Kansas City Turns Classrooms Over to Interns

By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo

Nine student-teachers have gotten a jump on their initial year in the classroom with full-time teaching positions in the Kansas City, Mo., public schools.

The 21,000-student district has signed the college seniors for a two-year commitment as one way of addressing a worsening teacher shortage. The interns are slated to graduate from state universities this December.

"It's a pilot program, but it's helped attract some students who were reluctant at first to work in the district," said Cathy Dennis, the director of professional development for the district. "The good part is ... they get...