School administrators in Illinois may be the first to tell you that they’re currently going through a drought of applicants to fill teaching openings in their districts.
A teacher survey put together by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools shows that downstate school districts, specifically in rural areas, have significant teacher and substitute teacher shortage concerns.
At the legislative level, 37th District State Senator Chuck Weaver says that the shortage is being caused by less people going into education in the state and with less people coming out of the program. “When you look from 2009 to 2014, nationally, 35% less people have entered education and 23% less have completed education,” says Weaver. “Illinois has dropped 56% on number of people entering the field, that’s going to school, and 66% for… coming out of school. Those are horrendous numbers.”
Weaver says that some things can be fixed, he pointed to the state adding more dollars to school budgets as one way that the state government has been trying to improve things for young teachers.
He also pointed to several other issues student teachers face, such as licensing and background checks that need to be addressed.
“Basic skills testing in Illinois increased a few years back, that’s also one of our problems that play into it. And then there’s background checks, things like that they’re on the cost of the student. $100-$200 doesn’t seem like a lot of money – when you’re a student you’re saying ‘wait a minute, where’s that money coming from?'” Weaver said. “And those may have to be paid multiple times as they go to different districts to interview.”
Weaver says that they’re working to make it so a teacher would only have to pay for a background check once, and it would be made available through a regional office of education.
