CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – The state of Illinois needs more teachers, and we could have some good news when it comes to the shortage in the state and across the country.
Officials said recruiting at the U of I for education majors is up, and people are interested in the job more than ever right now.
I talked with the U of I Coordinator for Recruitment in the College of Education. She said across the country, people are seeing how fulfilling being an educator can be, and that’s why she said more people are flocking to the major.
This week’s teacher’s rally in Champaign is not the first time a school district in Illinois has argued over contracts, or pandemic related stresses.
So, what does something like this mean for colleges and universities that try to put people in the education field?
“Our goal is to teach our future teachers how to go in and make a difference in the classroom. So, we are attracting and we only want people who truly want to impact the next generation positively,” Ashley Michelle Davis, Coordinator for the Undergraduate Recruitment and Career Services of the College of Education at U of I, said.
She said even with the pandemic, and everything going on inside schools, recruitment numbers are up this year.
“We’re having to kind of hold the doors on students being excited about coming to teach,” she said.
Meghann Long is working toward her masters in teaching mathematics. She said even with rallies, strikes, and other stories coming out of schools in the state, her biggest concern is how it’s impacting students.
“I really hope that teachers can come together and be there for students. I mean, that’s why I got into this field. So, I really hope the rallies don’t affect student learning, and really relationships with teachers, and students, and really children with adults.”
Long said she would encourage anyone to go into the education field. Both Long and Davis said they hope the Champaign school board and teacher’s union can reach an agreement soon, and things don’t impact the students too much.