ISBE AWARDS THREE DISTRICTS WITH $200,000 TO BUILD INNOVATIVE PATHWAYS INTO TEACHING
ISBE ALSO RELEASES A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR GRANTS TO STRENGTHEN TEACHER LEADERSHIP
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced today that Chicago Public Schools, North Chicago CUSD 187, and Woodstock CUSD 200 will each receive $200,000 to implement teacher residencies, which offer innovative pathways into teaching. These three districts developed their plans over the past school year, supported by ISBE Teacher Residency Planning Grants.
Teachers continue to be in high demand across the state. School districts were looking to hire nearly 2,000 additional classroom educators as of October 2019. Residency programs attract and retain educators by emphasizing clinical experience alongside mentor teachers. Teacher residencies provide an alternative to the traditional teacher preparation experience. They also provide a resource to address educator needs in high-demand licensure areas. Teacher residency programs partner with a state-recognized institution of higher education with an approved teacher preparation program.
“We have seen respect and appreciation for teachers soar during the current COVID-19 crisis,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “Teachers have risen to the challenges of remote learning, embracing new technologies and teaching methods, and advocating for their students’ needs. These grants offer career changers who wish to join this sacred profession an exciting new avenue of entry and offer our experienced educators opportunities to amplify their voice and impact. With unprecedented challenges facing education, there has never been a better time for someone who wants to make a difference to become a teacher.”
ISBE also released Requests for Proposals today for the next round of the Teacher Residency Planning Grant and for the Teacher Leader Problems of Practice Grant. Teacher leadership programs empower experienced educators to mentor newer teachers and expand their reach beyond their own classroom. Pathways for teacher leadership are proven to help retain effective educators who seek career advancement without leaving the classroom.
Both grants will produce evidence-based models that ISBE will share statewide.
The Teacher Residency Planning Grant application is open to high-need Local Education Agencies (LEAs), which means they serve areas that have high numbers of students of color or low-income students or have ongoing high demand for new teachers. The Teacher Leadership Problems of Practice Grant is open to all LEAs in Illinois. LEAs categorized by Evidence-Based Funding as Tier 1 will receive additional points during scoring. Interested applicants can learn more about the grants and apply at https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Educator-Effectiveness-Grants.aspx.