Centralia High School Superintendent Chuck Lane and Sandoval Schools Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Garrison have joined a coalition of teachers, K-12 administrators, higher education institutions, and advocacy organizations that have come together to call on leaders to address the state’s urgent need to increase the number of teachers and to elevate the teaching profession in 2018 and beyond.

 (Dr. Jennifer Garrison)

According to Lane, the supply of quality teaching candidates simply isn’t meeting the demand– especially in rural Southern Illinois. Lane says we must think outside the box to draw more people into the profession, as the numbers are getting worse every year.

Over the last decade, the supply of future Illinois teachers has tightened. The teacher shortage is impacting all students in all regions of the state and is most acute outside of the Chicagoland area in rural and suburban districts.

Schools hire substitute teachers in lieu of fulltime teachers, cancel classes, and convert classes to online instruction.

The coalition, Teachers for Illinois’ Future: Investing in teachers for all students today and tomorrow, is a collaborative effort seeking to:

  • Ensure students have the teachers they need in order to learn.
  • Support teachers’ growth from exploration of profession and throughout their career.
  • Increase the respect for and the desirability of the teaching profession.
  • Provide school and program leaders with systemic flexibility to meet their students’ needs.