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Teachers warn Kansas LEADS professional‑learning program faces funding cliff
Summary
Multiple presenters told a Senate education committee that Kansas LEADS, a teacher‑led professional learning program supported by federal relief funds, will end unless alternative funding is found; teachers urged lawmakers to sustain the program to improve retention.
Topeka — Teachers testifying as part of the Kansas Teacher of the Year visit warned a Senate committee that the Kansas LEADS professional‑learning program is at risk when federal relief funding expires.
Susan Rogers, a first‑grade teacher, described Kansas LEADS as teacher‑led professional learning that “strengthens educators through meaningful, relevant, professional learning for teachers and by teachers.” She said the State Board of Education used federal relief funds to develop the program but warned: “Kansas Leads may soon come to an end. The emergency relief funding that has supported this program is ending. And without creative solutions and alternative funding, it's final teacher conference will take place this February.”
Rogers and other presenters linked Kansas LEADS to teacher retention and professional growth. She said the program created connections across districts and helped teachers share strategies and sustain practice, and she urged lawmakers to “put money back into professional development for teachers” to maintain the program’s impact.
Why it matters: Presenters framed the program as a statewide mechanism to support and retain educators; lawmakers asked follow‑up questions about staffing shortages and what steps could help keep teachers in the classroom. No budget figure or specific legislative proposal to replace the federal funds was provided during the session.
