Despite state and national headlines of teacher shortages across the nation, the district has had no problem hiring teachers, Superintendent Stu Moeckel said.
Eudora lost 13 teachers at the end of the 2021-22 school year, an 11% turnover rate in line with the national average of 10%.
“I would say this is not different, or larger, than previous years,” said Amy Shanks, director of human resources. “You want a 90% retention rate, so that puts us right at 89%.”
Yet there are still issues locally and nationally navigating a lower number of teacher applications, filling specific positions, and managing teacher turnover and burnout.
A decrease in applicants
Like school districts around the nation, Eudora has seen a change in the number of teachers applying for open positions. The number of applicants averaged about 300 candidates in 2005, but in recent months there have been about 50, Moeckel said.
“When they talk about the teacher shortage, I think the pool just isn’t what it used to be,” Moeckel said. “The pools just aren’t what they were 15, 20 years ago.”
The smaller applicant pool could be a result of several things, Shanks said. The pandemic has been stressful for teachers, and pay is at a historic low across the nation, she said. However, the district did implement a 3% raise across the board.
“I think it is the same here as anywhere else in the U.S.,” Shanks said. “I do not think Kansas is unique in the reasons that less teachers are in that pool.”
The district has seen some turnover in the number of paraprofessionals, but Moeckel said this is normal for schools their size. The district has done everything it can to make sure any changes in personnel are not felt by students in the classroom, he said.
“Anytime we lose a paraprofessional, it is a burden on everybody: those classroom teachers, those students particularly, and even those families,” Moeckel said. “Our goal is to always have those fully staffed when at all possible.”
Statewide, the biggest vacancies are in the areas of special education and elementary school jobs, according to a report by the Kansas Department of Education earlier this year. The most reported reasons for these vacancies were a lack of applicants or a lack of qualification in the respective area.
Moeckel said the broader teaching shortage issue may also lie in a lack of interest in teaching among college students.
“The question is how do we work with secondary institutions, or even work with those kids while they’re in high school, to tell them ‘Teaching is a great job’ when you talk about the impact that has on lives every day?” Moeckel said.
Trends in Teaching
The U.S. Department of Education released a letter Wednesday with a three-point plan for addressing teacher shortages, including apprenticeship programs, increased collaboration between workforce and education systems, and ensuring teachers are paid competitive wages.
Many teachers feel burnout after years in the career. With little pay and long hours, teachers may find themselves having to re-learn “why?” they do what they do, new Eudora Spanish teacher Katelyn Kellerman said.
After teaching in bigger districts for six years, Kellerman returned to her hometown to teach this fall. Throughout her time in other schools, Kellerman saw a “mass exodus” of teachers and felt COVID-19 exacerbated existing issues.
The pandemic gave teachers more innovative and unique ways of teaching, whether that be solely online, or teaching internationally on Zoom, which may have taken some teachers from the applicant pool, Kellerman said.
The pandemic gave teachers more options, but also showed a lack of resources for traditional teachers, she said.
“Sometimes you realize what you thought was your purpose, maybe you can reframe that and do something different,” Kellerman said.
The education system may hit rock bottom before society understands that changes need to happen, Kellerman said.
Eudora is a place that focuses on having both strong ties and a strong foundation, she said.
“It’s nice to work in a place where you know you are appreciated,” Kellerman said. “Schools are the center of our community. There is a heavy emphasis on that.”
Having her old high school teachers as colleagues has been a transition, but has shown Kellerman how Eudora is different from other districts.
“It’s been reassuring to come back and see so many teachers that have stayed for so long,” Kellerman said. “To come back and see teachers that have been here for 10, 20, 30 years, that to me says this is a special place to be, and I think that has a lot to do with our community.”
Setting Eudora apart from other districts
Shanks and Moeckel agreed the small-town atmosphere is a main selling point for working in Eudora.
“We focus more on retention on the staff that we have, rather than putting all the focus on recruiting,” Shanks said.
To retain staff and promote a family environment, the district updated its orientation and onboarding processes. The new process will allow staff to adjust to their new job instead of rushing all the new information before school starts. The process began with a bus ride through Eudora, and continued with technical training and team building to enforce Cardinal culture.
Throughout the fall, new teachers will be given information in smaller doses as a way for teachers to network with co-workers and feel less overwhelmed. Cardinal Check-ins will give staff an “open door policy” to get answers to their technical or general questions.
“It goes back to that family atmosphere and letting everyone know how appreciative we are of their work,” Moeckel said.
He said the district’s employees are “tremendous” supporters of each other.
“We hate to lose anyone from our Cardinal family, but we also know we haven’t had a hard time recruiting people who want to be in Eudora,” Moeckel said. “It doesn’t feel like we have had a hard time filling our certified teaching positions.”
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected]
