Interest in becoming a teacher has plummeted to historic lows over the past decade, and Missouri is feeling the impact.

With the state ranking near the bottom nationally for teacher pay and grappling with rising living costs, nearly one in four Missouri teachers works a second job just to get by, according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

“Lots of teachers work multiple jobs and are struggling to make ends meet”

Nationwide, the story is similar: One in five public school teachers — about 20% — work a second job during the school year, often outside the education field, according to the U.S. Department of Education and Education Week.

Towina Jones left the classroom in 2020 after 21 years as an educator in Missouri.

“The ever-increasing demands put on the

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