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Welch announces creation of Teacher Shortage Working Group

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Illinois

* Press release…

House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced Thursday the Teacher Shortage Working Group, designed to address the issue of vacancies in Illinois schools and exploring ways to recruit and retain qualified educators.

“School districts across the nation have been battling teacher shortages, and Illinois is not immune,” said Speaker Welch. “While we’ve done a lot of work in the legislature that has contributed to teacher workforce growth, we want to continue finding new ways to recruit, retain, and diversify the pool of professionals that will help shape our children’s futures.

“I’m creating the Teacher Shortage Working Group to ensure we’re doing all we can to attract qualified and passionate educators for our Illinois classrooms. I’ve chosen Rep. Katie Stuart to lead this group, not only because she is a former educator, but also because she has a proven record of working collaboratively and finding consensus-building solutions that will be necessary for a topic that is vitally important to our entire state.”

“I want to thank Speaker Welch for shining a light on the topic of teacher shortages in our schools,” said Rep. Stuart (D-Edwardsville). “There is nothing more important than our children’s futures and they all deserve access to quality education; that begins with dynamic, passionate, and skilled educators in every classroom. As a former teacher, I know we have some of the best teachers, administrators, and support staff in the country who care deeply about our children. We need to make sure they stay here, while also finding new ways to bring in more like-minded professionals who help us strengthen our education system.

“I look forward to the work ahead and the robust discussions with stakeholders from across the state to ensure we are helping our schools and students succeed.”

Members of the Teacher Shortage Working Group include:

• Rep. Katie Stuart
• Rep. Harry Benton
• Rep. Sharon Chung
• Rep. Fred Crespo
• Rep. Will Davis
• Rep. Laura Faver Dias
• Rep. Michelle Mussman
• Rep. Aaron Ortiz
• Rep. Sue Scherer

In recent years, the legislature has passed initiatives to simplify the licensing process for educators, lower licensing fees, and create more opportunities for future educators. Illinois has raised the minimum wage for teachers to $40,000 per year, while also investing millions into early childhood education workforce development programs and teacher preparation programs. These efforts, coupled with the passage of the Evidence Based Funding model in 2018, have resulted in Illinois’ teacher workforce and paraprofessional growth year-over-year. Still, data shows the educator pipeline has not kept pace with demand in schools. The Teacher Shortage Working Group is designed to build on this progress, while helping to fill the gaps that remain.

The most recent unfilled positions report can be found on the Illinois State Board of Education website.

Welch announced the creation of a New Arrivals Working Group in January, a Medicaid Working Group last February and four others in 2022.

Thoughts on this latest working group?

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 11:32 am

Comments

I preferred them when they were called “blue ribbon commissions”

Comment by James Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 11:39 am
===when they were called “blue ribbon commissions” ===

Meh. Those commissions were designed not to do anything. The Dobbs working group, for one, has been hugely productive and successful.

The firearm safety and reforms group has also produced significant legislation.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 11:47 am
Nice that they are making an effort.

Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 12:02 pm
Start collecting data on the number of teachers sent to the ER by students each year. If you want to attract and RETAIN teachers, deal with the issues driving them away.

Comment by Grimlock Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 12:14 pm
Good idea and try to recruit out of state teachers or aspirants. Alabama just banned DEI in public schools and universities. Illinois could have help from the Birmingham, AL mayor who said if the ban happens he’d consider encouraging Black athletes to leave the state. This type of stuff is happening across red states and provides further opportunity for teacher and student recruitment.

Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 12:20 pm
Decades ago I taught in the public schools. It was a small rural school and the overall environment was quite good. I never was threatened in any way and students were not at all disruptive.

Yes, salaries are important. But also is the school’s atmosphere. No one wants to spend 35 years in hostile environment. And from what I have heard from teachers I actually know, discipline and lack of parental involvement in the lives of their children has reached beyond a critical point in far too many schools.

Comment by Mason County Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 12:24 pm
Glad someone is making an effort to recruit and retain qualified teachers. One topic they should look at is the Tier II pension. Illinois needs to be competitive.

Comment by Bourbon Street Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 12:26 pm
=One topic they should look at is the Tier II pension=
Yes. I believe the IMRF is better for its employees. If so, then something on that level should be considered.

Comment by Mason County Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 12:31 pm
Nice to see activity, the 40k was nice when it passed but unfortunately it is already way too low. 55k to 60k would probably be more in line. Also address tier 2!

Comment by Augie Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 12:35 pm
Re:”IMRF is better”

IMRF also has Tier 2 provisions, which broadly reflect the Tier 2 structure in TRS. While IMRF is better funded than is TRS (because municipalities couldn’t take “pension holidays” like the state did in the aughts for their obligation to TRS),the benefits are fairly comparable. Obviously, Teachers retiring out of TRS will likely have a higher annuity than Aides or Secretaries retiring out of IMRF as a function of a higher average salary. Either way, addressing Tier 2 in a meaningful way is critical to improving the teacher pipeline, as is addressing the rampant violence against school staff.

Comment by Father Jones Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 12:54 pm
I was just told by my DIL that she is leaving the teaching field after 8 years teaching 6 grade. Yes, she has kids, 3 and 1 year old, but when discussing this with her at dinner the other night, it was more about she is feed up with the parents interference is number 1 reason, #2 - no support from administration about dealing with parents or students and #3 -the students no longer respect teachers due to #1 and #2. No mention about tier 2, pay or other benefits as reason why. She also went on that a lot of her peers are saying the same thing.

This committee is a great start and I hope they talk to the front line workers. I personally don’t see what they can do to regulate some parents from “excessive or unnecessary” interference but somehow as a society we need to get better instead of continuing down the path we are taking because soon, there will be a very BIG shortage of teachers!

Comment by snowman61 Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 12:56 pm
==One topic they should look at is the Tier II pension. Illinois needs to be competitive.==

Illinois teacher salaries trounce the vast majority of school districts across the country. Even if they find a better pension system elsewhere, they’ll in all likelihood be exchanging it for a lower salary. Even more likely exchanging it for a much less lucrative pension-social security hybrid.

Comment by City Zen Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 1:05 pm
Teachers aren’t leaving to go teach in other states. They are getting out of teaching and going into the private sector. Tier 2 is a big reason we can’t retain good teachers.

Comment by retire Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 1:19 pm
Tier 2 is having its intended impact, namely, making public employment a less attractive option for young people.

Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 1:40 pm
CZ, you have a source for that info? No snark.

It seems to me that we should be recruiting at these states that are busy handcuffing teachers and making some of their teaching criminal in nature if it touches on DEI. All in all we appear to be a welcoming state for teachers.

Comment by Original Rambler Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 1:44 pm
Concur with ’snowman61′ post. My wife taught HS Special Ed in the south suburbs. She feels she left at the right time after 27 years, as the District’s BOE does not support faculty. Also my friend’s daughter faced similar issues in Virginia.
This committee needs to interview a host of former teachers as part of the process.

Comment by Bogey Golfer Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 1:48 pm
You do realize that $40,000 annually is $19.23/hour, right? Pretty hard to live on that. Just sayin.

Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 2:01 pm
Two students who were fighting knocked me off balance and into a door frame. The students were suspended for several days. They returned with a parent. This parent approached me, pointed a finger in my face, and said, “What did you do to cause my son to be suspended?”
I replied, “Hall duty. “

Comment by Rudy’s teeth Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 2:02 pm
==They are getting out of teaching and going into the private sector. Tier 2 is a big reason we can’t retain good teachers.==

According to USDOL, teachers have the lowest turnover rates (JOLTS) of any profession. And there’s zero indication Tier 2 is the cause of even that small turnover rate.

==you have a source for that info?==

NCES tracks education funding and spending. Unless a teacher moves to the northeast, there is a very good chance they are taking a paycut.

Comment by City Zen Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 2:09 pm
what Grimlock Mason County and Rudy’s Teeth said. parents are part of the issue. kids are unruly. parents should have to sign some sort of agreement for conduct and interaction procedures. back in the day there were very large sized classrooms and not remotely the discipline issues. kids knew more about consequences of bad actions. it’s not just the pay.

Comment by Amalia Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 2:38 pm
One of my daughter’s friends is a teacher. She has been assaulted multiple times - by first grade students. This is not the same environment that us Gen X and Millenials experienced.

Comment by Near Westside Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 3:09 pm
CZ

I think I’ll listen to those that are in the profession rather than someone on the outside pontificating. Your responses somehow don’t surprise me though.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 3:29 pm
Just do something about the paperwork. It is strangling the profession. Hours and hours pushing paper and not being able to give that time to kids. It’s endless

Comment by Stormsw7706 Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 3:57 pm
I am heavily involved in this issue. I’m a teacher and I spend most of my free time in groups that are addressing this.
A few things
1. It’s not so much that the pipeline isn’t producing, it’s that it’s not hooked up to a sprinkler. We’re producing far too many teachers who are not certified in subjects of needs and/or who are not willing to work in urban/rural/under-resourced schools. Wealthy districts get bombarded with applicants in every subject while others get very few - if any - applicants for any opening.
2. @Grandson of Man. I created a report to do just that. The state superintendent wrote an op-ed based on it but hasn’t taken substantive action.
3. Addressing Tier II would be great but the savings are incredible. I doubt we have the political will to make big changes,
4. Of course Illinois salaries trounce nationwide salaries- on average. We’re far wealthier than our neighbors. However, our disparities are also greater and many teachers make very little.
5. The needs are greatest where the job is the toughest. I’m a special ed teacher. The clientele largely does not want to be at school and the paperwork is onerous. Every year paperwork gets expanded and two bills are currently in the legislature to expand it even more.
Education is not like the private sector. Schools cannot move to where the talent is. They need to find ways to attract talent to where the students are.
And yes, I do have data to back all of this up. Google ISBE Educator Supply and Demand or Advance Illinois The State of Our Educator Pipeline

Comment by Proud Papa Bear Thursday, Mar 21, 24 @ 4:44 pm
My initial comment got stuck in moderation so I’m trying again from memory: the number of teachers has GROWN considerably in the last 6 years, the number of students has shrunk. If even with these numbers, we still consider this to be a matter of a teacher shortage, is this simply a matter of an unrealistic demand of how many new people should be taking up teaching as a career this quickly?

Comment by Jane Friday, Mar 22, 24 @ 9:06 am
Jane, if you had taken the time to read through our many thoughtful comments, you’d find the answer to your question. One problem is finding teachers in areas like special ed, for example.

Sometimes, the answers can be right in front of your face if you’d only bother to look.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 22, 24 @ 9:09 am
The undeniable truth is that creation of Tier II made teaching less attractive than it used to be. Tier I teachers can retire at age 55 with 35 years on the job and enjoy a 3% annual adjustment to their pension. By contrast, tier II teachers have to wait until age 67 to collect their full pension, and their annual adjustment is only half of tier I. That’s a 12-year difference in retirement age.

Comment by anon2 Friday, Mar 22, 24 @ 10:06 am
Speaking of pensions, at least one member of the working group voted to create Tier II.

Comment by anon2 Friday, Mar 22, 24 @ 10:14 am