Southern Illinois University’s (SIU) teacher education program has received a 2022 Teacher Residency Planning Grant from Illinois Board of Education (ISBE). Its goal is to combat the teaching shortage and get more Black teachers into classrooms.

In the program, a teacher candidate embeds at a school for a full year, shadowing a veteran teacher while still taking classes. 

Christie McIntyre, director of teacher education, said the grant enables her department to provide an additional pathway to the professional educator license for Black students.

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“It is an honor to have your initial ideas for a program be recognized as a viable opportunity for future support,” McIntyre said.

Januari Trader, the communications specialist for the ISBE, said the grant provides funding for institutions of higher education with approved teacher preparation programs and their local education agency partner.

Trader said this helps to develop the partnership’s capacity to design, prepare for and implement innovative approaches to fieldwork in the form of a teacher residency. She said the grant is a critical tool to meet the high demand for teachers across the state.

“This third round of funding for the initiative prioritized programs that would serve rural areas or that would focus on preparing teachers in early childhood, bilingual education, or special education – the teaching areas experiencing the highest demand,” Trader said. 

McIntyre said the grant SIU  and five other universities received from the ISBE was competitive.

“A grant of this nature is seed money for larger grants. Once we prove our concept and program, we can apply for larger grants from the United States Department of Education. Additional funding can provide long-term, sustainable financial support for future residents,” McIntyre said. 

McIntyre said SIU will be recruiting students in April and May and the implementation phase will begin July 1. 

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“We are addressing the teacher shortage in new and creative ways,” McIntyre said. 

McIntyre said SIU is partnering with Carbondale High School, Carbondale Elementary School, Murphysboro CUSD 186, Meridian CUSD, and Cairo School District.

Staff reporter Joel Kottman can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter: @JoelKottman. To stay up to date with all your Southern Illinois news, follow the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter. 

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