WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — For the first time in years, education officials in Kansas are optimistic about the teacher shortage.
The shortage has been going on for more than a decade. Shane Carter, the director of teacher licensure for the Kansas Department of Education, said the problem is due to many factors, including lower starting salaries and the cost of higher education.
However, more first-year teachers have started signing up. The number of vacancies in 2025 was 2,200, but that was cut to 1,600 in 2026.
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Carter said that more programs have been introduced to bring in new teachers and fewer people are retiring. As a result, the educator pipeline is stronger than it has been in a long time…