The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced that seven school districts have received state grants to strengthen the teaching profession. The teacher leadership and teacher residency grants, totaling $1 million, will provide critical resources as part of the state’s efforts to alleviate the statewide educator shortage. Both grants will produce evidence-based models that can be shared and scaled statewide. Research shows that leadership opportunities for current teachers promote retention and prevent burnout, as well as positively impact student achievement and school culture. The Teacher Leadership Problems of Practice Grant will support grantees in addressing local challenges to developing and retaining teacher leaders. High-quality field experiences are essential in developing teachers who are “day one ready.” The Teacher Residency Planning Grant will support partnerships between high-needs school districts and institutions of higher education to plan full-year field experiences. The following school districts received Teacher Residency Planning Grants:

• North Chicago CUSD 187 (in partnership with National Louis University) – $50,000*

• Woodstock CUSD 200 (in partnership with Aurora University) – $50,000*

• Chicago Public Schools 299 (in partnership with Roosevelt University) – $50,000*

Learn more about the grants at www.isbe.net/Pages/Educator-Effectiveness-Grants.aspx.