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ABSTRACT This study examines the demographics, qualifications, and turnover of STEM teachers in Kansas and Missouri—two contiguous, predominantly rural states in the Midwestern region of the United States. The existing literature lacks detailed insights regarding U.S. STEM teachers, especially with recent economic and social changes over the COVID‐19 pandemic, and there is particularly limited evidence regarding STEM teachers in the U.S. Midwest. Utilizing large‐scale administrative longitudinal data, we filled part of this gap by documenting the characteristics and turnover patterns of STEM teachers in Kansas and Missouri over a 13‐year period, from 2010 through 2023. Our analysis shows declining trends among young and early‐career STEM teachers, STEM certification, and rising STEM teacher turnover, especially post‐COVID‐19. We found particularly high turnover rates in urban schools and schools with the highest shares of students of color and poverty. We also found numerous factors of STEM teacher turnover, including salary and employment in schools serving high percentages of minoritized and low‐income students, as well as differential turnover patterns among school geographical circumstances. This work is the first comprehensive examination of STEM teachers in Kansas and Missouri. We offer insights into the teacher workforce of the traditionally overlooked U.S. Midwest. Our results suggest important policy implications for sustaining a diverse and qualified STEM teacher workforce in the U.S. amid post‐COVID‐19 social changes, thereby informing decision making at state and national levels that aim to foster equitable access to high‐quality STEM education among students in diverse contexts, while contributing to the U.S.'s long‐term economic growth, sustainability, and the world's advancement of STEM education. 

The future of the STEM workforce rests partly on the strength of the STEM teacher workforce to teach and nurture new generations of STEM graduates. However, the STEM teacher workforce is facing critical decline with the annual production dropping from about 31,000 a decade ago to around 20,000 in the last few years. This is concerning given the need for more STEM teachers to meet rising demands. Although production is decreasing, there are improvements in the diversity and qualifications of STEM teachers, including more female teachers and those with higher degrees in STEM fields. Investments in teacher salaries and financial support for STEM education can help address the shortage and improve the future STEM teacher workforce and STEM workforce.