Laid Off Teachers From Eastern States Looking West

Stateline.org (9/28, Wieder) reports that amid stories of widespread teacher layoffs, "a different story has emerged in the few states that have managed to avoid cuts and, in some cases, have even expanded their teacher corps over the past few years. Education leaders in some of these states, many of which are mineral-rich and in the West, say the past few years have brought a dramatic increase in applications from teachers in other states - some who have been laid off during the recession, others who are drawn by the lifestyle and comparative economic stability." Of particular note is Wyoming, Stateline says, adding that the state "has seen the number of out-of-state teaching license applications jump by roughly 70 percent over the last few years."