IL HR0062

Urges the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to develop and launch a statewide teacher recruitment system in collaboration with the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), and Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC).

System must be publicly available by July 1, 2024 and provide prospective teachers with personalized application checklists, scholarship and financial aid information, educator preparation program profiles, and licensure pathway guidance.

System should include real-time job postings from Pre-K-12 public school districts, profiles of Illinois public school districts, and opportunities for personal conversations with state staff and teachers about the application process.

Addresses Illinois' teacher shortage of 2,139 vacant teaching positions in Fall 2022 affecting an estimated 30,000 students, with vacancies concentrated in schools serving special education, bilingual, Black, Latinx, low-income, and rural students.

Recognizes that Illinois' teacher workforce lacks racial diversity compared to the Pre-K-12 student population and that higher education costs are a barrier for candidates of color pursuing teacher preparation programs.