The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), MACTE's national affiliate, has issued a call to action to strengthen the nation's educator workforce. Read the full document here.

AACTE defines advocacy as "activity in support of a particular cause or policy."

As the saying goes: if you're not at the table, you're on the menu — and in education, we have found ourselves on the menu far too often.

As documented below, Missouri's legislature has passed an increasing number of bills related to K–12 education and educator preparation over the past five years. In 2026, that trend continues. MACTE is committed to working collaboratively with Missouri DESE to provide accurate, contextualized data on educator preparation. The resources on this page are designed to support MACTE members in advocacy efforts with legislators, campus administrators, PK–12 school districts, and their communities.

2026 legislation and regulation changes

MACTE opposes

House Bill 2776 — Associate teacher certification

MACTE has formally responded to HB 2776, which proposes an associate teacher certification pathway. The organization opposes this bill.

Read MACTE's full response →

Advocacy data and resources

Teacher salaries

Missouri has one of the lowest starting and median teacher salaries in the country — a gap that persists even after the legislature raised the minimum salary. Source: MNEA

Nationally, teachers face a pay penalty of approximately 30% relative to other professionals with similar levels of education. Source: Economic Policy Institute

College cost and return on investment

Increase in Missouri 4-year public college tuition & fees, 2015–2024

In-state tuition and fees at Missouri's public four-year institutions rose from $7,562 in 2015 to $9,794 in 2024 — an increase of nearly 30% over nine years.

The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development publishes annual Equity Reports documenting student demographics, food insecurity, and other financial pressures facing college students. Access the DHEWD Equity Reports →

Teacher shortage

According to the most recent annual survey from MSTA — the state's largest teacher organization — 71% of Missouri teachers have considered leaving the profession. Source: MSTA 2025 Member Survey

Missouri's teacher shortage is not simply a pipeline problem. DESE data indicate that fewer than half of first-year teachers completed comprehensive educator preparation programs — yet graduates of those programs demonstrate significantly stronger retention outcomes than previously reported. See the AACTE presentation on this data →

Retention is also a geographic challenge. Educator preparation programs along Missouri's borders report that graduates frequently accept positions in neighboring states, where salaries are higher. DESE's Educator Preparation Annual Performance Report includes an institution-level map showing Missouri public school placement for graduates of each program.

For an opinion piece published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on teacher retention and HB 2776, click here.

For a short DESE report on teacher pipeline data, see this document.

Childcare costs and access

Affordable, accessible childcare is essential to both workforce participation and higher education access. Unfortunately, more than half of Missourians live in childcare deserts — communities where licensed childcare capacity is severely insufficient to meet demand.

To determine whether your community is affected, explore this interactive map: childcaredeserts.org

Past advocacy for DESE regulation changes

The documents below reflect previous, successful MACTE advocacy efforts with DESE to introduce greater flexibility into educator preparation regulations and reduce unnecessary barriers to entering the profession.

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