Commentary: Support for new teachers is crucial as Illinois shortage is exacerbated by COVID-19

This op-ed by Golden Apple president Alan Mather was published in the Chicago Tribune on October 30, 2020.

An educator recently told me the story of a prekindergarten teacher in Illinois named Judith who loves teaching and loves her students, but also loves her family. Her daughter let her know that, as long as COVID-19 was active, she would not be able to see her new grandchild, which led Judith to make the difficult choice to retire. At the same school, an eighth grade teacher decided to take a leave of absence until a vaccine is widely available.

Stories like these exist in nearly every school and district. The Chicago Tribune recently reported that from July through September, 566 teachers across Illinois retired citing concerns about the virus and the new teaching environment it has created. This represents a 45% increase in teacher retirements compared with the same period last year.

These retirements couldn’t come at a worse time as schools of need across the state continue to struggle to place full-time educators into classrooms; the COVID-19 pandemic is only exacerbating an already growing teacher shortage crisis.

At the start of the 2020 school year, there were nearly 2,000 teacher vacancies across the state, an alarming increase from 1,800 vacancies last year and 1,400 the year before. As the president of Golden Apple, an Illinois nonprofit committed to preparing, supporting and mentoring aspiring teachers, I know the stories behind these numbers all too well.

In 2019, I spent much of my time traveling around the state talking with regional and district superintendents, principals and teachers about the impact of the teacher shortage. Schools that once received 100 applications for one teaching position now have had positions open for years without any candidates. What we heard from those on the front lines has compelled us to redouble our efforts to grow our programs.

And now we find ourselves at a unique moment in which issues of equity and both social and racial justice are finally being prioritized. Teachers are at the forefront of these issues, preparing our young people for their future, and are central to building a more equitable world. If we are not doing everything we can to ensure that marginalized and disinvested communities that primarily serve students of color are getting the full education they deserve, then we, as educators and leaders of this generation, are failing them. Filling the teacher shortage is a critical part of this equation.

What impact does the teacher shortage have on our schools? It means schools face teacher vacancies in critical positions such as bilingual education, STEM and special education. Staff vacancies lead to overcrowded classrooms and teachers performing nonacademic responsibilities. Leaders are forced to over-rely on substitute teachers who don’t have expertise in areas they’re tasked with teaching.

And what does the shortage mean for students? It means that, for many, their dreams and full potential may never be reached. Communities most impacted by this shortage are underresourced, rural and urban, and often Black or brown, whether they hail from Chicago, East St. Louis, Rockford, Meridian, Champaign, Decatur or Carbondale. There is no greater priority facing the education community today.

That’s why Golden Apple has committed itself to making a material difference in resolving the teacher shortage through our Scholars (for aspiring high school and college students) and Accelerators programs (for career changers).

Just this year, we launched the Accelerators program, an expedited 15-month licensure and residency program, designed to tackle this crisis in southern, central and western Illinois. The program focuses on recruiting, preparing and mentoring college seniors and noneducators with bachelor’s degrees looking to make a difference in their communities. We experienced significant demand and interest in the program — with almost 300 applicants for just 30 Accelerator positions. These highly qualified educators will become teachers of record in their own classrooms next summer.

The Golden Apple Scholars program is a longer-term solution that, for more than 30 years, has uniquely prepared high school seniors and first- and second-year Illinois college students to thrive in the most challenging school environments, where resilient teachers are needed the most. In fact, more than 1,500 Scholars actively participate in the program right now, teaching in nearly every county in Illinois. Scholars mirror the students whom they serve. More than half of the Scholars are teachers of color, compared with only 15% of all teachers statewide. Scholars are also high-achieving — with 82% making the dean’s list at their respective universities.

Our children and students need great teachers. But our teachers also need support to navigate their changing classrooms and curriculums and to feel safe at work. To combat this crisis, we have to focus on elevating the teaching profession, recruiting and training young people to enter the field, and providing seasoned educators with the tools they need to teach in whatever classroom environment they may enter.

Alan Mather is president of Golden Apple. He is former chief of the office of college and career success for Chicago Public Schools, founding principal of Lindblom Math & Science Academy and founding assistant principal of Northside College Preparatory High School.