WINCHESTER, Ky. (LEX 18) — "Teachers are the backbone of our country. And I think it is important that they are treated well, and they are respected,” said Principal of Baker Intermediate School, Josh Mounts.
Mounts respects the teachers in his building and thinks they have one of the most important jobs in the country: raising the United States' future leaders.
"As a dad, I want my kids to have the very best teachers in front of them every day,” Mounts added.
But to the dismay of many parents, schools across the State have had trouble keeping their teachers in the classroom. According to the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, there was a 260% increase in the number of open teacher positions at Kentucky schools between 2019 and 2023.
“Teacher turnover certainly is an issue, and you want to find folks you can pour into,” Mounts said.
"I feel like that's what may be lacking when a teacher is wanting to leave, or they got this burnout. No one’s putting effort into making them better," said English teacher Makayla Adkins.
Adkins understands the struggle, even though her school doesn’t face the same issues. She says it’s because her school invests in its teachers.
"This district put energy, effort, to mold me into a star teacher" said Adkins.
Adkins and her colleague, Special Education Facilitator Martha Lopresti, participated in the Bloom Board program, which allows teachers to gain specialized training and earn a salary boost. The school pays for their education.
"It was just a great experience, to where I didn't have that debt,” Adkins said proudly.
"This was a great advantage because I was able to show my own kids, that you can go back to school at any age and learn and better yourself,” Lopresti said.
By choosing to rank up, or further their professional career, teachers agree to stay at their school for six years.
"If we don't pour into our people, then someone will, and that impacts teacher turnover," Mounts explained.
The principal says the school has realized investing in their educators and having their educations buy into the school’s mission is the key to building a consistent learning environment.
