Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for April 23, 2006 ISBE IDENTIFIES TEACHER SHORTAGES

And that's why it's scary when CSD #1 releases these teachers in March! Will they still be there...waiting for a recall...in August?

From the Southern Illinoisan...

ISBE study: State needs more math, science and special ed teachers

BY Matt Adrian, THE SOUTHERN SPRINGFIELD BUREAU

SPRINGFIELD - Competition from the private sector is helping fuel a shortfall in math, science and special education teachers according to a state report.

A recent Illinois State Board of Education study on statewide teacher staffing levels suggests competition coupled with higher student enrollments and universities generating fewer teachers equipped to teach these subjects as driving the shortage.

College students armed with a math or science degree can double their salary by going into the private sector as opposed to entering the classroom, said State Rep. Roger Eddy, R-Hutsonville, who is also a school superintendent.

"They just bid you out of the market," he said.

A similar problem exists for speech language pathologists, who can often make more money working for local hospitals and nursing homes, Eddy said.

Special education also is hard work, he said.

"There are so many emotional issues that kids bring to the table. There is a lot of scrutiny of what you do," Eddy said. "Plus the specialization involved requires additional education beyond an elementary degree."

The state's education department reports that over 300 of Illinois' more than 800 school districts reported special education instructor shortages.

The state's growing Hispanic population has also created higher demand for bilingual instructors.

Meta Minton, an ISBE spokeswoman, pointed out that part of the problem is that colleges are not generating enough new teachers trained in these disciplines.

Charles Rohn, dean of Eastern Illinois University's College of Education and Professional Studies, said the institution is trying new ways to push students into these fields such as offering certification for people with math and science backgrounds to transition into teaching

"Hopefully with a combination of efforts we can make some inroads to the problem," he said.

Changing how the state funds education could make schools more competitive, said Jerry Stermer, president for Voices for Illinois Children.

"Right now we are shortchanging in every area of public education. So we stifle the schools' opportunity to lure the best and the brightest," he said. "We are not seriously competing with other sectors of the economy.

The state board estimates that high school enrollments will grow by more than 38,000 students over the next four years to 648,555. At the same time, the number of elementary students is supposed to fall by one percent to more than 1.3 million by 2009.

In the next four years, Illinois schools will have to hire more than 8,000 special education teachers and 36,000 regular educators to meet demand. Illinois would need to add 11,200 new teachers a year to meet that goal.

Blagojevich wants the state to hand out $10 million in grants for schools to hire more teachers. However, the money can only be used to shrink classes from kindergarten through the third grade.