Illinois has staffing shortages in 62% of its education agencies, which include K-12 schools, special education cooperatives and career centers, according to a report published by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools Tuesday.
The 2023-24 Educator Shortage Report combines the ISBE’s data on unfilled positions with the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative’s Educator Shortage Survey. The data sets, gathered in fall of last year, focus on staffing issues in schools.
The report cited burnout, increased responsibilities and a lack of sufficient compensation as reasons for the shortage.
The report said many education agency leaders view the shortages as “severe” and that they have turned to hiring substitute teachers and expanding class sizes as solutions.
“(These) alternative remedies … affect the quality of instruction and services students receive,” the report said.
Sustainable solutions to the shortage include bolstering teaching candidate scholarships and increasing educator loan forgiveness programs, surveyed education agency leaders said.
The report also said educator shortages are not equal across the state’s schools. It found that 36% of education agencies reported no vacancies.
For Evanston/Skokie School District 65, staffing issues have stemmed from constraints on the district’s budget. At two meetings last week, the District 65 Board of Education passed budget cuts and laid off 19 of its staff members.
The layoffs will become official at the end of this school year.
These budget cuts come after the district experienced financial issues with building its new 5th Ward School and is navigating the potential closure of the Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies.
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