal could be ready for legislative review by January 2026. Some members supported that goal to ensure enough time for deliberation, feedback, and revision. Others expressed concern that compressing the timeline could lead to oversights and expose the state to legal risks.

Kansas’ school funding system has been subject to litigation in the past, and there is widespread interest in ensuring any new model meets constitutional standards for equity and adequacy.

Policy issues front and center

The range of policy issues discussed by the members further emphasized the task at hand. Topics included:

Special education. The first day saw the task force conduct a deep dive in Kansas’ special education funding model, which currently reimburses districts for 92% of “excess costs” — expenses not covered by other state or federal dollars. Members looked at how other states provide special education dollars and learned that states often use more than one approach to provide basic funding and funding for high-need special education students.

At-risk funding. Some members proposed consolidating at-risk funding into the base amount to simplify the formula and provide more flexibility. Others warned that doing so could reduce support for students with greater academic challenges.

Pre-K funding. Over the years, states are increasingly including support for public Pre-K programs in K-12 funding formulas. Task Force members talked at length about the pros and cons of this approach and pondered whether expanding Pre-K funding would complicate the committee’s already large scope of work. Note: Kansas currently provides funding for students enrolled in the preschool-aged at-risk program, equaling 50% of the base amount of funding for a K-12 student.

Teacher pay. The Task Force talked about proposals to establish minimum statewide salary requirements. These policies are referred to as salary schedules, and Missouri is an example of a state with one in operation. Essentially, these schedules require a minimum amount per teacher and specify how much teachers make based on length of service and educational attainment. Supporters framed the idea to ensure educators earn a living wage across all districts. However, others raised questions about cost, local flexibility, and whether salary requirements would translate into improved student performance.

The Task Force heard from national experts throughout the two day meeting about the range of approaches states employ to fund schools. Most states now use student-based formulas, including Kansas, and provide additional funding for specified student populations: special education students, English language learners, and students from low-income backgrounds.

The crucial question: how much funding is allocated to these students.

Members will meet multiple times in the coming months to discuss even more policy issues and attempt to put together a new funding model for Kansas K-12 public education.

What’s next for literacy in Kansas?

As Kansas rethinks how it funds public education, a central question emerged during this week’s task force meeting: how can the state better support literacy instruction to ensure more students are reading on grade level?

One avenue previously explored was the Kansas Blueprint for Literacy, which aimed to align teacher preparation and professional development around the science of reading — an evidence-based approach that includes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

The Blueprint proposed clear goals: retrain current educators, update teacher prep programs, and ensure systemwide understanding of effective reading instruction. Although the Blueprint for Literacy remains in statute, state and federal funding has not been sustained, effectively stalling its implementation.

This development raises an important question: if not through the Blueprint, how can Kansas support a consistent, research-backed approach to reading instruction across its schools?

During the task force meeting, members stressed that gains in student reading achievement — like those seen in states such as Mississippi — often follow coordinated efforts across schools of education, school districts, and state agencies. Simply put, every teacher, principal, and school leader needs to understand and implement high-quality literacy instruction.

Without a stable source of funding or a unified strategy, efforts risk becoming fragmented. Yet the need remains urgent. Declining reading scores, particularly among young students, point to the importance of early intervention and consistent instructional practices. Any future school finance framework that aims to improve outcomes must grapple with how to support literacy at scale.

Aligned’s Take: Literacy is not just a classroom issue — it’s a nationwide imperative. Kansas needs a clear, sustained strategy to help educators at all levels align around evidence-based reading practices. Whether that’s through renewed investment in a statewide framework or integration into school finance and teacher training systems, the goal should remain the same: equipping every child with the ability to read, learn, and thrive.

In other news

Eric Syverson and his wife Emily on a recent trip to Toledo, Spain.

Team Spotlight: Eric Syverson, Director of Policy - Kansas

In a short time, Eric Syverson has brought a new depth to Aligned’s policy work —contributing to analysis that’s both thoughtful and accessible. His work shows up in the clarity of our newsletters, the insight in our policy briefs, and the engagement in our webinars. Eric has a gift for making complex ideas easier to understand, helping turn education policy into something people can connect with and act on. “Policy work is part detective, part translator,” he explains. “And also, a lot of reading."

Eric credits his own teachers with sparking his interest in education policy — and he’s driven by a deep belief in the power of public service.

As Aligned’s Director of Policy & Research in Kansas, Eric is at the center of several key initiatives. He leads our webinar series, helps shape education and workforce policy grounded in strong research, and plays a critical role in crafting our newsletter. “It’s something I’ve put a lot of thought and energy into as a way to keep our network informed and engaged,” he says.

Looking ahead, Eric hopes to grow Aligned’s influence across the Midwest, strengthening the organization’s role as the go-to policy resource for lawmakers and building more bridges between business leaders and education advocates.

Outside of work, you might find him cycling the backroads, finetuning his barista skills, or spending time with his wife and their demanding mini Aussie, Shiloh.

His favorite quote comes from legendary coach Vince Lombardi: “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

All the best,

Torree Pederson

President

torree@wearealigned.org

Linda Rallo

Vice President

linda@wearealigned.org

Eric Syverson

Director of Policy

erics@wearealigned.org

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About Aligned

Aligned is the only state-wide non-profit, nonpartisan business group working in Kansas and Missouri on educational issues impacting the full development of our children, from supporting high-quality early learning to solid secondary programs that provide rigorous academic programs and real-world learning opportunities.

Our vision is that our public education systems in Kansas and Missouri have the resources and flexibility to prepare students to pursue the future of their choice.

We are currently focused on education policies that will strengthen early childhood education, teacher recruitment and retention, and school finance reform.

Learn more about our work.