LM Jan 2024

This story is Part 2 of a two-part series on the teacher shortage in Illinois. Click here to read Part 1. The article last month focused on low-cost tips to help with teacher retention.

their profession. The impact on their lifestyle is huge. This will take assistance from both universities and the state legislature. General Education Requirements Explore methods of lowering General Education requirements at the university level and adding more skill classes such as school law, public speaking, and classroom discipline, which includes the prevention of bullying. Grow Your Own Focus on individuals within the district such as students and paraprofessionals. Also included in the discussions are individuals that received their bachelor’s degree in areas outside of education. Like many other plans we feel the programs: • Need to have a detailed plan. • Need financial support—local and/or state. • Need to have guidance. • Need to have passionate leadership. • Administration and Boards need to promise the grow your own candidate a job upon graduation. • Can be administered by local districts, universities, or community organizations. A working agreement between all three is preferable. Concluding Remarks As mentioned in Part 1 concerning retention, the data is now showing the need not only for more teachers but also the need to focus on attrition and retention strategies to merge with the number of candidate’s problem. The number of candidates is improving. Advance Illinois recently reported that the number of new candidates in education this year reached totals not achieved since 2009. This information along with other state initiatives have helped encourage some hope of improvement in the shortage problem. We have finally recognized the instituting of the non-researched new basic skills test (TAP) in 2010 was a huge mistake and kept excellent new candidates out of the pipeline. Now that the basic skills test (TAP) ended in 2019, we now see four years

It is impossible to have sustainability and retention if there is no hope for a successful retirement, especially when states around us are not even close to being as restrictive. For example, in Indiana, their teacher retirement rule states that if a teacher wants to retire before the age of 65, they become eligible to retire between the ages of 60 to 64 if they have 15 years of experience or if they are 55-69 if service adds to 85 by adding age and service together. Bottom line, a 55-year old with 30 years’ experience can take early retirement. Kentucky requires 27 years of teaching experience. Michigan and Missouri require 30 years’ experience. We feel an unintended consequence is going to be too many teachers at the bottom of the pay scale (highest salaries) for many years, which will put already stressed districts in greater financial distress. This year has provided the first discussions of the issue in the legislature through SB 2024. Unfortunately, SB 2024 never made it out of the Senate Assignments committee. The good news is that the discussion finally took place. The bad is we are still burying our head in the sand as this issue is huge for solving the teacher shortage. Many young candidates are leaving Illinois because of this law. Tuition Scholarships Needed When Illinois had a teacher shortage in the early 1960’s, the Illinois Legislature passed laws to give teacher tuition scholarships. There was a 5-year requirement for these individuals to teach in Illinois. The bottom line is that it was effective. We support the re-establishment of this opportunity. The IARSS survey noted the 86% of all Illinois school districts recommend offering additional scholarships to teaching candidates to help ease teaching shortages. Dr. Rosborg admits to being very biased on this issue as this Illinois Scholarship in 1968 gave him the opportunity to go to college. Lower Tuition Make it more affordable for teachers to complete their training. (Illinois Association of Regional Superintendent of Schools, IARSS). The current high tuition is leaving most graduates in debt for many years as they enter 3 2

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11 LM January 2024 continued...