This article highlights a proposal in Kansas to move public school teachers from the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) tier 3 to the more advantageous tier 2. The change is designed to help address the state’s teacher shortage by improving recruitment and retention through better retirement benefits.
Shannon Kimball, representing the Kansas Association of School Boards, and various superintendents support the bill, emphasizing its potential to make Kansas school districts more competitive with both local districts and neighboring Missouri schools.
The proposal’s backers argue that improving retirement benefits would attract new teachers while also encouraging experienced educators to stay in the profession.
However, some organizations, including the Kansas State Board of Education and the Kansas-National Education Association, suggest expanding the scope to include other essential school staff members such as counselors, librarians, nurses, and paraprofessionals.
They point out that including only teachers in the shift to tier 2 leaves out other crucial roles that contribute to the overall functioning of schools.
The bill’s cost is significant, with an estimated $220 million one-time expense for transitioning teachers to tier 2, but proponents argue that the long-term benefits for teacher retention could outweigh the initial investment.
This proposal reflects the broader issue of teacher shortages and inadequate retirement benefits, which have contributed to Kansas’ ranking as one of the top states for teacher attrition.
By improving financial security for educators, the hope is to stem the flow of teachers leaving the profession and make teaching a more attractive career choice in the state.