Charleston, IL-(Effingham Radio)- The following has been released by the Office of Dr Kyle Thompson, Regional Superintendent, Regional Office of Education #11:
It’s that time of year again, time for the annual educator shortage survey results. Each year for the past six years, the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) has surveyed nearly 700 school districts statewide on the key questions around the depth and consequences of Illinois’ teacher shortage crisis. The results remain unchanging: the teacher shortage crisis exists, and it is unlikely to end anytime soon. Yet, with hope in mind, we move
forward actively seeking solutions.
Let us first examine some of our local results from the educator shortage survey. Keep in mind that the Regional Office of Education #11 encompasses 25 school districts over seven counties, representing the largest geographic (in terms of square miles) region in Illinois. Among ROE #11 school districts:
- 95% say they have a teacher shortage problem.
- 89% say the shortage is as bad as or worse than last school year.
- 100 % say they have the same or fewer applicants for open positions as last school year.
- 95% Recommend offering additional compensation for staff in high-need subject areas or schools.
- 84% recommend increasing funding for Teachers Retirement System.
- 93% recommend offering additional scholarships and waivers to teaching candidates.
- 100% say they have a substitute teacher shortage problem.
- 79% say increasing the number of days retired teachers can substitute without affecting retirement helped with recruitment/retention.
- 79% say increasing substitute teachers days to 120 per year helped with recruitment/retention.
- 55% believe their district is adequately staffed under the state’s evidence based funding (EBF) formula.
- 67% say supporting paraprofessionals working to obtain their PEL with incentives helped with recruitment/retention.
- 71% say proactively working with universities to place student teachers helped with recruitment/retention.
Currently, there are over 3,000 vacant positions posted on the IASA Illinois Education Job Bank. Over 130 of those are located in Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Moultrie, and Shelby Counties. While the teaching profession is not the only profession experiencing a workforce shortage, it is arguably the most important.
We at Regional Office of Education #11 continue to express concerns with State and agency (ISBE) stakeholders. Alternative licensure routes and licensure reciprocity have been extremely helpful. We have had numerous candidates obtain teacher licensure in other states, then transfer that license to Illinois. Online programs from out of state institutions such as Grand Canyon University and the University of West Florida allow for a credible licensing option that is 100% online. Our very own Eastern Illinois University has been leading a Grow Your Own Project and Rural Teacher Corps for many years now. These pathways provide support to becoming a teacher, especially in rural areas like ours. Several local high schools have established Future Teacher groups where aspiring educators can begin engaging in experiences and learning about the profession.
In addition to partnering on the aforementioned efforts at the State, university, and high school levels, ROE #11 has led several successful initiatives internally. We have aggressively sought teachers, substitute teachers, school bus drivers, and paraprofessionals through numerous recruitment efforts. We have traveled to our seven counties to register substitute teachers on the spot, participated in speaking engagements to school districts and civic organizations when asked, and
produced videos highlighting our local teachers and encouraging those interested to be a teacher, to name a few. On numerous occasions I have testified before House and Senate education committees in Springfield to champion legislation that would best serve the students, school districts, and communities of East Central Illinois. Perhaps our greatest effort has been ROE #11 Future Teacher Nights hosted at our office where prospective teachers can come and meet with representatives from a variety of universities to learn about which path may be the best for them.
When speaking to groups, I continue to state my belief that teaching remains the greatest profession that exists. That said, we need help. We need more teachers. Not only do we need more teachers, we need more substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, school bus drivers, food service, and maintenance staff. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a teacher, please reach out to our office at 217-348-0151.
Educator shortage survey results can be found at https://iarss.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IARSS-Educator-Shortage-AY23-230123.pdf
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