Earlier this week, BLAQUE Kansas City celebrated a transformational milestone. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation awarded $13 million to the Teach KC Collaborative—a regional educator workforce initiative that will recruit, train, place, and retain 1,500 new teachers across the Kansas City metropolitan area over the next decade.
Led by BLAQUE Kansas City, the collaborative brings together eight coalition partners: Teach For America Missouri, Teachers Like Me, The Educator Academy, CHES, Inc., the Latinx Education Collaborative, Starting Early, the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, and the Institute for Policy & Social Research at the University of Kansas.
Together, we share one bold vision: to strengthen the educator pipeline and position Kansas City as a national leader in developing diverse, well-supported, and highly qualified educators.
This investment comes at a pivotal time for our region.
School systems across Kansas City continue to face significant challenges recruiting and retaining excellent teachers. At the same time, 51% of Kansas City’s public schools are not meeting academic benchmarks, meaning far too many students risk falling behind in reading, math, graduation rates, and long-term opportunity.
We believe that teachers matter.
Research consistently shows that great educators have one of the greatest influences on student achievement. We also know that students experience stronger academic, social, and emotional outcomes when they learn from educators who reflect the communities they serve.
That is why Teach KC is committed not only to increasing the number of teachers entering the profession, but also to expanding opportunities and ensuring every aspiring teacher receives the support they need to succeed.
So, how will we get there?
Teach KC is built around three distinct pathways designed to meet future educators wherever they are in their journey.
Our high school pathway introduces students to teaching through early exposure, dual-credit coursework, and industry-recognized credentials.
Our traditional pathway supports college education majors with the resources, experiences, and opportunities they need to complete their degrees and enter the classroom.
Our alternative pathway helps career changers earn certification through the Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program, creating new opportunities for adults called to teach.
But preparing great educators is only one part of the equation.
Teach KC is equally committed to helping teachers build long-term financial security. Through the collaborative, participants will have access to financial coaching, retirement planning, credit-building resources, and a comprehensive pathway to homeownership.
Because when teachers thrive, students thrive.
Teaching remains one of the most powerful ways to shape the future of a community. Every educator has the opportunity to change lives, expand possibilities, and strengthen the neighborhoods they proudly call home.
At BLAQUE Kansas City, we have long believed that educational excellence changes everything.
Through strategic investments, governance initiatives, systems leadership, and collaborative partnerships, we are working toward an ambitious vision for KCPES: expanding access to approximately 2,000 additional high-quality seats while ensuring that, by 2030, 51% of Kansas City’s public schools are high-performing.
Strengthening the educator pipeline through Teach KC is one of the most important ways we will achieve that vision.
This work has never been about one organization.
Real, lasting change happens when communities come together around a shared purpose. At BLAQUE Kansas City, we believe in building with—not for—our communities.
Teach KC embodies that philosophy.
It is a collaborative effort built by Kansas Citians, for Kansas Citians, because every child deserves an excellent teacher and every educator deserves the opportunity to thrive.
This $13 million investment represents more than funding.
It represents hope.
It represents partnership.
And it represents our collective belief that the future of teaching—and the future of Kansas City—is worth investing in.
To learn more about Teach KC and discover how you can get involved, visit our new website.
There is a seat at our table waiting for you.