More than 10,000 high schoolers exploring careers in education

The Sauk Valley has been at the vanguard of a program that has more than 10,000 Illinois students exploring careers in teaching while they are still in high school.

The Illinois State Board of Education said in a news release last week that the Education Career Pathway has 10,805 students in the program, which is part of a broader effort to address a shortage of teachers.

Regional Office of Education 47 for Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties started receiving grant money in 2021 so it could partner with Sauk Valley Community College in developing a Pathway in this region.

Students in the Pathway get a head start on teacher preparation through hands-on learning, dual credit, credentials, and mentorship. The program also allows districts to recruit and prepare future educators, especially if they have need to fill positions requiring bilingual or special education specialties.

Under the four-phase grant cycle, this local effort will have $747,000.

In the spring of 2022 students from participating districts took part in an exploratory symposium at SVCC that featured State Superintendent Carmen I. Ayala as the keynote speaker.

According to the regional office, area participating schools are River Bend CUSD 2, Dixon Public Schools 170, Rock Falls High School 301, Morrison CUSD 6, Amboy CUSD 272, Ashton-Franklin Center CUSD 275, Forrestville Valley CUSD 221, Prophetstown-Lyndon Tampico 3, Byron CUSD 226, Rock Falls Elementary District 13, Sterling Public Schools 5, Ohio CCSD 17, Whiteside Area Career Center and Regional Safe School Center for Change.

The first students in the program graduated last year.

According to ISBE, the grants could increase the diversity of the state teacher workforce. Of those enrolled in the Pathway program, 45% identify as Black or Hispanic, compared to 14% of the current teachers.

ISBE said the Pathway program, coupled with other initiatives, has increased student enrollment in collegiate education programs by 41% over the past four years.

ISBE says Illinois schools reported 2,139 unfilled teaching positions in 2021. Many of those unfilled positions are in under-resourced communities.

Ayala said the program provides the encouragement some students need.

“I found my way into teaching after someone encouraged me and gave me a chance to experience the magic of education firsthand,” Ayala said. “Sometimes that’s all it takes to pique a student’s interest in this incredibly rewarding profession, and that’s what the Education Career Pathway offers.”

To date, ISBE has released $18 million in Education Pathway grants. There are now 171 high schools offering the program. The next round of grants will go out this calendar year.