MANY SOUNDING THE ALARM ON A PANDEMIC-RELATED TEACHER EXODUS, THE NUMBER OF NEW ILLINOIS PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS IS ACTUALLY INCREASING, ACCORDING TO WATCHDOG REPORT.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE ACROSS ALL TEACHING POSITIONS, ACCORDING TO ADVANCE ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE ARE STRUGGLING TO FILL SPECIAL EDUCATION AND BILINGUAL TEACHING POSITIONS.

THEY SAY IT'S HAVING A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON BLACK AND LATINO STUDENTS.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ON THIS, OUR ROBIN STAINS, PRESIDENT OF ADVANCED ILLINOIS, TYLER HUNT, A 5TH GRADE TEACHER AT GEORGETOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN AURORA AND A SENIOR POLICY FELLOW AT TEACH.

PLUS ILLINOIS AND OUR KEY SHIA WASHINGTON, A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT BOLLING BROOK, HIGH SCHOOL.

THANKS TO ALL 3 OF YOU FOR JOINING US.

WELCOME BACK.

ROBIN, LET'S START WITH YOU.

PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE WHAT CHALLENGES ARE SCHOOL DISTRICTS UP AGAINST HERE?

SO THE REPORT TAKES A LOOK AT THE TEACHING PIPE BIDEN AS A WHOLE RIGHT.

SO HOW ARE WE DOING RECRUITING, PREPARING, GETTING FOLKS INTO CLASSROOMS KEEPING THEM THERE?

>> AND THERE'S SOME GOOD NEWS, WHICH IS GREAT.

AND THERE'S SOME TROUBLING NEWS.

THE GOOD NEWS IS WE HAVE ADDED ABOUT 5400 POSITIONS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AT THE 4% INCREASE.

THAT'S AMAZING.

MORE ON WHY IF YOU WANT, THE SECOND IS THAT WE ARE DIVERSIFYING.

BOTH THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES WHO ARE COMING INTO PROFESSION.

THERE ARE MORE FOLKS GOING INTO TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS.

THAT'S UP BY 16%.

WELL ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHICH IS GREAT.

IT'S A MORE DIVERSE SET OF CANDIDATES THAN WE'VE SEEN ABOUT TWICE DIVERSE OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.

AND WE THE OVERALL NUMBER TEACHERS OUT IN CLASSROOMS ARE ALSO MORE DIVERSE.

BUT THAT'S NOT KEEPING PACE WITH HOW DIVERSE OUR STUDENTS ARE.

AND THEN AS YOU DESCRIBED THAN OTHER MAJOR FINDING, IS THAT WE'VE GOT PARTICULAR ABSENCES OR BAY ARE SHORTAGES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION AND BILINGUAL AND MOST TRAGICALLY STUDENTS OF COLOR.

STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS ARE DRAMATICALLY MORE LIKELY TO BE IN DISTRICTS WITH HIGH VACANCY LEVELS MORE THAN TWICE THE VACANCY RATES OR MORE.

BUT THE REST OF THE STATE.

AND THAT THOSE ARE STRIKING DIFFERENCES ABOUT 4 TIMES AS MANY BLACK STUDENTS AS WHITE STUDENTS.

BOB, 3 TIMES AS MANY LOW-INCOME STUDENTS HAS NOT ONLY COME AND THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM.

OKAY.

SO A LOT TO GET INTO HERE AND I WANT TO DIVE INTO ALL OF AS WE ARE KEY SHIA AS A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK IS BEHIND SOME OF THE SHORTAGES THAT I FEEL LIKE IT'S TRADITIONALLY BEEN CHALLENGING FOR DISTRICTS TO HIRE SPECIAL ED TEACHERS.

>> SOMETHING THAT'S PROBABLY BE LIKE CHALLENGING OR BEHIND THAT.

THAT RETENTION AT THE TEACHERS?

SO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATION?

CAN I CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY WITH THE TEACHERS SO THAT THE TEACHERS ARE ABLE YOU.

UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY AND STAYING WITH THE CHILDREN AND I'M FEELING SUPPORTED WITHIN THEIR ENVIRONMENT, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DIVERSITY OF HAVING TEACHERS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, TEACHERS.

THERE ARE HERE SALE TEACHERS THAT ARE IN BILINGUAL IN THE MAKING SURE THAT THEY ALL CONNECT AND BUILDING A COMMUNITY AROUND RELATIONSHIP.

>> AS YOU'RE SPEAKING, YOUR FELLOW TEACHER, TYLER IS OVER HERE, NODDING HER WHEN A SCHOOL CAN'T FILL THIS KIND OF NEED.

YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S OR A SPECIAL ED TEACHER POSITION.

WHAT KIND OF IMPACT THAT HAVE?

>> HAS A COUPLE DIFFERENT IMPACTS WHEN I THINK >> YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY I THINK ABOUT STUDENTS OF COLOR.

SO WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TEACHER OF COLOR THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN ON THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS I THINK ABOUT TEACHERS, NOT STUDENTS NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THEMSELVES AS TEACHERS.

YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO SEE SOMEONE DOING THIS OUT OF ACTION, A PROFESSION IN ORDER FOR YOU TO SEE YOURSELF DOING I ALSO THINK LIKE THE OTHER TEACHERS THAT RECRUIT RECRUITING TEACHERS, WE HAVE TO CREATE POSITIVE EXPERIENCES INCLUDE LIKE IN A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT WITH A STUDENTS OF COLOR.

WE CREATE A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT, THEN THAT WILL MAKE THINK ABOUT LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT?

I CAN MYSELF AS A TEACHER.

I HAVE POSITIVE HAVE POSITIVE EXPERIENCES WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL.

AND I CAN COME BACK AND BE A TEACHER.

>> ARE HUGE.

I WOULD IMAGINE THERE'S A CULTURAL THAT'S MISSING WHEN A TEACHER OF IS NOT IN THE ROOM IN FRONT OF STUDENTS OF COLOR.

>> 100%.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU'RE IN THE CLASSROOM, YOU HAVE DIVERSE LEARNING.

YOU ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE CULTURAL EVEN CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE WHEN IT COMES TO TEACHING A CHILD AND NOT JUST CULTURAL RESPONSIVE FROM A PERSPECTIVE, BUT FROM HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH A CHILD AS INDIVIDUAL WHAT DID YOU EAT FOR DINNER?

BUT NOT BASED ON WHAT I'VE SEEN ABOUT AFRICAN-AMERICANS OR OTHER BLACK AND BROWN THE PRINTER OF BUT WHAT DOES THAT SPECIFIC SCOUR PRINTER THAT'S IMPROVING?

SO BUILDING THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND THAT COULD COME IN AND BRING IT TO THEM, ALSO PILLS, GOOD FOR STAFF MEMBERS TO NOT BE BURDENED DOWN BEING THE ONLY PEOPLE OF COLOR OR HAVING A LOW PERCENTAGE IS BEING THE LOW PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE COMING WITHIN THE CLASSROOM THAT SUPPORT THAT WE NEED TO STAFF MEMBERS.

AGAIN, THE HELPS BUILD THAT.

RETENTION THAT WE NEED SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AFRICAN-AMERICANS PEOPLE OF COLOR AND WHO ARE IN JEOPARDY WHEN IT COMES TO BEING EDUCATED SO THAT WE CAN HAVE WEISS IS WITH AN EDUCATION THAT ARE BARBOUR'S WHEN IT COMES DECISION-MAKING FOR OUR SCHOLARS.

>> ROBIN, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S BEEN TRADITIONALLY DIFFICULT CHALLENGING FOR DISTRICTS TO FILL THOSE 2 POSITIONS.

GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT THEY'RE UP AGAINST WHEN TRYING TO FILL TEACHING POSITIONS.

THOSE THE TOUGH ONES IN PARTICULAR.

>> THE >> VACANCY RATES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS ABOUT TWICE THE STATE AVERAGE.

THAT WAS A PROBLEM COMING INTO THE PANDEMIC IS NOT IMPROVED WITH THE PANDEMIC TO NOT QUITE AS SEVERE FOR BILINGUAL.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STATE HAS BEEN DOING MADE A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE, THEY DOESN'T TARGETED SCHOLARSHIPS TO REALLY TRY TO ENTICE TAKE AWAY FINANCIAL BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE GOING INTO THOSE FIELDS, THOUGH THEY'VE REALLY EXPAND.

WE CREATED A BILINGUAL SET ASIDE FOR MINORITY TEACHERS OF ILLINOIS SCHOLARSHIP.

SO THOSE ARE ALL REALLY GOOD STRATEGIES.

ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE IS CREATED SOME SHORTCUTS.

WE'VE GOT HUGE UPLIFT IN THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS WHO CAN GET INTO THE CLASSROOM ON SHORT-TERM APPROVALS OR PROVISIONAL LICENSES.

THAT IS JUST SKYROCKETED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

IN FACT, OVER 16% OF BILINGUAL TEACHERS RIGHT NOW ARE TEACHING ON PROVISIONAL LICENSES.

JUST WANT KEEP THAT IS JUST THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.

TEACHERS WHO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE'VE CUT SOME CORNERS.

I HOPE WE'RE COMING RIGHT CORNERS IN THE RIGHT WAYS.

CLEARLY THERE WAS A REASON WHY WE FELT WE NEEDED TO DO THAT.

BUT I WOULD ADD WE DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT WHAT THE IMPACT IS ON THE STUDENTS.

MOST CLASSROOMS.

ARE THOSE TEACHERS GOING ON TO, IN FACT, EARN THEIR LICENSES?

SO IF IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW LIKE THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING WE NEED TO TAKE MORE OF A LOOK AND THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY NEXT QUESTION.

IF WE KNOW YET WHAT THE IMPACT IS, A REPAIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF TEACHERS WHO GOT A PROVISIONAL LICENSE.

WE DON'T.

BUT I WILL SAY AGAIN, THIS AFFECTS STUDENTS OF COLORS AND STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS DISPROPORTIONATELY.

THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO BE IN CLASSROOMS BEING LED BY TEACHERS SHORT-TERM APPROVALS ARE PROVISIONAL LICENSES THAN OTHER STUDENTS.

AND SO AGAIN, I THINK IT BEHOOVES US TO FIGURE OUT WITH THE BATS WITH THAT'S OK, THAT'S BEEN GOOD SHORTCUT, WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP.

TYLER, WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO INCREASE TEACHER RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT?

THEY CAN BE SO MANY THINGS ON.

THE FIRST THING I THINK ABOUT IS WHEN YOU'RE RECRUITING A TEACHER.

>> WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT ARE YOU RECRUITING THEM INTO?

HAVE TO PLUG, TEACH.

THAT IS WHO I WORK WITH ON THEIR TEACHER LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION THAT JUST AMPLIFIES TEACHER VOICES EDUCATION POLICY ISSUES AND SO TEACH.

PLUS RECENTLY THE SPRING THEY PASSED THE RACISM PRESCHOOL ACT WHICH REQUIRES SCHOOLS TRAIN TEACHERS ON HOW TO REPORT POLICE SAY THE GUN ON HOW REPORT RECOGNIZE AND REPORT INCIDENTS OF RACIAL HARASSMENT.

AND SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF LIKE BARE MINIMUM TRAINING THAT CAN BE DONE.

I'M A GOOD AT MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE RECRUITING RECRUITING TEACHERS INTO A WELCOMING SPACE.

IF THAT MAKES SENSE THAT TEACHERS CAN DO, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS CAN DO EVEN MORE THAN THAT.

INSTEAD OF HAVING JUST ONE SORT OF IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING FOR LIKE NEW TEACHERS, SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE IS TO HAVE REGULAR TRAINING AMONG CULTURAL COMPETENCY ON, YOU KNOW, PARENT INVOLVEMENT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, A DIFFERENT LEVELS.

OR HE SHOULD.

WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, STILL TEACHER TURNOVER HAS PROVEN TO BE GREATER AT SCHOOLS THAT HAVE PRIMARILY STUDENTS OF COLOR.

>> SIMILAR QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WHAT EFFECT DOES THAT HAVE THAT TURNOVER?

WHAT EFFECT DOES THAT HAVE ON THOSE STUDENTS?

BUT ALSO WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE TEACHER RETENTION RECRUITMENT?

>> THEY HAVE A VERY POOR EFFECT WEEKENDS THERE LET THEIR ABILITY TO BE A RELATIONSHIP SKILLS.

IT WEAKENS THEIR ABILITY TO TRUST SO THAT THE NEXT PERSON THAT DEATH COMING FROM THEM AS AN EDUCATOR OR SUPPORT STAFF IS GOING TO BE HARDER FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THAT CHILD BECAUSE NOW THEY HAVE TRUST ISSUES OR BAND OF THE ISSUES BECAUSE TEACHERS IN THE PAST THAT THEY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH.

HAVE HAD TO LEAVE THE FIELD WHERE SEVERAL MANY DIFFERENT REASONS.

BUT JUST LIKE TYLER ALSO WANT TO JUST EXPAND ON MY DISTRICT BSD ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE BUILD ON IS COMMUNITY COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY.

SO WHEN A IS WITHIN A SCHOOL IN NORTH TO BUILD THEIR RETENTION, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING COMMUNITY.

WE ARE BUILDING IN SUPPORT WITH MENTOR SHIP.

WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT EVERY SCHOLAR HAS JUST A STUDENT THAT'S IN FRONT OF US, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT THEM AS OUR NEIGHBOR ALSO LOOKING AT THEM AS 15 YEAR-OLD THAT JUST GOT THEIR WORK PERMIT AT THE MYERS UP THE STREET.

SO THEY'RE HELPING US CHECK OUR BAGS.

THEY'RE WALKING US TO OUR CAR.

SO MAKING DECISIONS FOR THEM.

AND WE'RE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS FOR THEM.

WE'RE NOT JUST BUILDING IT FOR THEM AS A STUDENT THAT'S IN FRONT OF US.

BUT IT'S SOMEONE THAT'S IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND ALLOWS TO BE CONNECTED WITH THEM AS SO THAT THE TURNOVER RATE IS LESS LIKELY TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THEY STILL THE TEACHERS NOW MORE CONNECTED IN COMING UP SCHOOL?

>> ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S WHERE WE'LL HAVE TO LEAVE IT A LOT THAT I'M SURE THE 3 OF US THE 4 OF US CAN TALK ABOUT ON THIS