Golden Apple, Eastern Illinois University & Regional Office Of Education 39 Announce Partnership To Help Address Region’s Teacher Shortage Crisis
New “Accelerators” Program, to launch in the 2020/2021 School Year
CHARLESTON – With Illinois facing a shortage of 1,800 high-quality educators in the upcoming school year and forecasted to face a shortage of 20,000 by 2025, Golden Apple is launching an initiative to address this crisis and help fill critical positions throughout our state: the Golden Apple Accelerators Program, a new teacher residency and licensure program that will expedite the preparation of highly-qualified teachers in areas of the state most in need, including central Illinois. Eastern Illinois University (EIU) and the Regional Office of Education 39 (ROE 39) are among two of Golden Apple’s partners in the program’s inaugural year.
To kick off the new partnership, EIU hosted a press conference at Old Main on the university’s Charleston, Illinois campus that included Golden Apple President Alan Mather, EIU President David Glassman; EIU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jay Gatrell; EIU Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Lynette Drake, EIU College of Education Dean Doug Bower; Associate Dean of the EIU College of Education Stephen Lucas, and ROE 39’s Warrensburg-Latham CUSD #11 Superintendent, Kristen Kendrick-Weikle. Representative Chris Miller also attended the event.
“The teacher shortage crisis demands our immediate attention as it poses a real threat to the future of students in every corner of our state, especially the most vulnerable who are from economically challenged communities with underfunded and under-resourced schools,” said Alan Mather, President of Golden Apple. “There is no greater priority facing the education community today, and as an organization that has successfully championed this work, we are positioned to meet this head on and are very excited to count Eastern Illinois University and ROE 39 among our partners.”
The Accelerators program is recruiting (1) college seniors not already in a teacher preparation program and (2) career changers who hold a bachelor’s degree. Thanks to the Illinois General Assembly, which approved $750,000 in funding for year one of the program in May of 2019, and Governor Pritzker who signed the bill shortly after its passage, the Accelerators program is accepting applicants until February 20, 2020.
“This agreement fits perfectly with EIU’s dedication and commitment to teaching the state’s future teachers,” said David Glassman, President of Eastern Illinois University. “Teaching and retaining qualified teachers is vital to the enduring and future success of K-12 education in Illinois. We are excited to exponentially enrich EIU’s critical role in that regard and to further enhance our relationships with our regional and district organizations.”
In the program’s inaugural year, Golden Apple will recruit and prepare 50 candidates who will begin their training in the summer of 2020, earn their teaching license by summer of 2021, and enter the profession of teaching in the 2021/22 school year.
The Accelerators program will provide a one-year residency and training program, which will serve the dual purpose of providing immediate, additional teaching assistance to understaffed districts while better preparing the cohort of new teachers through significant experience in active classrooms. Highly qualified mentors from Golden Apple will oversee the preparation.
“We were thrilled when given the opportunity to partner with Golden Apple for the launch of their Accelerators program which offers a much needed solution to this rapidly growing crisis,” said Kristen Kendrick-Weikle, Warrensburg-Latham CUSD #11 Superintendent, another Golden Apple Accelerators Partner. “This crisis is not only impacting our students, but our entire community and Golden Apple recognizes the importance of finding and training passionate individuals to change the trajectory of their lives and fill these positions as soon as possible. Their proven track record with their Scholars program makes us excited to see how Accelerators will make a difference as well.”
Golden Apple is partnering with Blackburn College, Eastern Illinois University and Regional Offices of Education (ROEs): 3, 13, 39, 40 and 47. Here’s how the partnership will work: Partner districts will provide a valuable residency placement to an Accelerator, place a mentor teacher from the district with the Accelerator, allow for appropriate release time to complete university coursework, and partner to hire the Accelerator and enhance the development of the Accelerator in the two years following the residency. To learn more about or apply for the program, interested parties can visit: www.goldenapple.org/accelerators.
“As a public regional university, EIU serves a variety of rural and small-town communities across a large portion of the state,” said Stephen Lucas, Associate Dean of the EIU College of Education. “This program ensures EIU is doing its part to keep our best and brightest educators right here in our local communities, where their civic leadership and economic contributions will have positive, profound and enduring impacts.”
Golden Apple will recruit program participants who are:
College seniors and career changers with bachelor’s degrees not in teaching but with backgrounds that will help them to teach in high-need areas, such as special education, STEM and bilingual education.
Committed to four years of teaching in southern, central, or western Illinois school districts.
Program participants will receive:
A $30,000 stipend to apply towards coursework or housing as they pursue their teaching license
Teaching licensure within 15 months
A one-year residency and training program in a targeted partner school district in southern, central or western Illinois
Coursework at a partner university
Job placement in a partner school district in southern, central or western Illinois
Instruction from award-winning educators
Mentoring support for the first years of teaching
In addition to the Accelerators program, Golden Apple is addressing the teacher shortage through its established Scholars program, which is a longer-term solution that uniquely prepares 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 response to the teacher shortage, this year marks the fifth consecutive year that Golden Apple has inducted more than 200 Scholars into the program. In total, more than 800 undergraduates are preparing to become teachers via the Golden Apple Scholars program filling vacancies in schools-of-need throughout Illinois.
About Golden Apple
Golden Apple’s mission is to inspire, develop and support teacher and school leader excellence in Illinois, especially in schools-of-need. Our leading-edge preparation delivers exceptional teachers who make an impact. We help students thrive in the classroom and in life. Since our beginning, we have recognized master educators annually; and, these master educators prepare the future generation of teachers. Our vision is an Illinois in which every classroom has a great teacher and to realize this, we are committed to making a material difference in resolving the teacher shortage throughout Illinois. Visit www.goldenapple.org/accelerators for more information.
Contact:
Kyler Sumter
kyler@cstrategies.com
(773) 450-5943