'This is a crisis': Gov. JB Pritzker announces new proposal to address shortage of teachers
Pritzker revealed $70M proposal at Streamwood HS
STREAMWOOD, Ill. (WLS) -- Illinois is short thousands of teachers, and the problem is only expected to get worse.
On Friday morning, Gov. JB Pritzker announced more money to bring educators on.
Pritzker visited Streamwood High School, and the state's second-largest school district, Friday to announce a new proposal that would put millions of dollars toward hiring educators.
"This is a crisis," said Daniel Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers. "In Illinois, there's classrooms right now, where there is not a teacher in the room, and so students might be sitting in a gym, in a room, in a library, in front of a television, in front of an adult, who isn't qualified or certified to teach the subject."
It's an alarming number: Thousands of teaching jobs are vacant in Illinois.
So, Pritzker is proposing a plan to change that.
"I am proposing that we address teacher shortages head-on, and dedicate an additional $70 million annually specifically targeted at attracting new teachers to the profession and retaining the quality educators that we already have," he said.
This announcement comes as the Illinois Education Association released a study showing concerning numbers of teacher and education employee shortages.
Additionally, 83% of Illinois schools are underfunded, and these concerns could potentially impact student performance.
"Persistent vacancies in under-resourced schools still exist, and we need to do something about it now," said Tony Sanders, state superintendent of education.
The study also showed Illinois residents support policy changes to help turn things around, including changing the pension system, loan forgiveness for educators and higher pay.
"For most, this is not just a job. It's a calling, and our commitment is to support you as passionately as you support our parents and our kids," Pritzker said.
Right now, there are 3,500 open teaching positions across the state.
