LM april 2021 final hi

The Teacher Shortage

by Dr. James Rosborg Retired Superintendent, Belleville District #118; Semi-Retired Director of Master’s in Education, McKendree University; Past President, Illinois Council of Professors in Education Administration

The teacher shortage remains one of the biggest issues facing public education in Illinois. The latest report from the Illinois Association of Regional School Superintendents found that 77 percent of school districts surveyed said they have a teacher shortage problem, while 93 percent indicated they have a problem hiring substitute teachers, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the past six years, I have researched what impact changes in state rules and regulations have had on the number of candidates pursuing a career in education in Illinois. In my opinion, the state of Illinois has made strides in the right direction, but much work remains. Data shows us that the teacher shortage is still with us. As we observe the table found on page 42 of the ISBE Annual Report (see tables, oppostite page) , we have had a decrease in content area tests in the licensure areas of edTPA, Special Education, Science, Foreign Language, History, Art, Vocational Education, School Support Personnel, Bi-lingual Education,

Math and Computer Science, Language Proficiency, and Administration. As stated at the February ISBE Board Meeting held on February 18, 2021, Early Childhood teacher numbers are also a concern. This is preceded by page 41 of the report, which shows a decrease of around 7,500 Educator Licenses issued by Evaluation, Entitlement, and Type. The data is showing the numbers are still declining and more actions need to be made. In this article, I want to highlight the progress that has been made and outline steps policymakers could take to alleviate the teacher shortage. STEPS INTHE RIGHT DIRECTION The number one positive effort by ISBE continues to be the decision in June 2019 to eliminate the TAP Test. With passage rates ranging between 17 and 24 percent for a seven-year period, this move provided more opportunities for educators to enter the field of education. As stated by Madeline Will in the March 3, 2019, issue of Education Week, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) estimates

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LM April 2021