An Ongoing Need
USD 305 is experiencing the impact of nationwide teacher shortages and must compete with other districts around the country to attract and retain the best teachers. National studies show that shortages will continue in the foreseeable future. Community forums conducted through USD 305’s Creating the Future process have established teacher quality, recruitment, and retention as critical priorities for continual improvement of student learning.
A Proposed Solution
The Salina Education Foundation proposes initiating a grow-your-own-teacher forgivable student loan program with the working title LIFT (Loan Initiative for Future Teachers). Research on effective school improvement strategies, investigated by both the Foundation and a Creating the Future Priority Action Team, indicates that a program of this kind can help meet the need for high-quality teachers in Salina Public Schools.