Illinois has faced a teacher shortage over the last few years with vacancies in special education, bilingual education, and STEM subjects. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a $70 million pilot program to help districts hire and retain teachers.
While a teacher shortage in Illinois was a problem in previous years, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it harder for school districts to find qualified teachers for open positions, says a new survey.
The Illinois State Board of Education preliminary data shows overall public school enrollment declines for students in pre-k to 12. But the data shows an increase in enrollment for English learners.