ILLINOIS DOESN’T JUST HAVE A TEACHER SHORTAGE…HOUSE LAWMAKERS ARE LEARNING ABOUT THE NEED FOR OTHER SCHOOL PERSONNEL AS WELL. 

BASED ON TESTIMONY AT A HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARING ON THE TOPIC, SCHOOLS ARE SHORT SOCIAL WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, COUNSELORS AND NURSES. MANY OF THE ISSUES ARE THE SAME AMONG THE PROFESSIONS. TOM TEBBE (teh-bee) WITH THE ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS DISCUSSED SOME OF THE PROBLEMS.

THERE’S ALSO A SHORTAGE OF SCHOOL NURSES, WHOSE ROLE HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS SAYS THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PROFESSOR EILEEN MOSS.

SOLUTIONS PROPOSED INCLUDE SCHOLARSHIPS AND LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAMS FOR THOSE COMMITTING TO WORK IN RURAL AND LOW-INCOME AREAS, PAID INTERNSHIPS AND RECRUITING HIGH SCHOOLERS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN ONE OF THE VARIOUS FIELDS.