Sterling Public Schools explores ‘game-changer’ teacher development process

STERLING – Sterling Public Schools previewed an initiative to develop homegrown talent for teaching openings during its board of education meeting Wednesday that its superintendent called “a game-changer.”

Called SPS University, it would offer assistance and encouragement to those people with connections to the school district so they might have incentives to pursue careers as teachers, then put those degrees to work in Sterling classrooms.

Ideally, recent Sterling High School graduates or existing staffers who might have two-year degrees are the primary targets of this initiative.

The hope is SPS University could alleviate the district’s reliance on an ever-dwindling pool of qualified teachers.

“We’re in dire straits, so we need to look at things differently,” Superintendent Tad Everett said.

The number of new teachers seeking certification in Illinois is in sharp decline; each summer, there are more openings than candidates. Nationwide, the teacher shortage has been widely reported.

[ Sauk Valley schools say finding teachers is getting harder. ]

[ Survey says Illinois facing worsening educator shortage. ]

Assistant Superintendent Sara Dail provided data that showed the decline in applications.

A posting for four elementary school openings in 2004 once yielded more than 1,100 applicants. By 2009, an elementary teaching opening drew 91 applicants. Last August, an opening for a bilingual elementary teacher drew no applicants and a first grade teaching position drew only 19 external inquiries.

Dail said the effort to develop SPS University started eight months ago.

Subsequently, a former board member approached the district in November, imploring it to use homegrown strategies to hire more Latinos to better match the existing student population.

[ Former board member wants more Latino teachers for district ]

While the administration said it would be asking for a financial commitment to SPS University, probably during the March regular meeting, Everett said this preview was to give board members time to contemplate what its objectives are and process the possibilities.

Dail then described the main components of SPS University:

BloomBoard: A job-embedded program designed to help paraprofessionals pursue coursework while working in the classrooms they already are a part of. Instead of paraprofessionals leaving to get their degree at a four-year university, they can study online and keep their current job. This helps those candidates stay close to home, especially those whose children are students in the district.

Sauk Valley Community College: Dail said she is working with Jon Mandrell, vice president of academics and student services, on an avenue to get other staff members started on their associate degrees to make them eligible for the Bloomboard project. There are potentially enough candidates that they would study together in their own cohort.

“I’m super excited about that, because that’s going to get the ball rolling,” Dail said.

SVCC’s recent partnership with Western Illinois University is another promising avenue because it means students could pursue education degrees without having to relocate. WIU would conduct classes at SVCC.

[ SVCC, Western Illinois University partnership to address teacher shortage ]

Outreach to graduates: Working from a list of 42 Sterling High School grads who are believed to be on an education career track, Dail’s office sent out surveys before Christmas break. Based on their responses, she followed up with care packages that included treats and Warriors apparel merchandise. She said there has been a positive response. “Many of them said ‘I’d love to come back and teach.’”

Golden Apple Scholar: Enroll Sterling High School in this program. Students identified as Golden Apple Scholars receive monetary assistance and mentoring support from that organization. To enroll the district, it would have to commit to hiring Golden Apple Scholars and pay the organization $10,000.

Other financial commitments by the board have yet to be discussed. As an example, the BloomBoard teacher apprenticeship program that requires 60 college credit hours and results in a state-approved professional education license, costs about $27,000.

“We’ve always had this, this desire to grow our own,” Everett said. “But we just couldn’t get over the hump. And the reality of this opportunity is very different than what we’ve had in the past, and we’re excited.”