Illinois is facing a growing teacher shortage that is directly impacting student learning. Classrooms remain unfilled; burnout continues to rise, and fewer people are entering the profession. At the same time, one of the state’s most successful solutions — the Teacher Vacancy Grant — now faces an uncertain future. Eliminating this funding would be a mistake our students cannot afford.
In Peoria Public Schools, the grant has produced measurable results. Over the past three years, teacher retention increased from 78% to 88.5%, vacancies declined, and the number of African-American educators more than doubled, growing from 60 to 123. Programs like TeacherReady and Grow Your Own have helped paraprofessionals, substitutes and aspiring educators become licensed teachers while continuing to serve students.
Behind these numbers are powerful stories.
Alesha List, a former long-term substitute and district graduate, completed her certification through the TeacherReady Program while continuing to work with students. Today, she leads a thriving fourth-grade classroom at Glen Oak Community Learning Center, where students see a teacher who reflects their community and experiences.
Tammy Arvin was a teacher aide, now serving at Charter Oak, who earned certifications in Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Exceptional Student Education and Early Childhood Education through these pathways.
Karen Adkins-Dutro began her career as a para educator for eight years then served as a librarian for two years while earning her teaching certificate and becoming a first-grade teacher at Elise Ford Allen Academy.
Asa Lewis, a behavior attendant, earned his certification in English Education for grades 5-9 and now teaches at Elise Ford Allen Academy, a K-8 school.
These educators are more than employees — they are examples of what happens when districts invest in people from their own communities. Many are committed to staying in Peoria long-term, creating the stability students need to succeed.
The Teacher Vacancy Grant also allowed districts to invest in mentoring, educator pipelines, dual-credit opportunities and partnerships with colleges and universities. These are not temporary fixes; they are long-term solutions to rebuilding the educator workforce.
The results speak for themselves. Peoria’s Grow Your Own initiative currently supports 26 participants and has already graduated 18 future educators. The TeacherReady Program has 33 active participants and has produced 27 certified teachers in just three years.
Illinois cannot afford to stop now. Ending support for the Teacher Vacancy Grant would reverse progress, especially in high-poverty communities where teacher shortages hit the hardest. Gov. JB Pritzker and state lawmakers have shown a strong commitment to education. I urge them to restore and expand funding for the Teacher Vacancy Grant, so districts across Illinois can continue building strong, stable schools.
Every child deserves a great teacher.
Every teacher deserves support.
And every community deserves a state willing to invest in its future.
Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat has served as Peoria Public Schools’ superintendent since 2015. She will retire from the district this summer.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois cannot afford to lose teacher vacancy grant | Opinion
Reporting by Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, Peoria Public Schools / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
