NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL/WVLT) – Tennessee is now trying to stop a problem that could impact many students – a steady drop in male teachers.

CBS affiliate WTVF the number of men working in education has declined every year over the last decade with no signs of slowing.

The executive director of Tennessee’s Higher Education Commission, Mike Krause, says the current ratio of men to women in high education is about 40:60.

He says male students studying the field are even lower than that.

The state is now working on a program titled “Call me MISTER” to address the lack of males in education. MISTER stands for Mentors Instruction Students Towards Effective Role models.